Laura McAllister, the vice-president and deputy chair of the UEFA Women's Football Committee, is at the forefront of a pivotal moment in the evolution of women's football in Europe. As UEFA unveils its new six-year strategy, "Unstoppable," McAllister and her colleagues are charting a course that aims to propel the game to unprecedented heights, driven by a bold vision and a commitment to shaping a future that is uniquely tailored to the women's game.

Unlocking the Boundless Potential of Women's Football

Momentum Fueling Exponential Growth

The women's game in Europe has experienced a remarkable surge in recent years, shattering attendance records, securing lucrative broadcast deals, and attracting increased investment across the continent. The number of professional leagues has risen from a single league in 2019-20 to four in 2024, encompassing England, Germany, Sweden, and France. This exponential growth has transformed the landscape, but the rate of development has not been uniform, with some nations still facing persistent barriers to participation and professionalization.

Steering the Course Towards Balanced Growth

UEFA's "Unstoppable" strategy aims to steer the growth of women's football in a way that maximizes benefits for all 55 member nations, rather than allowing it to develop in a laissez-faire manner that primarily benefits the few. The governing body recognizes that the women's game need not simply mirror the men's game, but can forge its own unique path, drawing on the best elements while shaping a strategy that is tailored exclusively to the women's game.

Ambitious Targets and Transformative Investment

The "Unstoppable" strategy is built on four strategic priorities, including making Europe the home of the world's top players with six fully professional leagues and 5,000 fully professional players across all leagues. Additionally, the plan aims to make football the most sustainable and investable women's sport across the continent. To achieve these ambitious goals, UEFA has committed to investing €1 billion ($1.093 billion) in the women's game until 2030.

Bridging the Gap: Reliance on Men's Football and Long-Term Sustainability

The significant investment in women's football will come from multiple sources, including a new five-tiered sponsorship structure for the upcoming commercial cycle beginning in 2025-26. This will introduce fully centralized sponsorship rights for the Women's Champions League for the first time, and no longer bundle rights deals with the men's Champions League. Additionally, revenue accrued through men's competitions will contribute to the investment in the women's game.While concerns have been raised about women's football's reliance on the men's game, McAllister believes that this cross-fertilization is a necessary step to "play catch-up" after decades of underinvestment. However, the ultimate goal is for the women's game to become a €1 billion industry in itself by 2030, reducing its long-term dependence on the men's game.

Balancing Player Welfare and Business Ambitions

As UEFA seeks to expand the game's business appeal and establish a financially secure future, it has also pledged to keep player welfare at the heart of its decision-making processes. This delicate balance is a challenge, as the governing body's ambition to launch a new second-tier club competition for the 2025-26 season risks adding more fixtures to an already congested schedule.McAllister acknowledges that the issue of player workload is not yet resolved in either the men's or women's game, and that compromises will be necessary to find a sustainable solution. Addressing this concern will be crucial as UEFA aims to "inspire" more shareholders to invest in the women's game.

Embracing Social Advocacy and Player Representation

The unique relationship between women's football and social advocacy is recognized as a key feature of the game. UEFA understands that it must involve players early on in its decision-making processes to ensure that this cultural aspect is not erased as the game grows.To this end, UEFA has established a dedicated women's football board that meets quarterly to discuss issues in the game, with the inclusion of prominent players, coaches, and administrators. Additionally, from May 2025, players will be represented on UEFA's executive committee, the governing body's highest decision-making body, through a new memorandum of understanding with FIFPRO Europe.These steps, along with the creation of a second female-designated seat on the executive committee, represent progress in ensuring that women's voices are heard at the highest levels of the sport's governance. As McAllister states, "In order to deliver an ambitious strategy like Unstoppable, we need to have agency from women and women's voices at every decision-making table."