To create a sustainable ecosystem in women’s football, UEFA has announced a six-year strategic plan titled “Unstoppable” to the world. This new strategy sets ambitious goals to elevate the game to another level by 2030.
Women’s football in Europe has seen unprecedented growth in recent years, with more players, higher standards, and larger tournaments than ever before. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin stated, “To help us maintain this momentum and secure a sustainable future, we have launched a new six-year strategy, ‘Unstoppable,’ aiming to make football the most-played team sport for women and girls in every European country while increasing the number of professional leagues across the continent. ‘Unstoppable’ is our roadmap to establish the foundations for a sustainable future and to unlock the full potential of women’s football. As we enter this exciting new era, we must continue with the same passion that has brought us here. Our commitment to the cause is as strong as ever. Our mission is simple: to help women’s football find a significant place within the European sports community.”
UEFA AIMS TO INCREASE PROFESSIONAL LEAGUES AND ATHLETE NUMBERS
“Unstoppable” was developed through extensive collaboration with football stakeholders across Europe, including Turkey. This strategy outlines UEFA’s plans to develop the next generation of players, coaches, referees, volunteers, and fans. Building on the success of UEFA’s first women’s football strategy, “Time for Action,” “Unstoppable” aims to take women’s football to unprecedented levels with four long-term goals and eight strategic priorities.
UEFA’s goal is to broaden the sport’s base by creating new opportunities for players, coaches, and referees and ensuring football becomes the most popular team sport in every European country. Currently, six fully professional leagues and 5,000 licensed women athletes play across Europe. UEFA aims to significantly increase these numbers through this plan.
NADINE KESSLER: WOMEN’S FOOTBALL IN EUROPE HAS NEVER BEEN IN A BETTER PLACE
UEFA’s Head of Women’s Football, Nadine Kessler, stated, “Women’s football in Europe has never been in a better place. National teams and clubs are excelling with massive investments, enhanced competition structures, and thousands of new professional playing opportunities. Women’s football in Europe has become a sport for an ever-growing and diverse fan base, drawing partners who wholeheartedly contribute to its growth. As part of our journey, we promise to continue investing and advancing the game collectively with all European national associations, leagues, clubs, players, fans, and partners because women’s football is ‘Unstoppable.’”
UEFA COMMITS TO 1 BILLION EUROS IN REVENUE AND INVESTMENTS
UEFA announced a commitment of 1 billion euros in competition revenue and UEFA investments for women’s football initiatives from 2024 to 2030. Following the successful launch of a new competition system and format for national teams, it was also announced that the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 Championship will take place alongside an updated UEFA Women’s Champions League and a second major club-level cup competition beginning next season.
TFF SUPPORTS “UNSTOPPABLE”
As UEFA strives to build a sustainable ecosystem for women’s football with its six-year strategic plan, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), which launched its own strategy last year under the slogan “Perfect Timing for Women’s Football,” supports this project with overlapping goals and plans.
TURKISH WOMEN’S FOOTBALL HAS RECENTLY ACHIEVED MANY FIRSTS
With strides made in women’s football, Turkish Women’s Football has recently achieved many milestones. In the new format, Galatasaray became the first Turkish team to represent Turkey in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. In the UEFA Nations C League, the Women’s A National Team finished six matches without conceding a goal and took second place in the UEFA B League with nine points, earning their first-ever playoff spot for the 2025 UEFA Women’s Euro.
Preparing for the first-round matches of the UEFA WU17 European Championship, the U17 Girls’ National Team will compete in Group 2 of the A League alongside Germany, Belgium, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Competing in the first round of the UEFA WU19 European Championship, the U19 Women’s National Team will face England, Poland, and Italy in Poland this November. Under the “New Generation on the Field with BtcTurk” project organized by the Women’s National Teams, selections are underway in collaboration with 14 TFF regions and 21 cities for players born in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, covering the U17 and U15 age groups.
The TFF continues its efforts to introduce professionalism in women’s football leagues starting from the 2026-2027 season. The U17 Girls’ Championship, previously held as a tournament, was restructured as the U17 Girls Development League starting from the 2023-2024 season, as outlined in the strategy.
The TFF Women’s Football Directorate is also working to launch the Women’s Turkey Cup for the first time this season. In the Turkish women’s football leagues, 180 teams are competing, with 11,000 licensed women athletes striving for the future of women’s football nationwide.
URAL AKUZUM: WE ARE WITNESSING UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH
Ural Akuzum, TFF Board Member responsible for Amateur and Women’s Football, emphasized the rising value of women’s football worldwide: “UEFA and FIFA place great importance on women’s football. For this reason, UEFA’s newly announced ‘Unstoppable’ strategy is of great significance. While 178 million people watched UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 globally, this figure rose to 374 million in 2022. When looking at all the numbers, we are witnessing unprecedented growth. In our country, women’s football has gained incredible momentum, especially with major clubs entering the field. There is intense competition in our top league, where last season’s champion was determined in the final match, and this season’s race is just as fierce. We have 180 teams and 11,000 licensed players, forming a large army of women footballers. These numbers will continue to grow in line with the TFF and UEFA’s women’s football strategies.”
“WORK CONTINUES TO ESTABLISH SUPER LEAGUE CLUBS UNION FOUNDATION”
Akuzum concluded, “Player salaries have increased by 500% to 1,000%. Through joint projects with UEFA and FIFA, the recent U17 project brought a grant of 600,000 euros from FIFA to the TFF for women’s football. Regional selection camps for girls are helping to build our women’s national teams in younger age groups. Efforts continue to establish a Super League Clubs Union Foundation. A great effort is also being made to professionalize the Turkcell Women’s Football Super League. Through such visible steps, the Turkish Football Federation is taking action to popularize and expand women’s football in our country. In light of these promising developments, we view UEFA’s new women’s football strategy, ‘Unstoppable,’ as highly important and fully support it.”
