FFA seeks to bring AFC youth women’s qualifiers to regional Australia

Football Federation Australia (FFA) has submitted a second bid to host Asian Football Confederation (AFC) youth women’s qualification fixtures in Australia in 2021.

Round one of qualifiers for the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup 2022 are scheduled to take place in March next year.

FFA has already bid, along Cessnock City Council, to host a round one qualification group for AFC U-17s and furthermore partnered with Greater Shepparton City Council with the aim of hosting a round one qualification group for AFC U-20s.

If FFA’s bid is successful, three or four Asian nations would join the Young Matildas in regional Victoria for a tournament that would inject significant investment into the local economy.

“We are excited to have partnered with Greater Shepparton City Council to submit another bid to host AFC youth women’s football content in Australia next year,” said James Johnson, FFA CEO.

“This bid – alongside our submission with Cessnock City Council announced in August – aligns with our vision to host more national team matches on home soil, particularly in the lead up to our hosting of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.”

Johnson added that FFA remains acutely aware of the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines in Victoria and nationally, meaning any event FFA event would only be held in close cooperation with authorities.

“We recognise and acknowledge Greater Shepparton for their foresight to work with us on this bid, which may result in some of the potential stars of 2023 featuring in regional Victoria just two years prior to the FIFA Women’s World Cup on our shores.

“The tournament will be a wonderful opportunity for our future stars to showcase their talent in front of friends and family. Football is a global game and we want to create more opportunities for our communities, particularly in regional Australia, to see international matches and connect with the game,” he said.

Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor, Cr Seema Abdullah, said the potential hosting of the qualification tournament would help her region on its road to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Council is very excited to partner with FFA to bid for such a prestigious international women’s tournament. Securing an event of such calibre would be a real coup for Australia and our region,” Cr Abdullah said.

“Our community has a proud football history and it would be great for the promotion of the sport in Australia and so inspiring to see our country’s best junior women’s footballers go up against Asia’s best, in our own backyard at the Shepparton Sports City precinct.”

“Local businesses in our visitor economy are doing it tough right now and if the tournament is secured and safe to go ahead it would be a real boost to our business community.”

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From Classroom to Global Football: GIS Opens New Career Path

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Image Credit: Global Institute of Sport

The Global Institute of Sport (GIS) has opened new opportunities for students who want to build careers in football. GIS has partnered with the World Football Summit (WFS). The partnership offers two exclusive scholarship and internship opportunities.

Students can gain practical experience while studying. They can also build industry contacts and learn how the global football business works.

Two Football Industry Roles

The first opportunity focuses on partnerships and commercial development. Students in the Partnership Executive Intern role will support WFS commercial activity. They will learn how football organisations build and manage partnerships.

The second role focuses on clubs, leagues and federations. The Club, League & Federation Relations Intern will support WFS relationships with football organisations. This includes key stakeholders inside football.

Both roles give students direct exposure to the business side of the sport.

International Experience

The placements also offer flexibility. Full-time students can complete a six-month internship or placement. WFS will tailor the experience to each student’s profile and availability.

Part-time students can complete two six-month placements. This gives them exposure to different areas of the WFS business. Students may work remotely or at the WFS headquarters in Madrid. The final setup will depend on the student and WFS requirements.

A Global Football Network

WFS has built a major international football network since its launch in 2016. The organisation has hosted events across 11 countries. More than 44,600 people have attended its events. Its network now includes more than 153,000 football industry professionals.

WFS events have also featured major football figures. These include FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Ronaldo Nazário, Rio Ferdinand, Didier Drogba and Javier Tebas. The partnership gives GIS students access to this wider football ecosystem. It also connects academic study with real industry work.

Applications Open for 2026

Applications opened on 18 August 2026. New and existing GIS students can apply. The deadline is 14 September 2026.

For students targeting careers in football business, the opportunities offer a direct route into the industry. They can develop commercial skills and can build professional networks. They can also gain experience with the relationships that drive modern football.

To learn more about the GIS scholarship program click the link here.

FIFA’s U15 World Cup continue to seek secretive external investment

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Image Credits: FIFA.com

FIFA’s inaugural U15 World Cup has raised fresh questions about transparency after private investors were reportedly involved in plans to finance and commercialise the tournament. According to reporting from The Athletic, FIFA President Gianni Infantino discussed a potential investment worth more than US$250 million without informing members of the FIFA Council about the external investment talks.

The proposal involved Todd Boehly’s Eldridge Industries. Boehly owns Chelsea in the Premier League. It reportedly targeted a global U15 tournament involving all 211 FIFA member associations. The discussions included broadcast rights and a potential hosting location near Disneyland before being scrapped. The investment discussions add another layer to FIFA’s growing push to bring private capital into football.

Council oversight questioned

The biggest issue is not simply the size of the proposed investment. It’s that this was planned in late 2025 without the FIFA Council being included. Several FIFA Council members reportedly said they were unaware that external investors were being approached. They learned about the discussions after the reporting emerged.

FIFA has disputed the suggestion that the process breached its governance rules. The organisation said its administration was developing funding options for the tournament and that the Council would consider formal proposals when required. However, the distinction matters. A tournament involving children, FIFA’s global brand and long-term commercial rights creates significant governance responsibilities.

A new commercial model

The proposal also shows how FIFA could use new competitions to create commercial properties. The reported investment model explored revenue from broadcasting, sponsorship and licensing. The intention to use a youth sporting tournament for external commercial benefit and to create value with all 211 nations represented adds another layer to FIFA’s questionable actions.

The proposal was reportedly dismissed just before this year’s FIFA World Cup. This could have been due to FIFA’s extensive proposal to introduce the FIFA Forward Enterprises (FIFA), which received major backlash as the governing body attempted to sell stakes in its major tournaments. The agreement with Eldridge Industries could’ve been a conflict with those existing FFE plans.

A different direction

For FIFA, they ultimately went against the proposal ideas. The U15 World Cup will be held in October in Azerbaijan from October 22nd to 31st. But once again, transparency and FIFA become an issue. The lack of consultation around specifically a youth tournament with the wider footballing community raises questions if FIFA is developing the game only for financial gain.

The U15 project may eventually create a valuable global football property. But the way FIFA handles its commercialisation could determine whether that value strengthens the organisation — or creates another governance problem.

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