PepsiCo and EA Sports FC join forces on global deal

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EA Sports FC
Image via EA Sports

Leading food and beverage companies Pepsi, Gatorade, and Lay’s will work with EA Sports as part of a strategic partnership to deliver entertainment experiences centred around the new EA Sports FC game.

PepsiCo will advocate and support EA Sports FC through this collaboration, which results from a shared desire to influence the future of football fandom. The strategic partnership will enable both parties to work together to develop video games that delight today’s football fans. It also allows PepsiCo to build on its long history in the football entertainment industry and further its overarching business strategy to create fun fan experiences that combine gaming, music, and football.

Global ambassadors from PepsiCo’s talented football roster, including Leah Williamson (England and Arsenal) and Vini Jr (Brazil and Real Madrid), will appear in upcoming activations, such as entertainment crossovers, in-game integrations, and on-pack promotions that will give fans access to privileged experiences and essential in-game rewards. Additionally, the collaboration on current PepsiCo efforts, which promote football participation and gender equality in the game, will be facilitated by the alliance.

EA Sports FC is one of the most popular game franchises in the world, which was recently tied with FIFA before dropping the partnership.

Through PepsiCo, EA Sports will continue to bring unmatched experiences for gamers.

Head of Global Sports and Partnerships at PepsiCo, Adam Warner stated via press release:

“EA SPORTS is an iconic brand in the realm of football and has revolutionized fan engagement. With PepsiCo’s history and extensive involvement in football and entertainment, our brands are uniquely positioned to push the boundaries of football fandom. This partnership enables us to reach football fans and communities worldwide, and to provide them with experiences that elevate their connection to the beautiful game.”

Vice President of Brand at EA Sports FC, David Jackson added via press release:

“For years, PepsiCo’s brands have been delivering memorable moments for football fans, and we’re energised to incorporate that rich heritage into our own experiences as we set forth on this remarkable journey with EA Sports FC. We’re proud to partner with PepsiCo to create more unmissable experiences that will undoubtedly captivate fans of the World’s Game.”

The EAFC game will release and be available to play from September 29.

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Project ACL: The initiative leading the way on injury research

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Image credit: FiledIMAGE / Shutterstock.com

Launched in 2024, the research project recently welcomed two US-based organisations: the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA) and National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

 

About Project ACL

Led by FIFPRO, PFA England, Nike and Leeds Beckett University, Project ACL aims to research ACL injuries and understand more about multifactorial risk factors.

After piloting in England’s Women’s Super League (WSL), Project ACL will expand to the NWSL in the US, reflecting the global importance of the project’s research and outcome.

“We are incredibly excited to bring the NWSLPA and NWSL to Project ACL,” said Director of Women’s Football at FIFPRO, Dr. Alex Culvin, via official press release.

“Overall, we believe that player-centricity and collaboration with key stakeholders are central to establishing meaningful change in the soccer ecosystem and that players, competition organisers and stakeholdersaround the world will benefit from Project ACL’s outputs and outcomes.”

Interviews with over 30 players and team surveys across all 12 WSL clubs provided the project’s research team with valuable information about current prevention strategies and available resources.

Furthermore, the project tracks player workload and busy schedule periods during the season through the FIFPRO Player Workload Monitoring tool, therefore gaining insights into the link between scheduling and injury risks.

 

Looking to the data

Project ACL’s partnerships with the WSL – and now the NWSL – are immensely valuable for the future of player welfare in women’s football.

Although ACL injuries affect both male and female athletes, they are twice as likely to occur in women than men. However, according to the NWSL, as little as 8% of sports science research focuses on female athletes.

In Australia, several CommBank Matildas suffered ACL injuries in recent years: Sam Kerr was sidelined from January 2024 to September 2025, Ellie Carpenter for 8 months after suffering the injury while playing for Olympique Lyonnais, and Holly McNamara came back from three ACL’s aged 15, 18 and 20.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The 2025/26 ALW season saw several ACL incidents, including four in just two weeks.

 

Research, prevent, protect

Injury prevention and research are vital to sport – whether professional or amateur.

But when the numbers are so shocking – and incidents are so common – governing bodies must remember that player welfare comes above all else. Research can inform prevention strategies. Prevention means players can enjoy the game they love.

The work of Project ACL, continuing until 2027, will hopefully protect countless players across women’s football from suffering long-term or recurring injuries.

South Canberra FC Breaks the Mold: Equity-Driven Model Earns ‘Club Changer’ Honour

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Image Credit: SCFC

South Canberra Football Club has been named Club Changer of the Month for April, in a recognition that reflects a broader shift across Australian football toward rewarding clubs that are actively dismantling the structural barriers limiting women’s access to the game.

The AFC Women’s Asian Cup has just delivered record crowds and unprecedented visibility for women’s football in Australia, and the Club Changer program is now asking what comes next. Its decision to name South Canberra Football Club as Club Changer of the Month for April signals a clear shift in how the program defines contribution: away from participation numbers alone, and toward the equity frameworks that determine whether women stay in the game once they arrive.

South Canberra FC built that framework from the ground up. Established in 2021, the club set out to give women and female-identifying players a safe, inclusive environment to play football at any level. It runs entirely on volunteers, operates as a not-for-profit, and is governed by an all-female committee with 13 of its 14 coaches identifying as female.

 

Building the infrastructure of inclusion

In 2026, the club secured grant funding and put it to work immediately. Two coaches are completing their C Licence qualification, and ten coaches, players and community members have undertaken the Foundations of Football course, which directly tackles the cost and accessibility barriers that exclude women out of coaching pathways.

The club also commissioned a female-specific strength and conditioning program with sports physiotherapists ahead of the 2026 season, targeting injury prevention and explicitly supporting players returning after childbirth.

SCFC’s leadership team draws from LGBTIQ+ individuals, First Nations people and veterans, strengthening the club’s connection to the communities it was built to represent.

The Club Changer program is backing clubs that do this work- clubs that treat equity as infrastructure rather than aspiration. At a moment when Australian football is under pressure to turn its biggest-ever surge of women’s interest into something lasting, SCFC’s model offers a clear answer to the question of how.

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