UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 expected to deliver $95 million in revenue to host cities

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Image credit: Naomi Baker

The Football Association England and UEFA have announced that the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 tournament is set to be the biggest women’s European sporting event in history.

The Pre-tournament Impact Report, produced by EY, projected that the tournament is expected to deliver £54 million (just over $95 million AUD) in economic activity to the nine Host Cities of Brighton & Hove, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Rotherham, Sheffield, Southampton, Trafford and Wigan & Leigh.

The Host Cities are expecting 96,000 international visitors from 95 territories and there will be engagement from fans from all over the world as the international broadcast audience could reach over 250 million across more than 195 territories. Host cities will also see a positive socio-economic impact thanks to over 5,500 people taking part in the volunteer programme.

The report reveals ticket sales for the tournament are on track to double the attendance of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2017 in the Netherlands that welcomed just over 240,000 fans. 51% of football fans plan to attend or watch the games that will take place up and down the country across nine English cities in 10 stadiums.

Providing a platform for greater participation in the game and community engagement, the tournament also represents a huge opportunity to drive a further step change in women’s football in England.

The UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 aims to leave a lasting legacy by inspiring the next generation of players and fans, providing opportunities for more than 500,000 women and girls to participate and engage with football through focused efforts of legacy groups within each of the Host Cities, with many more additional opportunities nationally.

Baroness Sue Campbell, EURO 2022 Board Member and Director of Women’s Football at The FA, said:

“With less than 50 days to go until the Tournament gets underway, this report highlights what we can achieve with a continued focus on capitalising on the opportunities offered by UEFA Women’s EURO England 2022 and importantly how we can measure our success.

“Our aim is twofold: to deliver a record-breaking tournament and to leave a tangible legacy to grow the women’s game. By inspiring fans at home and abroad, and by committing to provide playing opportunities to girls in every school and club across the country, I am confident we can deliver on both aims.”

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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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