Participation overview
The number of women and girls playing organised football has increased by nearly a quarter compared to 2019 (to 16.6m). These additional players are more evenly distributed across confederations, with players in Europe now making up a greater proportion of the global total than they did in 2019.
Women and girls playing organised football (24% growth since 2019)
Registered female players
Professional female players globally
Women’s football clubs globally
Female coaches: 5% out of total 901,000
Female referees: 9% out of total 731,500
Women’s football clubs
In total, the number of women’s football clubs in 2023 amounted to 55,622. These are highly concentrated in Europe with 59% of clubs located in this confederation, which is nearly three times that of the next largest (the AFC: 22%).
There is a clear correlation between the number of youth and senior competitions hosted by an MA and the number of football clubs in its jurisdiction. This is particularly apparent in the UEFA region, where youth and senior competitions represent 73% and 54% respectively of all women’s football competitions around the world.
Referees and coaches
The importance of increasing participation in women’s football not only relates to players, but also to all coaches, referees and many other key roles involved in the professionalisation of the game.
In May 2021, FIFA launched the Coach Education Scholarship Programme as part of an ongoing commitment to increase opportunities within football for female coaches. Through this programme, FIFA aims to create a network of coaches and ultimately increase the number of female coaches in football.
FIFA’s Coach Mentorship Programme has been in place since 2018 and aims to keep top female coaches in the game, providing the next generation of elite coaches with the opportunity to be mentored by some of the women’s game’s most accomplished coaches.