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FIFA mandates female coaches in their women's competitions
- On Mar 19, 2026, FIFA Council approved regulations requiring every team to have at least one female head or assistant coach, effective this year for U-17 and U-20 Women's World Cups and the Champions Cup, and for the Women's World Cup in Brazil next year.
- Benchmarking data shows 22% of head coaches in 86 women's leagues were female and FIFA's Member Associations Survey 2023 found an average 5% female coaches; only 12 of 32 head coaches at the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia were women.
- The new rules require two female staff on the bench, and Emma Hayes said 'It can be so disheartening sometimes when I see so limited females in the space,' highlighting ongoing challenges.
- FIFA says the move highlights long-term efforts, with staffing examples like Jitka Klimková's replacement by Michael Mayne and Wiegman's lone presence after the round of 16 in 2023 illustrating practical challenges.
- Looking ahead, FIFA aims to boost pathways for women coaches through targeted development programmes and licensing scholarships, expanding the pool ahead of major tournaments including next year's FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil.
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FIFA is introducing a new rule that will require every women's football team to have at least two female coaching staff members. At least one of them must be the head coach or assistant coach. The rule applies to all women's FIFA competitions, both at national and club level, and comes into effect immediately. The first tournament to be affected by the new rule is the U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland in September. The decision was made at a meet…
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Total News Sources95
Leaning Left10Leaning Right14Center18Last UpdatedBias Distribution43% Center
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources are Center
43% Center
L 24%
C 43%
R 33%
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