The World Sevens football inaugural competition will be held from 21-23 May in Estoril, Portugal. Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Ajax, and Benfica have signed up, with four more teams still to be confirmed.
This new seven-a-side competition will get underway three days before this year’s Champions League final and just six weeks before the start of Euro 2025.
“This is a fascinating opportunity to be part of something new for the women’s game,” said Man United manager Marc Skinner.
The prize money for the sevens football competition is £3.76 million, which is significantly more than any other major tournament. This year’s Champions League winners could earn as much as €1.4 million (£1.2m) and up to €2.8 million (£2.4m) from the 2027/28 season. This season’s WSL champions will receive £500,000, while the FA Cup winners will receive only £430,000.
The prize money has been invested by Jennifer Mackesy, the minority owner of Gotham FC and Chelsea FC.
It is understood there is a commitment to invest £77 million in the series over a five-year period. The new series of invitational ‘grand slam’ style tournaments will stream live on DAZN.
How will the Women’s World Sevens work?
The matches will take place on grass pitches at Estádio António Coimbra da Mota in Portugal, with each field being half the size of a typical 11-a-side pitch. Clubs can have a squad of up to 25 players, but only 14 can participate in a single game, which allows for unlimited substitutions.
The Sevens football game is two 15-minute halves with extra time deciding tie-breakers.
National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) clubs can take part in May. However, there are plans to host a second edition at the end of the year in North America.
“We haven’t got the rosters yet, but they will be first team squads,” said Women’s World Sevens head of football Adrian Jacobs. “Obviously, a lot of these clubs are very worldwide and global in their make-up. The games are much shorter and the amount of players on the pitch is much less.”
Jacobs expects Man United’s four Lionesses in Ella Toone, Grace Clinton, Maya Le Tissier and Millie Turner to take part in some form.
“There is a difference between a first team XI and a first-team squad. We would expect a first team squad,” he added. “We also know this is an opportunity for other players and for people who want to really express themselves on a completely different stage.”
Player injury risk assessed
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This tournament comes at the end of a busy session for women’s players ahead of the Euros in Switzerland, with constant controversy over game congestion and the impact on injuries.
UEFA said: “We have conducted injury surveillance studies on elite women’s football since 2018. Before this, multiple studies were conducted in leagues across Europe and the US. These studies analyse the number of injuries (including ACL injuries) per 1000 hours of football (match play and training).
“All these studies show that the number of ACL injuries for 1000 hours of football has not increased. We see around 0.7 injuries per team per season, as seen in early studies from 2000.
“Therefore, we have no increase in ACL injuries in women’s football per playing hour. And hence, there is no evidence to suggest that match congestion is a risk factor for ACL injuries.”
While player welfare has been at the forefront of this competition, former England defender Anita Asante says it was considered in ‘every aspect’ of the format of the tournament.
“It’s short-format games, so the distances players will cover and the amount of time they will be doing those physical actions is completely different to an 11v11 game. Having a bigger squad will allow clubs to manage minutes and load. From the feedback we have got from players, they are really excited to play in this competition.”
United manager Skinner said in March that the tournament could provide opportunities for players who will not be competing at Euro 2025.
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