Few people in football combine the authority of a former Ballon d’Or winner with the strategic vision of a senior executive. Nadine Kessler, now Managing Director of Women’s Football at UEFA, brought both perspectives to WFS Madrid, where she offered a grounded yet ambitious take on where the women’s game stands — and where it still needs to go.
Building on a Record-Breaking Summer
Before looking ahead, Kessler reflected on one of the tournaments that has done more than any other in recent times to cement women’s football’s place in the mainstream: UEFA Women’s EURO 2025. “The EURO is obviously our north star,” she said, describing it as one of the most positive events UEFA has ever delivered.
The tournament, held in Switzerland, set new standards for women’s football in every sense. Twenty-nine of the 31 matches were sold out — a milestone that would have been unthinkable a decade ago. It drew travelling fans from 160 countries, with women representing 50% of total attendance — more than triple the share seen in the men’s edition. “Do we attract a new audience with our competitions? Yes,” she said, underscoring the tournament’s role as a key driver not just for national teams but also for club football.
Kessler also credited the media for its part in that success. “I really want to compliment the media,” she said. “It was solely positive.” The combination of sporting quality, fan enthusiasm, and constructive storytelling, she argued, has set a new benchmark for what women’s football can achieve when given the right stage.
That success, however, brings new responsibilities. For Kessler, visibility is no longer the main battle — structure is. The women’s game has the audience, the momentum, and the credibility; now it needs the framework to sustain them.
A Shift from Visibility to Strategy
“The space is not the problem for the women’s football calendar,” she explained. “It’s finding specific days and times that don’t clash with the amount of men’s matches we have going on.”
That distinction — between space and time — may sound subtle, but it points to a deeper truth. Women’s football doesn’t need to be squeezed into football’s existing ecosystem; it needs an ecosystem of its own. One that allows fans, broadcasters, and sponsors to engage fully, rather than as an afterthought between other fixtures.
Kessler also pushed back against the narrative that women’s football has suddenly “arrived.” Its growth, she reminded the audience, is the result of years of work, investment, and belief from those who kept building when few were watching.
Investment, Not Coincidence
“It’s also sometimes a little bit patronising,” she noted, “if you pretend that women’s football wasn’t there before, and now a magical recipe was found for it to be put on a stage that everyone talks about.”
That stage, she argued, has been earned — not gifted. The billions invested by clubs, leagues, and federations in recent years have turned what was once considered a cause into a market of its own. But growth, for Kessler, isn’t just about numbers; it’s about building something sustainable.
“Women’s football is not a victim — it’s a rising star. And investors come in because they see return, they see a road to profitability — and that’s totally legitimate.”
The Next Chapter: Expanding Europe’s Club Game
Looking ahead, Kessler highlighted the launch of UEFA’s new club competition cycle as a major step forward. “We’re really excited to kick off this new cycle,” she said, “because it expands the number of competing teams at European level.” Alongside the Women’s Champions League, the creation of the new Europa Cup aims to broaden access and visibility for clubs across the continent.
The commercial impact is already clear. “Revenues will increase by more than 100%, and the clubs will get all that money,” she explained. UEFA has also secured groundbreaking broadcast partnerships — including deals with Disney+ and free-to-air networks in key markets such as Spain — taking women’s football to 229 countries.
For Kessler, these achievements demonstrate that professionalisation and growth are not abstract goals but measurable realities. “Our role is to provide the best club competition possible,” she said, “one that’s built on sporting merit at the centre of it all.”
From record attendances to global broadcast deals, the message was consistent: women’s football no longer needs to prove its worth. The challenge now is to consolidate that momentum — with structure, strategy, and vision.