That number was the starting point for a broader conversation at World Football Summit Monterrey 2025, where operators, marketing specialists and players came together to discuss women’s football from an angle that no longer requires any apology: the business case.

The model that made it possible

Behind the commercial growth lies groundwork that often goes unnoticed. Marianela Camelo, Operations Coordinator at Tigres Femenil, described it precisely: the project has spent eight years built on a non-negotiable premise — treating the women’s team to the same standards as the men’s. Dedicated training facilities, an exclusive pitch, and medical staff specialised in female physiology.

“It’s not charity… Tigres had something very important, which was vision… I think we have a gold mine here, because women’s football truly is a gold mine.”

Marianela explained that for the league to flourish, clubs needed to believe in it and execute plans that put the women’s team on an equal footing with the men’s in terms of resources and logistics.

The Liga MX Femenil tells a similar story at league level. By making games free to access and building a dedicated content strategy around fan behaviour, the league grew its audience from 10 million to 30 million viewers and doubled its sponsorship agreements. “We decided it was vital to democratise women’s football,” explained Mariana Gutiérrez, Director of Liga MX Femenil. “It’s about building community and giving players the big stage they deserve.”

What the brands are measuring

Rodrigo Morales, Senior Vice President Latin America at Wasserman, arrived in Monterrey with return-on-investment figures that reframe how sponsorship in this sector is evaluated. According to his analysis, investing in women’s football generates 35% more purchase intent than an equivalent sponsorship in men’s football. The average ROI for brands: between 15 and 18 to 1.

These are numbers that cannot be sustained by social responsibility narratives. They are sustained by real consumer behaviour, and that fundamentally changes the argument executives have to make in front of their boards.

For Alejandro Gesberg, Director of Connections and Sponsorships at Grupo Modelo, the next task for brands is concrete:

“The first thing we have to do is put players in the same spotlight where today nobody doubts who Héctor Herrera is. Why? Because there is a career, there is a following. We have to put the players in that spotlight, tell their stories and make sure they have that place.”

What only those who have lived it from the inside can see

Janelly Farías arrived at the national team nine years ago without a club to play for. She was juggling three jobs just to keep training. Today she is a regular international and one of the most articulate voices on what has changed, and what still needs to. Her perspective is that of someone who has watched the industry transform from the pitch, not from a boardroom, and that is precisely why her figures carry a different kind of weight.

“The prize money for players in 2019 was 30 million and in 2023 it was 100 million — a 300% increase in four years. And the main sponsors of the World Cup contributed 300 million.”

For Farías, those numbers are not just a sporting achievement. They are confirmation of something that for years was treated as a risky bet:

“Today we have discovered that this is a business. The time to invest is now.”

And she sets one condition for that business to be sustainable:

“Before being footballers, we are people, we are human beings and we deserve to be treated as human beings.” 

This is not a demand at odds with performance. It is her explanation for why the clubs that have built environments of trust, like Tigres, are also the ones accumulating titles and generating the metrics that brands now present in their boardrooms.

2031: a date that concentrates expectations

2031: a date that concentrates expectations

Mariana Gutiérrez does not shy away from the scale of what is coming: “I truly believe Mexico’s women’s side will be world champions long before the men’s.” It is a bold claim — and the data, increasingly, supports the ambition behind it.

Coach Pedro López Ramos was direct: in 2031 Mexico will host the Women’s World Cup, and that event will act as an accelerator for everything already underway.

“In 2031, the Women’s World Cup will be held in Mexico… that is a reality. In 2031, women’s football in Mexico is going to boom.”

The conversation will continue. Women’s football will be back on the agenda at WFS Mexico City on June 3-4 at the Camino Real — taking place just weeks before the FIFA World Cup kicks off on Mexican soil, and at a moment when the industry’s most pressing questions are no longer about whether to invest, but how, and how fast.

The question that remains open is how many clubs, brands and investors will be sufficiently well positioned when that moment arrives, and how many will have taken too long to make the decision.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest in history, and for TelevisaUnivision and its sports division TUDN, it represents a broadcasting challenge with no precedent. All 104 matches will be available across the company’s platforms—ViX will stream every single game—and the tournament unfolds in Mexico, where TUDN operates from a position no other broadcaster can claim: at home, days before the opening match kicks off at Estadio Azteca.

At WFS Mexico 2025, Olek Loewenstein, Global President of Sports at TelevisaUnivision, outlined how TUDN is approaching the challenge. Loewenstein will return to the WFS stage at WFS Mexico 2026 (June 3-4, days before the opening match at Estadio Azteca). His comments reveal the strategic pillars behind the company’s World Cup content strategy.

Multiplatform means multiplatform

“Content has to be generated 24/7 and multiplatform,” Loewenstein said. “It’s a word that’s been used a lot in the media world for many years. But this is the first time where, being in the country, people will want to know what’s happening, where, at every moment.”

TUDN’s strategy isn’t about repurposing the same content across different platforms. It’s about generating content specifically designed for each one—linear TV, streaming (ViX), digital, social—and doing it simultaneously, in real time, throughout the tournament.

Serve every type of audience

A World Cup is consumed differently than a regular Liga MX match. Entire families sit together—from the grandmother who knows every tactical formation to the uncle who has never watched football. TUDN’s content has to work for both.

“You have to be able to educate those who don’t necessarily understand what’s happening,” Loewenstein explained, “while also giving every detail to that football-obsessed grandmother who wants to know the lineups, who’s injured, what happened in the press conference.”

The content strategy has to balance accessibility with depth, entertainment with information, all without alienating either end of the spectrum.

Go beyond the 90 minutes

People will finish watching one match and immediately want the next one. But between matches, they’ll want stories. What do the players eat? How do they travel between cities? How are teams managing the distances and time zones across three countries?

“The 90 minutes are something we can sit down, watch, laugh, cry, criticize,” Loewenstein said. “But the reality is it doesn’t end there. People are going to want the next match and they’re going to want to understand what happened in between.”

TUDN’s content operation is built around this: continuous storytelling that extends far beyond match coverage.

Mexico as a window to the world

Working alongside FIFA, TUDN will be generating content for global broadcasts—stories that showcase Mexico’s cities, culture and gastronomy to audiences worldwide. This isn’t just about football. It’s about using the World Cup as a platform to tell Mexico’s story.

“It’s about showing the magic cities, the food, the culture—opening the doors of the country to the world through images, video, audio,” Loewenstein said.

Build a legacy

For the 600 people at TelevisaUnivision who will work on the tournament, the World Cup represents a unique learning opportunity. Many will be embedded with FIFA’s global content team, working on productions that will be seen by billions.

The experience they gain—the knowledge, the contacts, the expertise—will reshape the Mexican sports media industry long after the final is over.

The World Cup is coming. The content challenge is already here.

The World Cup, one of the most anticipated editions ever, is expected to generate $40.9 billion in economic impact, but the opportunity for the industry goes way beyond the tournament. The football business across the Americas is undergoing a massive commercial shift, driven by record-breaking figures and structural changes:

• Revenue Growth: Liga MX is centralizing TV rights for 2028, with annual revenue projected to jump from $392M to $950M.
• Investment & Structure: The 2024 entry of private equity into Liga MX and the return of promotion and relegation for the 2026-27 season are driving new commercial dynamics.
• Franchise Valuations: MLS values continue to rise, now averaging $767M, with top-tier clubs already exceeding the $1 billion mark.

In partnership with Mexico Host City, this edition will welcome 2,000+ professionals from 50+ countries. WFS Mexico is renowned for bringing together C-level decision-makers from across the global and regional industry. Past editions have featured the entire ecosystem: from governing bodies like FIFA, CONCACAF and FMF, to leagues and clubs like LALIGA, LAFC and Club América, to global brands like Nike and Adidas, tech platforms like AWS, and broadcasters like TelevisaUnivision.

The calibre of conversation is set by speakers like Javier Tebas (LALIGA), Mikel Arriola (FMF), Davor Suker (football legend), Peter Moore (Santa Barbara Sky FC), Heidi Pellerano (CONCACAF), Jurgen Mainka (FIFA), or famous content creator Jero Freixas (Muchachos FC).

And as challenging as it may seem, this year we’re aiming to raise the bar even further.

Super Early Bird rates are available until March 13, offering 50% off Delegate passes and 25% off Corporate passes.

After that, prices go up and availability goes down.

Book your ticket!

Here’s how we got here, and where we’re heading.

Why did WFS start in 2016?

Football was changing fast. New markets, new technologies, new players entering the business with fresh ideas. Traditional stakeholders and disruptors were all part of an industry in transformation, but there wasn’t a neutral meeting point where everyone could connect.

Marian Otamendi, Jan Alessie and their team saw that gap. World Football Summit launched to bring the industry together (clubs, leagues, federations, investors, tech companies, and decision-makers) creating a space to connect, generate business, and build a community where everyone has a voice.

How did one event become a global series?

Because football is a global business, but it’s not the same business everywhere.

The industry needed regional platforms where local decision-makers could connect with global players, where specific challenges could be addressed alongside global trends. So we took WFS to Asia, Africa, America, the Middle East…

Each region taught us something different. In some markets, the timing was perfect, the ecosystem was ready, the stakeholders were hungry for connection. In others, we learnt the hard way that passion for football doesn’t automatically translate into the right conditions for our platform. Not every move worked, but each one made us smarter about where and how we create value.

What started as an annual event in Madrid became a truly global series connecting the ecosystem across regions and continents.

What’s kept WFS relevant for 10 years?

Adaptation. And sometimes, survival.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, our entire business model vanished overnight. Events were impossible. But the industry still needed to connect, maybe more than ever. We launched WFS Live in a matter of weeks, bringing everyone together digitally to keep the conversations going during those critical months. It wasn’t Plan B; it was reinvention under pressure.

That crisis taught us something: our value isn’t in running events. It’s in serving as the industry’s connective tissue, whatever form that takes.

As the industry recognised that business growth, sustainability, and social responsibility aren’t separate conversations, we responded. We put environmental impact on the agenda. We created our Female Leaders Programme to drive gender equality in football. We dedicated space to social impact, inclusion, and the role football plays in creating positive change in communities worldwide.

But we didn’t stop at conversation. We took action. Initiatives like the Most Inclusive Match demonstrated our commitment; not just talking about inclusion, but actively creating moments that embody it.

More recently, the industry called for a consistent meeting point in Saudi Arabia, one of the most dynamic markets in football right now. We established WFS Riyadh, consolidating our presence there.

It’s the same pattern: the industry has a need, we adapt to meet it. Sometimes smoothly. Sometimes by necessity. Always with the commitment to serve the industry first.

Who has endorsed our vision?

The trust we’ve built speaks for itself. When FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina, or US Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone choose WFS as the platform to share their vision, it validates our role as the industry’s neutral meeting point. When legends like Ronaldo Nazário and Rio Ferdinand, visionaries like Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, or Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus join the conversation, it shows the breadth of perspectives WFS brings together.

The diversity of organisations that trust the platform tells the same story. Governing bodies like FIFA and UEFA. Leagues like LaLiga, Bundesliga, and the Saudi Pro League. Clubs like Chelsea and Club América. Tech giants like Microsoft, AWS, Oracle, and Cisco. Consultancies like BCG. Service providers like Ticketmaster and Signify. Media outlets like Forbes, The Athletic, The Guardian, and Fox Sports.

This isn’t just a speaker list or a partner roster. It’s evidence that we’ve created what we set out to create: a space where everyone in football has a seat at the table.

The numbers back it up:

• 32 events across 11 countries.
• 2,670+ speakers.
• 44,600+ attendees.
• A network of 153,000+ professionals.
• 750+ partners
• 1,900+ brands
• 2,900+ rights holders who’ve made WFS their meeting point.

So what’s next?

We’ll keep adapting. The industry never stops evolving, and neither will we.

A decade at the heart of the industry has taught us that football’s commercial success is inseparable from its soul. This conviction drives our new claim:

“Expanding the business, honouring the essence.”

Expanding the business is our commitment to growth. Professionalisation, new markets, technology that keeps the industry competitive. Maximising the game’s potential as a global economic engine.

Honouring the essence is about protecting what makes football irreplaceable. The emotional bond with fans, the heritage of clubs, the power to mobilise millions aren’t romantic concepts, they’re the foundation of the business. Without the passion that differentiates football from any other entertainment product, the industry loses its value.

We’ve spent ten years proving that these two goals aren’t contradictory. The business exists to amplify what makes the game unique. Our mission for the next decade is to ensure they continue going hand in hand.

We unite the industry not just through events, but through a shared commitment: build a bigger, stronger football business by staying true to what makes it matter.

That’s what the next ten years are about.

And it starts now!

The WFS StartCup aims to turn innovation into value by connecting emerging projects with decision-makers from across the football ecosystem and exposing those solutions to real industry demand.

A proven track record

Since 2017, the StartCup has received 500+ applications across six editions, and has served as an early platform for startups that are now firmly established in the industry.

Past finalists and winners include Oura, Spiideo, Challengermode, Satisfi Labs, ThermoHuman, Content Stadium, Playo, LIGR Live and VRTL, projects that have gone on to secure Tier-1 investment, scale internationally and work with leading clubs, leagues and sports organisations.

The most recent edition alone attracted 130+ applications from over 30 countries.

Who should apply

The WFS StartCup is open to startups and projects that meet the following criteria:

• Proven traction: at least one year of revenue or equivalent market validation
• Industry relevance: a solution applicable to professional, amateur or grassroots football
• Team & ambition: a committed team with international outlook
• Exclusivity: previous WFS StartCup winners are not eligible to apply

Application process

To be considered, applicants must submit their pitch deck and project information from February 19 to the first week of May. Click here to submit your application.

Projects will be evaluated by a jury composed of leading professionals from the tech, sports and investment ecosystems including Uday Khanna, from Accenture; Marion Reichel, from Athlete Ventures; Juan Fuentes, from GSIC powered by Microsoft; and Audra Elena Shallal, from Flying Finn Angels.

Evaluation criteria

Projects will be assessed across six key areas: 

• Product innovation 
• Strength of the management team 
• Investment readiness, 
• Go-to-market strategy
• Pitch deck quality 
• Business model positioning within the competitive landscape.

What participants get

The WFS StartCup acts as a launch platform within the WFS ecosystem.

Winner

• Speaking opportunity at World Football Summit events
• Complimentary tickets for WFS events
  

Top 5 finalists

• Pitch opportunity in front of industry decision-makers, investors and strategic partners
• Visibility across WFS channels
• Participation in the StartUp Stand
• Mentorship and advisory support
• Two complimentary tickets and a 30% discount on additional tickets
  

All participants

Access to virtual workshops with startup experts and Angel Investors from EBAN Sports.

Key dates 

• February 19th – Applications open 
• First week of May – Application deadline 
• June 16th – Finalists announced 16 De junio
• September 2026 – Final pitches and winner announced activacion en evento

The whistle’s blown. Get your application ready!

What remains far less common is seeing how a league translates that understanding into live, scalable products that operate at the core of the competition rather than at the edges.

That was the focus of a panel presented by AWS at WFS Riyadh, moderated by Amr Rawi (CEO, Game Changers), featuring Dave Mace (AWS) and Khaled Basyuni (Head of EMEA for Bundesliga). The discussion centred on how a long-term technology partnership can support a league’s fan-centric strategy in practical, measurable ways.

Starting with shared priorities

Mace described a working model based on alignment around objectives rather than tools. Before defining technical solutions, AWS worked with the Bundesliga to understand what the league was trying to achieve from a fan and business perspective.

“We work backwards from that we don’t even touch the technology conversations at first it’s literally understanding the business what are you trying to do.” — Dave Mace

That ambition has remained consistent since the early workshops that launched the partnership in 2020: engaging a global audience while preserving the Bundesliga’s identity as a fan-focused competition. The collaboration was structured around three interconnected areas — media production, fan engagement, and data and analytics — developed progressively and refined over time.

This approach allowed the league to evolve its digital products without disrupting the live football experience. 

From data generation to product delivery

The Bundesliga now generates around 3.6 million data points per match, captured through live tracking and positional systems. On their own, these numbers have limited value. Their relevance comes from how they are processed, interpreted and delivered.

Each match produces 16 Bundesliga Match Facts, distributed in real time through the league’s own platforms. These insights are designed to add context to moments on the pitch, helping fans understand why an action is difficult, unusual or decisive.

Basyuni linked this directly to fan behaviour, pointing to a 23% increase in app usage and time spent driven by the availability of live, in-game insights.

Choice as a core design principle

Another theme running through the panel was control. Rather than guiding fans through a single narrative, the Bundesliga is building experiences that allow users to decide what they want to follow during matchday.

Basyuni described a viewing model that offers an overview of all games while enabling fans to prioritise specific events, teams or players. Goals, red cards or tactical developments can be surfaced according to individual preference, giving fans the ability to shape their own experience without breaking the live nature of the competition.

“You are in the director’s role for your own viewing experience. so you get to customize it and personalize it to how you want to consume that content not how you are told to consume that content.” — Khaled Basyuni

Context over volume

Throughout the discussion, both speakers emphasised the importance of grounding data in football expertise. Mace explained how AWS combines analytics with input from coaches, players and referees to identify which moments are genuinely meaningful.

Historical archives and live positional data are used to build models that surface insights in real time, offering context rather than distraction. Mace illustrated this with a specific goal by Joshua Kimmich that carried only a 0.8% probability of scoring:

“If that goal goes in you realize it’s a rare opportunity and it’s a real skill set that kimchi’s just turned around and banged it in the top corner. but that’s a story… give that to the commentator give me a replay tell me how difficult that was story story story insight.” — Dave Mace

The aim is not to overwhelm fans with statistics, but to deepen understanding of the game as it unfolds.

Cross-industry influence

The partnership also benefits from AWS’s work across gaming, media and live entertainment. Technologies such as real-time rendering, interactive overlays and 3D environments are already familiar to fans through other digital experiences.

“We bring in people who are working on fortnite and unreal engine and things like this and we’re saying tell us what you’ve been doing and vice versa… it just made sort of common sense to mix these together.” — Dave Mace

In the Bundesliga’s case, these tools are adapted selectively, supporting new ways of explaining and visualising football without altering the sport’s tempo or structure.

Implications for leagues and rights holders

The Bundesliga–AWS partnership illustrates a more advanced stage of football’s engagement with technology. Data is treated as a product input, platforms as strategic assets, and personalisation as an outcome of design rather than an isolated feature.

For leagues and rights holders, the case highlights how sustained collaboration between a sports property and a technology partner can lead to fan experiences that are relevant, scalable and measurable — while remaining grounded in the live match.

At a recent WFS Madrid panel moderated by Chris Gratton, Managing Director at Ticketmaster Sport; Arsenal’s Venue Director, Tom McCann, and Steve Watts, Marketing Director for Brentford FC, discussed how they are co-developing the next generation of ticketing solutions. Their approach proves that success requires a combination of operational discipline and an almost artisanal focus on community listening.

The Affordability Challenge

For Brentford, the move to digital was driven by a core club pillar: affordable football. Steve Watts is clear on the club’s philosophy: “We don’t believe fans should be treated like consumers; being a fan is a journey.” However, keeping tickets accessible creates a specific business risk.

“One of our core pillars is to offer affordable football. What that means is the tickets don’t cost that much and therefore, when we’re playing Liverpool, Manchester United, or Chelsea, a lot of them find their way onto the black market,” says Watts.

To combat this, Brentford worked with Ticketmaster to implement SafeTix. The revolving barcode technology has been a game-changer:

“It has helped us make significant strides to stop away fans from being in home areas, which disrupts the atmosphere.”

The End of Anonymity

The transition from Griffin Park to the Gtech Community Stadium forced Brentford to prioritise knowing exactly who was in the building. By leveraging Ticketmaster’s digital ecosystem, the club has identified 6,000 more supporters than they knew at the start of the season. As Watts puts it:

“When people just had physical cards before, we didn’t really know who was in every seat. Now we can offer them a better experience… and we can talk to them one-on-one.”

Arsenal has seen similar gains by opening up APIs through Ticketmaster to build their own bespoke Ticketing Hub. Tom McCann pointed out that the club previously had vulnerabilities with physical distribution.

“We identified that we were under attack from bots and from touts… we knew that we had a vulnerability in our system and that we were still issuing PDFs or hard copy tickets. Introducing the ticketing hub meant that we had control over that.”

“Use it or Lose it”: The Empty Seat Policy

One of the most provocative points of the debate was how to handle hyper-demand. At Arsenal, the solution involves a mix of transparency and strict discipline regarding utilisation.

McCann is uncompromising on this front:

“If a season ticket holder doesn’t utilise their ticket for enough games (currently three), then we will take that season ticket back. Similarly, if a member is successful in the ballot and doesn’t turn up more than twice, we’ll ban them from future ballots. We want the stadium to be a fortress, and that means full seats.”

This strategy is supported by a seamless Ticket Exchange system that makes it easy for fans to pass on their seat when they cannot attend.

The Craft of Change

Both executives agree that technology cannot be imposed by decree; it must be co-developed with the fan. Brentford spoke individually with every season ticket holder during their stadium move to understand their specific expectations.

Similarly, both clubs organised in-person digital clinics where veteran fans could learn to use their phones as tickets. McCann noted that even the older demographic was among the most front-footed:

“They came to these clinics we ran and said ‘No, I want to understand, I want to use my phone, I just don’t know how.’ We showed them a dummy turnstile so they could see what it would be like on a matchday. They got it.”

This hands-on approach, supported by the technical expertise of the Ticketmaster team, ensured a smooth transition for all age groups.

Lessons for the Industry

The success of these models lies in the fact that technology is perceived as a tool for fairness. By removing the “9:00 am rush” through sophisticated balloting systems, McCann argues they have created a more democratic process:

“Selling tickets at 9:00 a.m. discriminated against people that couldn’t be online then—teachers, hospital workers, bus drivers. By moving to a ballot, supporters have a 72-hour window.”

The takeaway for stadium managers is clear. Digitalisation, developed alongside strategic partners like Ticketmaster, is the only way to scale the business and protect the matchday atmosphere. However, it only works if it is built on an honest consultation process. As McCann summarises:

“Tech has to be additive. You can’t just deliver a tech platform for a problem that doesn’t exist.”

Speaking at World Football Summit Hong Kong, Ferdinand describes a structural gap in football media: “After a match, players go into the press zone and react to an emotional moment. You’re always protecting yourself, your team, your manager. The players you see in press zones isn’t really the guys I know.”

This gap between public persona and authentic personality has created Ferdinand’s business model: accessing conversations with current players that traditional broadcasters struggle to get.

Building During, Not After

Ferdinand’s first media venture came in 2009 while still playing at United: Five, a digital magazine. His first interview was 50 Cent. “I’ve played in huge games but I was sitting there thinking: shit, I’m interviewing 50 Cent. The next one’s LeBron James.”

Five won awards for being first to market, but Ferdinand’s real education was learning how media works from the inside. When Twitter emerged, he became the first UK footballer to adopt it strategically. “With social media I could still be visible, still have connectivity. If I have something to sell, I can do that.”

The timing was deliberate. “I made a conscious effort—when I got to a point where I could close my eyes and my week would run normally, that’s when I started to explore,” Ferdinand explains. The strategy: build visibility and infrastructure during peak playing years to maintain relevance after retirement.

But entrepreneurship among professional footballers was virtually non-existent at the time. When Ferdinand opened a restaurant in Manchester in 2007, the reaction from United’s management revealed the prevailing mindset. Ferguson and CEO David Gill called him into the office, concerned the venture would distract him from football. The assumption was clear: footballers should focus exclusively on the pitch. Business interests were seen as threats to performance, not preparation for life after.

Ferdinand’s response challenged that assumption: “Boss, if you’re going to give me a 20-year contract when I retire, I’ll stop the restaurant. If not, I’m sorry. Also… are we winning?” Ferguson couldn’t argue. United were winning and Ferdinand was performing. The restaurant stayed open for 15 years, and more importantly, the principle was established: as long as sporting performance didn’t suffer, entrepreneurial exploration could continue.

The Business Model: Trust as Commercial Asset

Rio Ferdinand Presents operates on two revenue streams, both dependent on the same competitive advantage: trust-based access.

B2C: Long-form interviews (Michael Owen, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Wayne Rooney forthcoming) distributed via YouTube. “We live outside the 90 minutes,” Ferdinand explains. “A lot of the rights holders live inside the 90 minutes—which is great—but I’m equally interested in what happens outside.”

B2B: Brands paying for authentic player access for advertising campaigns. “Commercial companies come to us to unlock players for campaigns because they know the relationship and trust means the conversation will be more authentic.”

The competitive advantage isn’t follower count or production quality—it’s access. “There’s a trust element because I played the game. I’m not there to trip them up or get a headline. I’m there to make them feel comfortable and be the real guy I know in the changing room.”

Authenticity as Commercial Strategy

For Ferdinand, authenticity drives the business model. “Authenticity is the king and that’s longevity. At some point, bullshit will be seen.”

He points to Lamine Yamal as evidence of generational shift: “This kid is authentic, he’s him. The old generation sometimes doesn’t like how he is, but all his generation understands it. Brands are starting to understand—it’s appreciating culture rather than trying to be this perfect human that no one is.”

Symbiosis With Traditional Media

Ferdinand rejects framing this as new media versus traditional media. “Both can live together and complement one another. Live football needs the behind-the-scenes access. The problem that old media has is trust.”

Ferdinand’s business doesn’t compete with broadcasters—it provides access they need but can’t produce themselves. “I’ve stepped away from the normal studio now and it feels like my shackles are off,” he says. “I’m travelling around the world, going to these guys in their houses, talking real football.”

Lessons for Athletes

Ferdinand’s journey offers specific insights for post-career planning:

Start infrastructure during playing years. Ferdinand launched Five in 2009, four years before retirement. By the time he stopped playing, he had distribution, relationships, and market understanding.

Identify your unique asset. Ferdinand’s value isn’t presenting skills—it’s trust-based access to players that traditional media can’t replicate.

Build dual revenue streams. Content alone rarely generates sufficient income. Ferdinand’s B2B model—brands paying for authentic access—creates higher-margin revenue alongside advertising.

Understand ecosystem positioning. Ferdinand’s business doesn’t replace broadcasters; it complements them by providing something they need but can’t produce.

These figures are the result of a deliberate commercial playbook discussed by Adrian Jacob, Head of Football at W7F, and Anita Asante, member of the Player Advisory Council, during their respective sessions at WFS Madrid.

The Product Playbook: High-Impact Delivery

The speed of W7F’s success is rooted in a product designed for immediate engagement. It is not a domestic league, but a global circuit of “Grand Slam” tournaments held over 3-to-4-day windows. This concentrated format creates a “festival” atmosphere that is far easier to commercialise and broadcast than a traditional season.

Core Mechanics of the W7F Product:

• The Format: 7-v-7 matches on half-sized pitches, ensuring higher scoring and constant action.
• The Pace: Two 15-minute halves with rolling substitutions to eliminate downtime.
• The Tactical Edge: The removal of the offside rule is a specific choice to increase “action events”—goals and 1-v-1 situations—per minute.
• Elite Branding: Participation is limited to global giants (e.g. Manchester United, PSG, Bayern Munich), providing instant market credibility.

The “Player Playbook”: Co-Creation & Expression

A critical differentiator in the W7F model is the role of the Player Advisory Council. Far from being just participants, the players are integral to the product’s evolution. Anita Asante, a former England international, highlighted that the council was instrumental in validating the tactical changes to ensure they enhance the game’s essence.

“I grew up playing street football and five-a-side; that’s where I developed my skill,” Asante explained. “We wanted to give elite football a platform again to feel that enjoyment and fun aspect… where they can express themselves in a different fashion.”

This player-first approach extends beyond tactics. Jacob emphasized that W7F’s rapid digital success stems from allowing authentic expression:

“So many moments went viral because we let the players be themselves. We let the players enjoy it, literally just run wild, and their personalities shone through. The biggest asset that women’s football has is the players and the ex-players.”

This co-creation model ensures the format remains competitive and authentic while helping players drive their own global profiles.

The Financial Playbook: Moving Beyond Philanthropy

A key driver of W7F’s rapid scale is the shift away from “philanthropic” funding. Jacob argues that treating the sport as a charitable cause acts as a structural barrier to growth.

“There is a huge difference between philanthropy and investment,” Jacob explained, noting that the $5 million prize purse is a strategic tool designed to attract professional capital that expects a business-driven ROI.

Jacob’s position on women’s football funding is unequivocal:

“Football is a business. You invest in a business—you don’t say after six months, ‘Where’s my money? Why haven’t I got my profits?’ It’s a long-term gain. Women’s football has to stop being grateful for everything and start pushing. Not accept everything because ‘that’s how it’s been done,’ but really say, ‘This is how we invest, this is what we want.'”

He draws a direct parallel to venture capital:

“If you invested in Uber years ago, the figures were awful for years. But you’re not asking for your money back. So why is it like that with women’s football? We need good long-term partners.”

The Growth Playbook: Tapping into “New Money”

W7F has successfully avoided competing for existing football budgets. Instead, its playbook focuses on attracting outside investors who may not have previously engaged with the 11-a-side game.

“We don’t want to take any money away from the space; it’s about bringing in new money,” Jacob stated.

This approach allows the format to tap into entirely different marketing budgets, expanding the total ecosystem rather than cannibalising it.

The Partner Playbook: A Blank Canvas for Innovation

Through a partnership with DAZN, W7F focuses on “snackable” content that aligns with modern digital habits. Jacob argued that the format offers a “blank canvas” for innovation, where partners like Ally and Invisalign move beyond static advertising to focus on deep digital integration and immersive fan experiences.

The Road Ahead

The roadmap for W7F involves establishing a consistent global circuit that occupies a permanent slot in the professional calendar. As Asante noted, the ambition is to expand to markets like Africa and Southeast Asia, exposing more young women to elite sport. By treating the product as a professional business asset, World Sevens is demonstrating how new formats can reach new demographics and attract serious investment in the current global entertainment landscape.

Foundations of the Future: Grassroots, Performance, and the Evolution of the Game — Panel featuring Anita Asante at WFS Madrid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HETUxX4su6U

Investment and New Opportunities in the Women’s Game: From Fan Interaction to Brand New Formats — Panel featuring Adrian Jacob at WFS Madrid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuMPnGDzALo

From the doorstep of the FIFA World Cup to the high-speed innovation of Formula 1, here is where the industry will meet in 2026.

WFS Mexico | Mexico City

June 3-4, 2026 We are moving to the capital. WFS Mexico will take place in Mexico City just one week before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at the legendary Estadio Azteca. With the international football industry descending upon the city, we expect a record-breaking attendance. It is the strategic time and place to connect with global stakeholders right before the world’s biggest football tournament begins.

WFS Madrid | 10th Anniversary Edition

September 15-16, 2026 Madrid is our home, and 2026 marks a decade of World Football Summit. We return in September with the city still hearing the echoes of the engines from its very first Formula 1 Grand Prix. This timing offers a unique chance to draw inspiration from across the sporting elite, capturing the lessons and innovations of the F1 world as we gather to discuss the future of football in a city built for world-class events.

WFS Riyadh | The Next Chapter

Coming Soon The journey continues in Riyadh, and we can already promise that the next edition will be particularly special. We are currently finalising the details for our return to Saudi Arabia to ensure the timing is as impactful as the event itself. We know the industry is eager for these dates—but for this reveal, you’ll have to wait just a few more weeks. Trust us, it will be worth it.

The upcoming year represents a landmark moment for the sports industry, and we are committed to providing the platforms where the most important conversations happen. Whether it is in the vibrant heart of Mexico City, our home base in Madrid, or the rapidly evolving landscape of Riyadh, 2026 is set to be our most impactful year yet.