WFS Madrid - Where legacy meets innovation
WFS Madrid is the meeting point connecting the tradition and legacy of European football with the business innovation expanding the industry worldwide. It’s the platform where those who built the game’s foundations engage with those scaling it across new markets and audiences. This is where the sport’s legacy connects with the forces driving its transformation.
15-16 September 2026 – La Nave, Madrid
Key Figures
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Knowledge
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Attendees Profile
Atendees
Past speakers at WFS Madrid 2025
Past speakers at
WFS Madrid 2025
Grace
Ahrens
Executive Director – Women in Soccer
Grace
Ahrens
Grace Ahrens is the Executive Director of Women in Soccer, an organization committed to creating opportunities for women and people with underrepresented gender identities who work (or want to work) in soccer. Growing up in Mexico and with over 10 years of experience in workforce development, branding and media, she brings a deep understanding of diversity and expertise in driving inclusive solutions.
Beatriz
Álvarez
President Liga F
Beatriz
Álvarez
Beatriz Álvarez Mesa is currently the President of Liga F since June 2022 and vice president of Spanish Football Federation. A former footballer for Oviedo Moderno, she was also the President of the club from July 16, 2009 until in September 2019, when she became the first woman to hold the position of General Director of Sports of Asturias in that province. Having played football since 12, she went through all the lower leagues with OM until reaching the first team in 2000, from which she retired at the age of 22.
Andre
Amaral
CEO – Liga Portugal
Andre
Amaral
André Mosqueira do Amaral is CEO of Liga Portugal, leading media rights centralization and football’s strategic growth. With 20+ years in global investment banking (Credit Suisse, UBS), he advised major clients on M&A and capital markets. An entrepreneur and LSE Economics grad, he bridges finance, strategy, and innovation across sports, wellness, tech, and industry.
Fernando
Carro
CEO – Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH
Fernando
Carro
Fernando Carro has been CEO of Bayer 04 Leverkusen since 2018, leading the club to its first Bundesliga title in 2024, along with the DFB Cup, Supercup, and a Europa League final. He represents the Bundesliga as an ECA board member, sits on Bundesliga International’s supervisory board, and contributes to UEFA committees. Previously, he spent 24 years at Bertelsmann, including as CEO of Arvato, and served as international president of AIESEC.
Chris
Davis
Chief Marketing Officer – New Balance
Chris
Davis
In his role as Brand President and CMO, Chris Davis is responsible for New Balance’s product and demand creation initiatives around the globe to maximize the brand’s impact with a consumer first vision through elevated branding vision, world-class partnerships and articulated product distribution strategies. Chris Davis is recognized by Forbes as one of the Most Influential CMO, ranking 12th in 2023, 8th in 2024, and 2nd in 2025.
Nadine
Kessler
Director of Women’s Football – UEFA
Nadine
Kessler
Nadine Kessler is the current Director of Women’s Football at UEFA. in this role Nadine leads that strategic direction of women’s football through Unstoppable 2025-30 and is the main contact for all football and non-football stakeholders. She uses her role to pass on her knowledge for the good
of the women’s game and aims to further develop the sport in all corners of Europe, as well as to take UEFA’s women’s competitions to new heights.
Lise
Klaveness
Football President – Norwegian Football Association
Lise
Klaveness
During a 14-year professional career, Lise Klaveness earned 73 caps for Norway and finished as a runner-up at UEFA Women’s EURO 2005. She also helped Swedish club Umeå FC reach the 2007 UEFA Women’s Cup final. While playing, she earned a master’s degree in law, subsequently working as an assistant judge in the Oslo district court and as a special adviser to Norway’s central bank.A return to football came in 2018 when Klaveness was named technical director at the Football Association of Norway (NFF).
Rafael
Louzán
President – Real Federación Española de Fútbol
Rafael
Louzán
Rafael Louzán Abal has been President of the RFEF since December 2024, after a decade leading the Royal Galician Football Federation. Known for his expertise in sports management, he drove the modernization and digital transformation of the Galician federation, significantly increasing its asset value. Earlier in his career, Louzán worked in public administration, bringing governance experience to his leadership in Spanish football.
Peter
Moore
Owner – Santa Barbara Sky Football club
Peter
Moore
Currently the Owner of Santa Barbara Sky Football Club, Peter Moore brings his vast experience from many leadership roles in major sports and entertainment brands like Liverpool FC, EA Sports, etc to the local football scene. His passion now lies in building a successful and community-focused club.
Stephen
Pagliuca
Co-Chairman – Atalanta B.C.
Stephen
Pagliuca
Mr. Pagliuca is a Principal Owner and Co-Chairman of Atalanta B.C.. Under his stewardship, Atalanta captured its first major title in more than 60 years by winning the Europa League in May 2024.
In U.S. sports, Steve partnered with the Grousbeck family in 2003 to acquire the Boston Celtics, where he served as a Managing General Partner, Co-Owner, and a member of the NBA Board of Governors. Under his leadership, the Celtics won NBA Championships in 2008 and 2024.
Gaia
Pretner
Head of Sustainability – European Football Club
Gaia
Pretner
Gaia Pretner joined ECA in May 2023 as Head of Sustainability and launched ECA’s first sustainability strategy in April 2024. She is a sustainability management expert with experience in different sectors from major events, MNCs, Federations and trade associations. Before joining ECA she worked as Sustainable Procurement Manager for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC, Sustainability and Circular Economy researcher and consultant for Bocconi University and as Sustainability expert for EXPO Milano 2015 and UNI.
Luis
Ureta
CEO – Sportian
Luis
Ureta
Luis Ureta is CEO of Sportian, Globant’s sports tech division, leading digital innovation to transform fan and athlete experiences. He drives global growth through AI-powered, data-centric solutions for sports entities. With prior roles at Dentsu, Havas, Alibaba, and as VP Europe at Globant, he brings deep international expertise in scaling digital businesses.
Grace
Ahrens
Grace
Ahrens
Grace Ahrens is the Executive Director of Women in Soccer, an organization committed to creating opportunities for women and people with underrepresented gender identities who work (or want to work) in soccer. Growing up in Mexico and with over 10 years of experience in workforce development, branding and media, she brings a deep understanding of diversity and expertise in driving inclusive solutions.
Beatriz
Álvarez
Beatriz
Álvarez
Beatriz Álvarez Mesa is currently the President of Liga F since June 2022 and vice president of Spanish Football Federation. A former footballer for Oviedo Moderno, she was also the President of the club from July 16, 2009 until in September 2019, when she became the first woman to hold the position of General Director of Sports of Asturias in that province. Having played football since 12, she went through all the lower leagues with OM until reaching the first team in 2000, from which she retired at the age of 22.
Andre
Amaral
Andre
Amaral
André Mosqueira do Amaral is CEO of Liga Portugal, leading media rights centralization and football’s strategic growth. With 20+ years in global investment banking (Credit Suisse, UBS), he advised major clients on M&A and capital markets. An entrepreneur and LSE Economics grad, he bridges finance, strategy, and innovation across sports, wellness, tech, and industry.
Fernando
Carro
Fernando
Carro
Fernando Carro has been CEO of Bayer 04 Leverkusen since 2018, leading the club to its first Bundesliga title in 2024, along with the DFB Cup, Supercup, and a Europa League final. He represents the Bundesliga as an ECA board member, sits on Bundesliga International’s supervisory board, and contributes to UEFA committees. Previously, he spent 24 years at Bertelsmann, including as CEO of Arvato, and served as international president of AIESEC.
Chris
Davis
Chris
Davis
In his role as Brand President and CMO, Chris Davis is responsible for New Balance’s product and demand creation initiatives around the globe to maximize the brand’s impact with a consumer first vision through elevated branding vision, world-class partnerships and articulated product distribution strategies. Chris Davis is recognized by Forbes as one of the Most Influential CMO, ranking 12th in 2023, 8th in 2024, and 2nd in 2025.
Nadine
Kessler
Nadine
Kessler
Nadine Kessler is the current Director of Women’s Football at UEFA. in this role Nadine leads that strategic direction of women’s football through Unstoppable 2025-30 and is the main contact for all football and non-football stakeholders. She uses her role to pass on her knowledge for the good
of the women’s game and aims to further develop the sport in all corners of Europe, as well as to take UEFA’s women’s competitions to new heights.
Lise
Klaveness
Lise
Klaveness
During a 14-year professional career, Lise Klaveness earned 73 caps for Norway and finished as a runner-up at UEFA Women’s EURO 2005. She also helped Swedish club Umeå FC reach the 2007 UEFA Women’s Cup final. While playing, she earned a master’s degree in law, subsequently working as an assistant judge in the Oslo district court and as a special adviser to Norway’s central bank.A return to football came in 2018 when Klaveness was named technical director at the Football Association of Norway (NFF).
Rafael
Louzán
Rafael
Louzán
Rafael Louzán Abal has been President of the RFEF since December 2024, after a decade leading the Royal Galician Football Federation. Known for his expertise in sports management, he drove the modernization and digital transformation of the Galician federation, significantly increasing its asset value. Earlier in his career, Louzán worked in public administration, bringing governance experience to his leadership in Spanish football.
Peter
Moore
Peter
Moore
Currently the Owner of Santa Barbara Sky Football Club, Peter Moore brings his vast experience from many leadership roles in major sports and entertainment brands like Liverpool FC, EA Sports, etc to the local football scene. His passion now lies in building a successful and community-focused club.
Stephen
Pagliuca
Stephen
Pagliuca
Mr. Pagliuca is a Principal Owner and Co-Chairman of Atalanta B.C.. Under his stewardship, Atalanta captured its first major title in more than 60 years by winning the Europa League in May 2024.
In U.S. sports, Steve partnered with the Grousbeck family in 2003 to acquire the Boston Celtics, where he served as a Managing General Partner, Co-Owner, and a member of the NBA Board of Governors. Under his leadership, the Celtics won NBA Championships in 2008 and 2024.
Gaia
Pretner
Gaia
Pretner
Gaia Pretner joined ECA in May 2023 as Head of Sustainability and launched ECA’s first sustainability strategy in April 2024. She is a sustainability management expert with experience in different sectors from major events, MNCs, Federations and trade associations. Before joining ECA she worked as Sustainable Procurement Manager for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC, Sustainability and Circular Economy researcher and consultant for Bocconi University and as Sustainability expert for EXPO Milano 2015 and UNI.
Luis
Ureta
Luis
Ureta
Luis Ureta is CEO of Sportian, Globant’s sports tech division, leading digital innovation to transform fan and athlete experiences. He drives global growth through AI-powered, data-centric solutions for sports entities. With prior roles at Dentsu, Havas, Alibaba, and as VP Europe at Globant, he brings deep international expertise in scaling digital businesses.
WFS Panels: Thought leaders in action
WFS Panels:
Thought leaders in action
Brands at WFS Madrid 2025
Brands at
WFS Madrid 2025
Reception Dinner by Teamwoks
Presented by Team Works, this year's Reception Dinner celebrated our return to Madrid in style — an exclusive evening held on one of the city’s most iconic rooftops, offering guests breathtaking views of the capital and a perfect prelude to WFS Madrid.
Networking
With over 2,000 professionals in attendance, WFS Madrid transformed La Nave into a vibrant hub of ideas and collaboration, redefining the networking experience through its open and dynamic spaces.
WFS Awards by Turkish Airlines
A truly magical night at Madrid’s legendary Joy Eslava, the WFS Awards Ceremony honoured outstanding achievements in global football, with 135 nominations from 20 countries and a spectacular performance by illusionist Jorge Blass.
Female Leaders Gathering
This celebration of women's leadership continues to grow and inspire — uniting women who are redefining what progress and leadership mean in football. This year’s edition featured Beatriz Álvarez Mesa, President of Liga F, alongside leading voices from the sports media in a powerful celebration of female leadership.
Speakers´ Corner
Innovation took flight at the Speakers Corner, presented by Turkish Airlines, where startups and entrepreneurs introduced groundbreaking projects ready to take off and redefine the game.
StartCup
The WFS StartCup made its return this year, attracting 81 applications from over 20 countries. Ten startups reached the final stage, with US-based VRTL taking home the top prize in front of a packed audience.
Clubs, Leagues & Federations Cocktail by FXP
Presented by FXP, the Clubs, Leagues & Federations Cocktail connected senior football leaders from dozens of clubs, with Peter Moore offering inspiring reflections from his career
Workshops, Masterclasses & other activities
From TikTok’s new approach to athlete storytelling to data-driven growth and sustainability, WFS Madrid sessions showcased innovation in sport — while GBS and FBA masterclasses connected students with top executives to discuss employability and industry insights. In parallel, the B2B meeting programme facilitated hundreds of targeted business connections among clubs, brands, and investors
Confirmed Exhibitors at
WFS Madrid 2025
Exhibitors of WFS Madrid 2025
The World Football Summit experience
The World Football Summit
experience
