The football we want, the football we need
At World Football Summit, we believe the business of football exists to amplify what makes the game truly unique. We unite the industry to ensure that essence—its unparalleled power to break barriers and drive change—stays alive, and we lead by example through concrete actions.
For decades, it worked quietly. Clubs signed players, broadcasters bought rights, fans filled stadiums. The business grew because the game mattered to people. Nobody had to pick sides because there were no sides.
Then something changed. Money flooded in—private equity, sovereign funds, tech giants. The scale exploded. And suddenly, a question nobody had asked before became unavoidable: What is football actually for?
People started treating it like a choice. You focus on business or you focus on essence. Pick one.
The business only exists because billions of people are emotionally invested in this game. Without that connection, the arguments, the celebrations, the rituals passed down through generations, there’s nothing to monetise.
And the essence only thrives when there’s a professional industry funding it.
Women’s football, grassroots programs, sustainability initiatives—they all need investment, infrastructure, scale. One doesn’t grow at the expense of the other. One grows because of the other.
World Football Summit is the platform where the people running football’s business come together to ensure that connection stays alive. Not through lectures or panels that go nowhere. Through conversations that actually matter, where growth gets challenged, where fans stay central, where the entire ecosystem has a voice.
And we lead by example.
- We provide visibility and resources for gender equality in the industry.
- We help bridge the gaps preventing a truly global game.
- We drive the adoption of greener practices.
- We spotlight the professionals whose work beyond the pitch inspires the next generation.
- We commit 1% of our revenue to organisations empowering people worldwide.
Because after ten years, we’ve learned this: the business of football exists to amplify what makes the game transformative. That power to unite billions, break down barriers, change lives. A strong, professional industry is what protects that.
Expanding the Business, Honouring the Essence.
Because that’s the football we want. The football we need.
Keys areas Of work
Keys areas
Of work
Gender equality
Inclusion
Footprint
Common Goal
Awards
Join The movement
Join
The movement
Do you believe in better football too? Are you a champion of inclusion? A female leader? A green playmaker?
Then get in touch to join the global movement.
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WFS and its Commitment to society
WFS and its
Commitment to society
2016
Launched our journey by using football as a tool for development.
- Partnered with Street Football World to connect football with global development efforts.
- Organized pioneering panels spotlighting football’s role in social progress and development.
2017
A year of bold firsts and purpose-driven partnerships.
- Launched the first Women’s Football Summit in Madrid, championing equality and representation.
- Joined the Common Goal movement, pledging a share of WFS revenue to support global impact projects.
- Debuted the Football for Good Award at the inaugural WFS Awards, in collaboration with Common Goal, recognizing initiatives that use football to drive social change.
2018
A unique space to highlight female trendsetters in the sports industry.
- Established the first Female Leaders Interview Corner in our events in partnership with Women Experience Sports, a dedicated space to visibilise and empower women in the industry.
2019
A year to reach newer audiences in booming continents.
- Held our first WFS Asia in Malaysia, which included our StartUp Cup, a competition to empower future generations and entrepreneurs in sporstech.
2020
WFS goes virtual—and gives back in a time of global crisis.
- With the pandemic we went online and we have been streaming our events ever since to make it more accessible, wherever you are in the world.
- We donated WFS Live 1 profits to Fenômenos Foundation & Common Goal’s COVID-19 Relief Fund, supporting vulnerable communities affected by the pandemic.
2021
Honoring footballers who drive social change.
- We introduced the Marcus Rashford Award at the WFS Awards to celebrate athletes using their platform to fight inequality, promote education, and inspire systemic change—recognizing Rashford’s campaign against child food poverty as a symbol of football’s power beyond the pitch.
- Sofie Junge Pedersen and Mushaga Bakenga have won this prestigious award.
2022
Setting new standards in gender equality and sports.
- Enforced 30% minimum female speakers (with Women in Football) and 20% minimum female attendees.
- Girls took over our WFS Europe event to play an exhibition match in partnership with FutboLISTAS.
2022
Setting new standards in gender equality and sports.
- Introduced Football Without Limits Award in partnership with Integrated Dreams to recognize organizations and individuals who promote inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities in football.
- Donated 20% of ticket revenue to Ukraine relief (with Common Goal).
- We held our 1st Carbon Zero Event in partnership with ClimateTrade & Forever Green.
2023
Deepening our impact on and off the field.
- Hosted Female Leaders Gatherings at WFS Europe & WFS Asia.
- We acquired our first Menina, the symbol of our Female Leaders Program, and kicked off her first tour in Seville.
- Launched our Female Leader Pass to support women claiming their place in the industry.
2023
Unique games, unique times, unique initiatives.
- Held the first The Most Inclusive Match – with a record breaking 1,740 people with disabilities at a LaLiga match.
- Our WFS Europe Volunteer Team included People with Disabilities for the first time.
- Donated 20% of our Football Innovation Forum’s revenue to Turkey’s earthquake victims.
2024
A defining year for equity, impact, and sustainability.
- Held the 2nd Most Inclusive Match – Atlético vs Lille (UCL), in partnership with the Spanish Ministry for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.
- Introduced WaterApp, replacing plastic bottles with bamboo canes for all speakers.
- Held our first Female Leaders Gathering in WFS Americas.
- We launched a Training Program in Las 3 Mil Viviendas in Sevilla with our Menina program.
2025
This year, we’re building deeper connections between football, climate, and communities.
- Held Women 's Football Summit at San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao. One of the many activities which took place around Women’s Football Week BBK, a week to reflect on the values of women's football: inclusive, sustainable, and modern, a true catalyst for social change.
- Launched our Female Leaders Awards to recognize, celebrate, and elevate the women who are driving progress across the global football industry—highlighting outstanding leadership, breaking barriers, and inspiring the next generation of female talent in the game.
Key figures
Every year, the community of football industry leaders connects at World Football Summit.



