The awards will be presented on the evening of 15 September, the opening day of WFS Madrid 2026, where Kang will also take the stage as a guest speaker.
World Football Summit today announces the winners of the WFS Awards 2026, the tenth edition of the programme that recognises the professionals and organisations, in the spotlight and behind the scenes, whose work elevates the game, expands the business, and deepens its impact on society.
Michele Kang, Founder of Kynisca and Chairwoman & President of Olympique Lyonnais, has become the first woman in history to win the WFS Award for Best Executive presented by Excel Search & Advisory.
Michele Kang is an American businesswoman and investor who entered football in 2020, when she joined the ownership group of the Washington Spirit in the National Women’s Soccer League, and later became the club’s controlling owner in 2022. The following year, she reached an agreement with OL Groupe to bring the club’s women’s team — now OL Lyonnes — into a separate entity under her majority ownership. She subsequently acquired London City Lionesses and, in 2024, launched Kynisca, the first multi-club platform dedicated exclusively to women’s football.
In June 2025, she also became President of Olympique Lyonnais and Chairperson and CEO of Eagle Football Group, S.A., the club’s parent company; in June 2026 she acquired a controlling stake of close to 88% in Eagle Football Group, S.A.
The jury, made up of senior executives from some of the world’s leading clubs and federations, highlighted Kang’s transformative impact across both the men’s and women’s game in Europe and North America. Beyond pioneering an innovative multi-club ownership model for women’s football, the panel praised her ability to step into complex organisations and shift their trajectory—delivering immediate sporting results while taking a long-term approach to building sustainable organisations.
Kang joins a list of previous Best Executive winners that includes Nasser Al-Khelaïfi (Paris Saint-Germain, 2025), Fernando Carro (Bayer 04 Leverkusen, 2024), Ferran Soriano (City Football Group, 2023) and Aleksander Čeferin (UEFA, 2021), among others.
“I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition, especially knowing the extraordinary leaders who have come before me. The game is evolving quickly, on and off the pitch, and I believe its future will be shaped by leaders willing to challenge assumptions, invest with ambition and build for the long term,” said Kang. “To receive this recognition for my work across football, and to be the first woman to receive the award, is especially meaningful. I hope it also reflects the growing role women are playing in leading and shaping football at every level.”
Kang will take the stage at WFS Madrid 2026 as a guest speaker, for an exclusive fireside chat moderated by Chad Biagini, President of Excel Search & Advisory and host of the Excellent Leadership Podcast, on 15 September, the opening day of the event.
CPKC Stadium, Another Milestone for Women’s Football
Iker Ruiz takes home the WFS Award for Best Content Creator, presented by TikTok, one of three new categories introduced this year. He is the creator of Elefutbol, a TikTok channel with 11 million followers built on narrative, emotionally-driven football storytelling — tributes, personal journeys and human-interest pieces — rather than highlights or news coverage.
In Best Fan-Centric Initiative, presented by Goodform by YouFirst, the award goes to Como Gaming Club, Como 1907‘s platform connecting fans through gaming, esports and digital culture giving the club a new way to reach younger, digitally-native fans beyond the stadium.
CPKC Stadium, home of the Kansas City Current, takes the WFS Award for Best Stadium Experience, presented by Stadium DB — the first stadium in the world built exclusively for women’s football, and a milestone the award recognises in its own right.
All WFS Awards 2026 Winners:
- Best Content Creator, presented by TikTok: Iker Ruiz
- Best Digital Transformation Initiative, presented by N3XT Sports: Revolutionising the Saudi Sports and Football Ecosystem (Saudi Ministry of Sports)
- Best Executive, presented by Excel Search & Advisory: Michele Kang (Kynisca Sports International and Olympique Lyonnais)
- Best Fan-Centric Initiative, presented by Goodform by YouFirst: Como Gaming Club (Como 1907)
- Best Gender Equality Initiative, presented by Women in Football: Girls United
- Best Growth Strategy, presented by Deloitte: PLAYBACK
- Best Stadium Experience, presented by Stadium DB: CPKC Stadium
- Eli Wolff Football Without Limits, presented by Integrated Dreams: South Sudan Blind Football
- Football for Good, presented by Common Goal: Moving the Goalposts
- Most Innovative Supplier, presented by SportsTechX: Trajektory
- Woman in Leadership, presented by Women in Soccer: Claire Bloomfield (Ayresome International)
“Every winner of every category makes us proud: all of them have delivered outstanding work and shown a genuine commitment to this industry, an industry that needs every one of them. Seeing Michele Kang honoured in our tenth anniversary year feels genuinely special. Her path embodies one of the things that inspired us to launch WFS back in 2016, and what still inspires us every day: elevating female leadership in sports management, and proving just how far women’s football can go,” said Marian Otamendi, CEO of World Football Summit.
The WFS Awards trophies will be presented on 15 September at Teatro Eslava, Madrid, on the opening night of WFS Madrid 2026 during a gala hosted by Georgina Léger. It is at the ceremony that the winner of the WFS Award for a Career Honouring the Essence of the Game, presented by Senn Ferrero will be revealed for the first time.
