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.

This hosting is supported by SMC, the exclusive commercial partner for the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and World Football Summit (WFS). This edition builds on the success of the inaugural WFS held last year in Jeddah, which saw the participation of numerous athletes over two days of strategic discussions, networking, and accelerating commercial and sporting opportunities.

This partnership amplifies Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in the sports landscape and directly supports Vision 2030’s ambitious goal of increasing the sports sector’s contribution to 2.5-3% of the national GDP. The expanded 2024 edition expects to welcome more than 2,000 delegates, featuring enhanced programming and networking opportunities.

The Secretary General of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, Ibrahim bin Sulaiman Al Qasim, emphasized the strategic importance of the partnership:

«Hosting WFS Asia in Riyadh underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to developing football not just nationally but across the entire region. This event aligns perfectly with our Vision 2030 goals. We invite the entire football community to join us so we can learn from each other and elevate the business around the beautiful game.»

«The overwhelming response to our first edition demonstrated the region’s appetite for a world-class football business event,» said Jan Alessie, Co-Founder & Director of World Football Summit. «Our return to Saudi Arabia reflects the nation’s dynamic emergence as a pivotal hub for football development and innovation.”

Khalid Al-Khudair, CEO of SMC, highlighted the significance of hosting the event in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing the support and commitment of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to the development of football. He stated: «We are proud at SMC to enhance commercial opportunities in the football industry, both locally and internationally through strategic partnerships that contribute to the growth of sports marketing in the Kingdom.»

The event is expected to draw a diverse crowd, including top executives, players, media representatives, and thought leaders from across the global football ecosystem. With hundreds of high-profile speakers expected to participate, and the involvement of local Saudi Arabian businesses such as SMC or The Althari Group, WFS Asia 2024 is set to become the flagship event in the World Football Summit portfolio.

The key themes for the 2024 edition demonstrate the program’s alignment with Vision 2030 as it includes:

• Football Technology Integration
• Fan Engagement Innovation
• Sports Tourism Development
• Sustainability in Football
• Women’s Football Growth
• Youth Development Programs

The event will also feature enhanced networking opportunities, including exclusive roundtable discussions and a gala dinner to celebrate the WFS Honors, facilitating meaningful connections among industry professionals, which will prove to be instrumental in creating long-lasting partnerships and opportunities for Saudi-based businesses.

In the 2023 edition, some of the high-caliber speakers that were involved included Adwa Al Arifi, the distinguished Assistant Minister of Sports Affairs for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Datuk Seri Windsor Paul John, General Secretary at the Asian Football Confederation, Hammad Albalawi, Head of the Saudi Arabia FIFA World Cup 2034 bid unit, Prof. Muhammad Yunus, Peace Nobel Laureate and co-founder of Yunus Sports Hub, or Lamia Bahaian, Vice President of SAFF. At the same time, football rights holders such as the Saudi Pro League, Al Nassr, LALIGA, Serie A, and clubs like Atlético de Madrid, Chelsea, Juventus or Bayer 04 Leverkusen were among the list of participants.

The continued presence of WFS underscores Saudi Arabia’s dedication to fostering a rich sporting culture and its capacity to host major international events.

For more information and registration details, please visit worldfootballsummit.com/hong-kong. 

World Football Summit has consolidated itself as the premier networking platform for the world’s most popular sport, organizing and hosting events where industry leaders, decision-makers, and stakeholders from all around the globe congregate to network and shape the future of the game and its business.

Celebrating its 7th-year anniversary, The FBA has also consistently worked towards its main purpose: accelerating the professionalization of the football industry through higher education programs. Having its Candidates participate in WFS events and be exposed to worldwide leaders from different areas of the business responds to one of the main pillars of building a successful career in the industry”: Networking.

Both organizations believe in the impact of facilitating connections, creating a net-worth, and the exchange of knowledge to develop a career in the sports industry. Kristian Dobrev, Deputy CEO at The FBA, and previous guest on the World Football Summit Podcast, had this to say about the partnership.

“Joining forces with WFS and becoming their official Academic Partner is an important milestone for The FBA. Year after year, their events have become the must-attend meeting point for the global football community and exposing FBA Candidates to these events is crucial for their development as future football business leaders. Building on our previous participations and interactions will open up and amplify many synergies that exist between our organizations, and we are excited to double down on using the power of our shared values and platforms to take the football industry to the next level.”

Marian Otamendi, Co-founder & Director at World Football Summit shared her views on how the football industry will benefit from all of this:

The football industry needs to welcome well-prepared, and ambitious professionals to help it reach its full potential. A solid education and a powerful network are crucial for this to happen, and we could not think of a better partner than The FBA to help us reach this mission, as we have witnessed first-hand by welcoming some of their alumni to our team over the years.

Both organizations strongly believe in the need for all stakeholders to work together in building a football industry we are proud to champion, and we are excited to see the opportunities we can bring to the table.”

Through years of collaboration and engagement with WFS events, The FBA’s community has consistently demonstrated its commitment to excellence and innovation in football business education. With the Academic Partnership, both companies go the extra mile: securing an enriching experience for FBA Candidates, not only by attending the events but also by participating in exclusive closed-door Master Classes on key topics, in Meet & Greets with top-notch industry leaders, and seeing FBA executives showcase their expertise within the panel sessions across events worldwide.

ABOUT WORLD FOOTBALL SUMMIT

World Football Summit is the premier platform connecting the football industry worldwide. Through conferences, events, and digital platforms, WFS provides opportunities for stakeholders to network, discuss trends, and collaborate to shape the future of football.

Follow WFS on LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Tik Tok and Facebook.

You can also subscribe to the weekly newsletter and follow the podcast.

ABOUT THE FBA

The Football Business Academy is a global leader in football business education whose goal is to accelerate the professionalization of the football industry and develop current and future leaders in the game. Founded in 2017 and based in Switzerland, The FBA is best known for its flagship degree – the Professional Master in Football Business – which is a 12-month program with two intakes each year.

Furthermore, various football-related stakeholders seek the services of The FBA for the creation and/or delivery of a variety of tailor-made workshops, certificates, or diplomas. Other partners of The FBA include CONMEBOL, NWSL, USL, Belgian FA, Saudi Pro League, Brighton & Hove Albion, Socios.com, Rangers FC, SL Benfica, Mazatlán FC, Common Goal, Double Pass and Samba Digital.

Follow The FBA on LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Facebook and TikTok.

This time, Populous, the global architecture firm and the designers of places like Yankee Stadium, the London Olympics, and the Super Bowl, have teamed up with National Geographic Magazine  to imagine a vision of the future for football stadium design, exploring how technology will transform the spectator experience. Over the last 30 years, the firm has designed more than 2,000 projects worth $40 billion across emerging and established markets.

National Geographic magazine and Populous come up for July’s issue with ‘The Stadium of Tomorrow’. The global firm has conceived a self-sustaining, highly connected and versatile arena that is more of an eco-village of sport and recreation than a traditional football stadium. The vision capitalises on infrastructure required for a sports stadium, creating multi-use, multi-experiential ecosystem with a plethora of sports and recreation opportunities ranging from traditional field sports such as athletics, ice hockey and football stadiums to non-typical sports venues such as extreme sports, sailing, surfing and e-sports. The vision extends as far as the stadium of tomorrow being a place where people live, work and play.

Architects from Populous, inspired by the desire for versatility, consider a fundamental rethink of how the playing field looks and works according to what sport is being played. Employing an LED surface, the pitch changes textures and materials for different sports; from Astroturf for football to grass for soccer to wood for basketball.

The lines marking the area of play are projected onto the field, allowing the field to vary in size and shape and there is even scope to make the field transparent, opening up possibilities for an underground viewing area to enable fans to watch the action from a whole new angle.

“The viewing experience within a stadium environment has not fundamentally changed since Vespasian ordered the construction of the Colosseum almost 2,000 years ago. Technology and information technology is literally changing the playing field and providing an opportunity to create a new vision for both the experience of watching and playing sport but also for the role a stadium can play as a significant urban influencer.” said Christopher Lee, Populous MD EMEA.

At the Football Stadium, the use of LED technology and augmented reality to bridge the gap between the fan, the remote fan and the player experience making the The Stadium of Tomorrow highly interactive.  In the future, the crowd may be able to share their emotions through LED clothing or even experience what the players are feeling. Fans in smart-kit might feel the heartbeats of their favorite player or light up in colors to reflect the mood of the game.

“Stadiums have a long and interesting history, and each architectural innovation has changed the way people come together for large sporting and cultural events. This experiment allows our readers to see how architects and designers engage with how people use these spaces. It also gives us context for how problems are solved and pulls back the curtain a bit on how stadiums are designed, allowing our readers to see the process behind innovations that they could encounter in the future.” said Jason Treat, senior graphics editor with National Geographic.

This Football Stadium also envisions adding the best bits of TV sports coverage to the live, first-hand experience. A large holograph will hover over the field with the score and player stats, while smaller versions are literally displayed on the rear of seats for individual and tailored experiences for all spectators.

Automated amenities including the drone-delivery of refreshments to your seat and the use of robots to serve food and drink and take rubbish away will deliver a unique experience to the visitors. Automation will also extend to electro-magnetic hospitality pods that will move along rails within the Football Stadium, allowing fans a view from anywhere they like.

The Stadium of Tomorrow will look towards creating a fully self-sufficient ecosystem in order to sustain the digital infrastructure. In terms of the roof, the stadium will provide sustainable technologies such as solar, tidal, wind power and kinetic energy harvesting electricity from the movement of the spectators on a large scale, with enough room left for water collection and a rooftop garden. The food waste would be recycled via biodigesters into fuel and compost.

Maria Knutsson-Hall, Associate Principal at Populous, said: “the Stadium of Tomorrow envisions a stadium ecosystem that creates a sustainable vision that incorporates social, economic and environmental sustainability. It will create an urban superblock that not only forms 7-day-a-week sports and recreation opportunities, but generates a highly connected infrastructure and transportation hub where people live, work and play.”

Wind turbines will be installed at the Football Stadium to generate the power that the venue needs to operate and LED lights to use less energy. Even the experience of getting to the stadium is transformed with those spectators that do not alight at a station within the stadium, via a high-speed train on magnetic rails, being delivered by drone directly to their seats. Other fans will have the option of traveling through an underwater tube for an aquarium-like experience.

The Populous concept also ensures fans that can’t be accommodated within the Football Stadium will still be connected with the action via adjacent viewing towers that allow ticket holders to watch the game while enjoying an elevated tailgate party.

The towers will in turn inform neighbouring city dwellers of the progress of the game by pulsating with colors that vary depending on the crowd’s reaction.

Special thanks to Populous for sharing this article with us.