World Football Summit (WFS), the meeting point for the global football industry, returns to Madrid on October 15–16. For two days, La Nave will gather leaders from clubs, leagues, federations, brands, broadcasters and technology companies to debate the key opportunities and challenges of a rapidly transforming industry — from globalization and new competition formats to disruption in the media landscape, new ownership models, and AI.
The speaker line-up reflects the diversity of the global game, with confirmed names including Grace Ahrens (Executive Director at Women in Soccer), Fernando Carro (CEO at Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Chris Davis (Brand President & CMO of New Balance), Lise Klaveness (President of the Norwegian FA), Nadine Kessler (Director of Women’s Football at UEFA), Rafael Louzán (President of RFEF), Peter Moore (owner of Santa Barbara Sky FC) and Stephen Pagliuca (Co-Chairman of Atalanta B.C.).
At the core of WFS is an enduring commitment: driving business growth while promoting a football industry that is sustainable, diverse and accessible. This balance runs across the agenda, which combines deal-making with conversations on how football’s global reach can deliver positive impact.
The programme will once again include the Female Leaders Gathering, a flagship initiative that celebrates women’s leadership in sport and fosters the networks needed to build a more inclusive and equitable game.
On 15 October, the WFS Awards will take place at Madrid’s iconic Teatro Eslava, recognising outstanding executives, organisations and projects across the global game. This year’s winners include Paris Saint-Germain CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the Italian Football Association (FIGC), Juventus FC and the Allianz Arena.
New Employability Area powered by FutbolJobs
Among the new features of this edition, WFS Madrid 2025 will include an Employability Area, managed by FutbolJobs, where attendees will have the chance to connect with clubs, agencies and organisations seeking new talent. This edition also brings back the WFS StartCup, the startup competition that showcases and accelerates the most innovative ventures in football, with more than 100 projects submitted.
“We are delighted to return to Madrid, and to a venue like La Nave — a place that, much like WFS, has innovation in its DNA,” said Marian Otamendi, CEO of WFS. “Our mission has always been to connect football’s stakeholders. That is more relevant than ever as the industry faces unprecedented change. WFS Madrid will provide both the insight and the connections needed to navigate this transformation.”
Since 2016, WFS has hosted over 30 international events, welcoming nearly 40,000 participants. Today, annual editions are held in Spain, Morocco, Mexico, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia, combining a global outlook with a local perspective.