FIFA passes new rule to make women’s coaches mandatory across tournaments

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·20 de março de 2026

FIFA passes new rule to make women’s coaches mandatory across tournaments

FIFA has announced the new landmark ruling that women’s teams across its tournaments must have at least one female head coach or assistant coach.

The decision was made by the FIFA Council on Thursday, and is part of their long-term strategy to improve female representation and pathways into coaching. The mandate will come into effect later this year during the Under-17s and Under-20s Women’s World Cups and the Women’s Champions Cup.

Vídeos OneFootball

A groundbreaking ruling for women’s football will require at least two female staff members seated on the bench, with one occupying the role of head or assistant coach. There is also a requirement for there to be a female member of the medical team.

Women’s World Cup in Brazil

Significantly, the rule will be in effect for the upcoming 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, meaning some nations will have to undergo major shakeups in the technical area.

At the 2023 Women’s World Cup, just 12 of the 32 head coaches were female. This includes Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman, who was runner-up at the tournament.

Jill Ellis, FIFA’s Chief Football Officer, said: “The new FIFA regulations, combined with targeted development programmes, mark an important investment in both the current and future generation of female coaches. There are simply not enough women in coaching today. We must do more to accelerate change by creating clearer pathways, expanding opportunities, and increasing the visibility for women on our sidelines.”

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FIFA hopes these new regulations will build upon their strategy to provide opportunities for women to occupy managerial roles. Since 2021, FIFA has supported 795 female coaches through its coach education scholarship programme. The programme has helped participants achieve required qualifications and professional opportunities.

This season alone, additional investment was made for clubs in England, whereby clubs in the WSL and WSL 2 were provided with scholarships for women to obtain their UEFA Pro or A Licence.

We are yet to see how successful the initiative will be, however with just one-third of head coaches in the WSL being women, this mandate will certainly provide opportunities for aspiring female coaches.