Every team in a FIFA women’s competition will be required to have at least one female head or assistant coach, as part of the football governing body’s sweeping new regulations aimed at increasing the number of female coaches at the top level.
The rules, approved by the FIFA Council on Thursday, will come into effect with the Women’s Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups, the Women’s Under-17 and Under-20 Cups and the Women’s Championship Cup, and will largely include the Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year.
The new regulations stipulate that each team must have two female staff members on the bench and cover all FIFA women’s tournaments from youth to senior level.
“There simply aren’t enough women in coaching today,” said FIFA Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis.
«We must do more to accelerate change by creating clearer pathways, expanding opportunities and increasing visibility for women on our sidelines. The new FIFA regulations, combined with targeted development programs, mark an important investment in both the current and future generations of female coaches,» she added.
Only 12 of the 32 head coaches at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia were women, a percentage that FIFA said does not reflect the rapid growth of women’s football worldwide.
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England’s Sarina Wiegman was the only female coach left after the eighth finals and guided the Lionesses to second place.
FIFA’s 2023 Member Associations Survey found that on average 5% of coaches in each of the member associations – among both male and female teams – were women.
The 2024 benchmarking report ‘Setting the Pace’, which examined 86 women’s leagues around the world, found that 22% of head coaches were women.
FIFA said the new rules are part of a long-term strategy to ensure women’s representation in technical and leadership roles keeps pace with the rapid growth of women’s football.
The global organization has increased its support for women’s coaching in recent years, including providing scholarships for women in the Women’s Super League 1 and 2 to obtain their UEFA Pro or A license.
Published on March 20, 2026
