FIFA has approved new rules requiring women’s national teams to include female coaches on their benches, as part of efforts to boost representation in football.
Under the regulation, each team competing in FIFA women’s tournaments must have at least two female staff members, including at least one in a key role such as head coach or assistant coach. The measure was approved at a FIFA Council meeting and will come into force at the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland in September.
The rule will also apply to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil and FIFA’s women’s club competitions.
FIFA said the move aims to address the lack of female representation in coaching. At the 2023 Women’s World Cup, only 12 of the 32 teams were led by women, while some teams had no female coaching staff at all.
High-profile female coaches currently include Emma Hayes, who leads the United States, and Sarina Wiegman, head coach of England.
FIFA chief football officer Jill Ellis said the initiative is designed to «accelerate change» and create more opportunities for women in technical roles.
However, some analysts warn the policy could lead to token appointments if countries hire female staff only to meet the new requirements rather than investing in long-term development.
FIFA has been running coaching education programmes since 2021 and says it will continue supporting member associations to increase the number of qualified female coaches.
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