Women’s Football

Women’s Football: Building a Stronger Future for the Game.

Women’s football has never been more visible.

Across Northern Ireland and around the world, participation levels are growing, attendances are rising, and players are inspiring a new generation to dream bigger than ever before. Yet while the progress is significant, the reality for many women footballers remains that the game is still developing and the journey towards full professionalism continues.

At PFA NI, we believe that every player deserves the opportunity to develop their career in an environment that is safe, sustainable and supportive.

The growth of women’s football must be measured by more than increased visibility. True progress means ensuring players have access to quality working conditions, fair contracts, appropriate medical support, career development opportunities and a genuine voice in decisions that affect their lives and livelihoods.

Across the global game, player unions and governing bodies are increasingly recognising the importance of player welfare. Research has highlighted ongoing challenges around financial security, employment standards, workload management, maternity protections and women-specific health support. While significant advances have been made in recent years, many players still face barriers that limit their ability to focus fully on their football careers.

As the representative body for footballers in Northern Ireland, PFA NI is committed to ensuring that women players are central to the future development of the game. We work to support players both on and off the pitch, providing advice, representation, education and welfare services throughout every stage of their careers.

Women’s football continues to create new opportunities, but sustainable growth requires collaboration between players, clubs, leagues, governing bodies and unions. By working together, we can help build an environment where players are valued not only as athletes, but as professionals.

The future of women’s football is incredibly exciting. The talent, dedication and ambition of today’s players are driving the game forward at an unprecedented pace. Our responsibility is to ensure that the structures around the game keep pace with that growth.

The most recent FIFPRO Women’s Player Summit took place from 23rd-26th May 2026 in Oslo. You can read more about the steering groups conversations at the summit and watch the video here

Breast Health

Female Athlete Toolkit

The Female Athlete Toolkit provides detailed information for all females involved in sport.

Thank you to Sports Health Exercise Ireland for compiling this hugely informative booklet. The SHE Research Sport Performance Pillar is led by Dr Niamh Ní Chéilleachair and Dr Ciarán Ó Catháin. Content for this booklet was additionally curated Dr Kelly
McNulty and Cherianne Taim.

FIFPRO Women’s Football Steering Group

The FIFPRO Women’s Football Steering Council (sometimes informally called the women’s steering group) is FIFPRO’s strategic advisory body focused specifically on professional women’s football. It helps shape how the global players’ union supports women footballers and influences policy across the game.

FIFPRO itself is the global union representing professional footballers through national player associations. The Women’s Football Steering Council exists to make sure the rapid growth of the women’s game is reflected in player protections, labour standards, and commercial opportunities.
The council advises FIFPRO’s leadership on issues affecting women players worldwide, including:

Growth and professionalisation of leagues, ensuring players’ voices influence decisions as women’s football expands globally

Player welfare and working conditions (contracts, workload, maternity rights, health protections)

Union strategy in women’s football, helping national player associations strengthen representation

Commercial opportunities, such as protecting and expanding collective image rights for women players

Project ACL

Project ACL is a research initiative led by the global football players’ union FIFPRO to understand and reduce ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries in women’s football. The project focuses on why these injuries happen so frequently and how clubs can better prevent them and support recovery.

ACL injuries are a major issue in women’s football because they occur 2–6 times more often in women than men, and many happen without physical contact. Recovery can take 9–12 months or more, often affecting careers and player availability
What are the goals?

The project aims to:

Improve injury prevention and rehabilitation systems globally.

Reduce ACL injuries in women’s professional football

Increase player availability (fewer long-term absences)

Develop minimum standards and best practices for clubs

2025 FIFPRO Women’s Football Report

Female Health Hub

You can also visit England Football’s Female Health Hub which gives more information around injury protection and health support for all Female players.