FIFA has published the fourth edition of Setting the Pace, the only global benchmarking report that provides in-depth insights into the factors driving success in women’s football clubs and leagues worldwide. The latest edition highlights the remarkable growth and evolution of elite women’s football.
Unlike previous editions, which focused on the top 30 to 34 leagues, this year’s report takes a broader approach, covering all tiers of women’s football—from amateur to professional levels.
For the first time, FIFA invited all 211 Member Associations to participate, making this the most comprehensive global study of women’s football. The goal is to provide leagues and clubs with valuable tools to benchmark themselves against their peers and drive progress in the sport.
The report serves three key purposes:
- Analyzing and monitoring the landscape of women’s club and league football.
- Enhancing decision-making processes for stakeholders.
- Helping develop tailored programs to support women’s football growth.
To better understand the professionalisation of women’s football, FIFA categorized leagues into three tiers, with Tier 1 representing the most professionalized leagues and Tier 3 consisting of those in early development stages.
The report provides key insights across six crucial areas:
✅ Sporting
✅ Governance
✅ Financial landscape
✅ Fan engagement
✅ Data and digital presence
✅ Players
