Women’s soccer is expected to grow rapidly in Europe over the next decade, with UEFA projections saying its annual value could reach €686 million by 2033.

In an UEFA report published Tuesday titled “The Business Case for Women’s Football,” the governing body for the sport in Europe outlined the commercial potential of the women’s game, particularly at the club and league level. UEFA also provided recommendations for leagues and national associations to realize that potential.

“This report provides all of our stakeholders with a clear understanding of the benefits of investing in the women’s game, and provides them with clear rationale for increasing that investment,” said Girogio Marchetti, UEFA’s deputy general secretary.

Women’s soccer in Europe is coming off a record-breaking Euros tournament that brought in a record attendance of 574,000 and more than 300 million viewers worldwide.

Host country England’s response to the tournament provides a window into the possibilities for growth: The Lionesses’ 2-1 win over Germany in the sold-out final became the most-watched women’s game ever in the UK, and days after the victory, tickets to an October friendly between England and the USWNT at Wembley Stadium sold out in 24 hours.

A total of 162 clubs, 42 leagues and 11 commercial partners were involved in making the report, which offered key findings about where the women’s game stands now. Among the findings:

• There are already 144 million fans of women’s soccer across Europe, and that number is increasing. The UEFA estimates that total could more than double by 2033 to 328 million fans.
• Almost 1 in 3 fans of the women’s game are new to the sport.
• The annual value of women’s soccer sits at €116 million, including matchday revenue, sponsorship and media rights. That could grow to €686 million in the next 10 years, per UEFA projections.
• Matchday revenue sits at €12 million, but projections show potential for a twelvefold increase to €135 million. While 74 percent of clubs report giving away tickets for free, 95 percent of fans have said they would be willing to pay.

UEFA’s recommendations for growth fall into five key themes:

• Developing strategies and business plans.
• Raising standards and professionalism.
• Building a sustainable ecosystem.
• Increasing visibility and strengthening audience engagement.
• Building on the unique strengths of the women’s game.

As noted in these recommendations, limited visibility of women’s soccer remains a barrier to entry. Of those who do not follow women’s soccer, 37 percent cited lack of coverage as an obstacle. Additionally, 52 percent of clubs said visibility is a key factor in driving the game’s development.

“Visibility must be a priority for the game,” said Emma Barsan, women’s football development manager for the Romanian Football Federation. “We need more games on TV, more marketing by clubs to leverage their brands and more player visibility in the media generally.”

That reality is further driven home by this statistic: 66 percent of fans who do not watch women’s football said they would start watching if games were easier to find.

“Women’s football is on an incredibly exciting trajectory, with growth being seen across nearly every metric and across all of our stakeholders across Europe,” said Nadine Kessley, UEFA’s chief of women’s football. “The potential of the women’s game is limitless and we believe we are on course to take women’s football to heights that were unimaginable just a few years ago.

“As this report shows, now is the time to capitalize on the momentum we have created together, now is the time to get involved, now is the time to invest.”

NWSL veteran Sofia Huerta is expanding her investment portfolio, with the Seattle Reign defender joining the ownership group of incoming USL Super League side Athletic Club Boise this week.

"I wasn't sure something like this would ever happen in Boise — so when the opportunity came, it was an easy decision," the Idaho product said in Tuesday's USL press release. "This community is how I got where I am today."

"Soccer has given me so much, and this club is building something that will give those opportunities to others," the 32-year-old continued. "The foundation Athletic Club Boise is laying — with the men's team in 2026 and the women's Gainbridge Super League team in 2027 — makes me proud to invest in the future of soccer here at home."

"Sofia represents exactly what we want this club to be — talented, ambitious, and deeply connected to the Northwest," added the incoming club's fellow co-owner Kasey Keller.

Huerta is now the first NWSL player to directly invest in the growing USL Super League, which serves as a top-flight US pro league alongside the NWSL.

That said, some of Huerta's Reign teammates have already crossed league lines, with Lauren Barnes, Jess Fishlock, and Olivia Van der Jagt buying into the semi-pro USL W League's Seattle-based team, Salmon Bay FC, last year.

Notre Dame basketball star Hannah Hidalgo took the mic this week, telling reporters at Tuesday's ACC Media Day that she's eager to erase the memory of last season's March Madness crash-out.

"Knowing how much talent we had last year and underachieving like we did was something that was heartbreaking," the junior guard said, explaining that the one-time No. 1 Fighting Irish lost focus ahead of their Sweet 16 tournament exit.

Hidalgo, whose 23.8 points per game made her the fifth most prolific scorer in the NCAA last season, also vowed to step up as a leader this year in light of Notre Dame losing standouts Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld to the WNBA and fellow star guard Olivia Miles in a transfer to TCU.

"I know how to get the best out of my teammates, I know the steps that I need to take and the things that I need to do," said Hidalgo, dismissing questions about her rumored rift with Miles. "One of the most important things is building that relationship and that connection with my teammates off the court. It's bigger than basketball."

"I know the weight of [the spotlight] is heavy," Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey said of Hidalgo's role. "But I feel like she has done a great job of surrounding herself with the right network."

OL Lyonnes scored some UEFA Champions League revenge on Tuesday, upending reigning UWCL champs Arsenal 2-1 in the powerhouse pair's 2025/26 league phase opener in London.

In a rematch of last season's Champions League semifinal, Haiti international Melchie Dumornay sealed the OL Lyonnes result with a first-half brace for the French titans, quickly countering Arsenal forward Alessia Russo's seventh-minute strike.

"Errors happen from time to time, but if they happen too often, of course, there's something there," noted Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers, referencing the defensive mistakes that led to both OL Lyonnes goals. "Sometimes it's intangible or hard to put your finger on because it's a mixture of things."

"We won't get too high [or] too low in this situation," the Gunners manager continued, adding "the team went through hard times last year as well, and then we ended the season on a high with an amazing achievement in the Champions League."

OL Lyonnes weren't the only opening-day league phase victors, as Juventus took down Benfica 2-1 while 2024/25 runners-up Barcelona demolished Bundesliga side Bayern Munich 7-1 behind a pair of braces from attackers Ewa Pajor and Clàudia Pina.

Unlike previous iterations, the 2025/26 Champions League format does not include first-round rematches, with each team facing six different opponents before advancing to the knockouts.

How to watch 2025/26 Champions League games

UWCL league phase opening matches conclude with five games on Wednesday, with WSL winners Chelsea FC kicking off the action against Dutch side FC Twente at 12:45 PM ET.

All 2025/26 Champions League matches will air live on Paramount+.

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier was back on stage this week, opening up about her viral exit interview blasting WNBA leadership to former US Vice President Kamala Harris at the "A Day of Unreasonable Conversation" summit in LA on Monday.

"For so long, we tried to have these conversations and move the needle," she said. "And I saw nothing was changing."

"I think I just got to the point where I was fed up [with WNBA leadership]," Collier told Harris. "Whether I was going to get annihilated for this, or people were gonna support me, I felt like what I was doing was right."

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Collier also doubled down on her position, publicly cancelling a meeting with Cathy Engelbert after the WNBA commissioner denied Collier's account of a past conversation regarding Caitlin Clark and rookie compensation.

"For [Engelbert] to start her speech saying she has the utmost respect for me and for the players, and then to turn around and call me a liar three minutes later... I think it just speaks to that lack of accountability and so I really have nothing further to say [to her]," Collier told Axios on Monday, confirming the meeting's cancellation.

While both Engelbert and NBA commissioner Adam Silver have committed to repairing relationships between players and league leadership, Collier's recent outspokenness shows just how much ground there is to cover.