NEW YORK (24 April, 2025): The highly anticipated World Sevens Football (W7F) series is proud to announce the first four professional women’s football teams – AFC Ajax Vrouwen, FC Bayern Women, Sport Lisboa e Benfica, and Manchester United Women Football Club – of the eight that will compete in the inaugural tournament from 21-23 May 2025, in Estoril, Portugal at el Estádio António Coimbra da Mota.
The groundbreaking W7F format will feature top-flight teams and elite players from across the globe. They will compete in fast-paced competitions over three days for a historic $5 million prize pool per event.
Each tournament will see eight teams vie for victory in electrifying, seven-a-side games of two 15-minute halves on pitches half the size of a regulation pitch. The teams will be split into round-robin groups of four, feeding into semi-finals and a final hosted on the third day. All sessions will be streamed live globally on DAZN.
The four clubs, which are among the top professional women’s teams in their respective leagues, have shared their excitement about participating in this first transformative event:
“Innovation is a priority within our club,” said Alex Kroes, Technical Director of Ajax. “World Sevens Football provides an exciting opportunity for our players to demonstrate their creativity and skill in a fast-paced format. We have a young and talented team with a lot of players from our own academy and we’re ready to compete fiercely.”
“We are looking forward to a unique tournament. It will be a new experience,” said Bianca Rech, Director Women’s Football at FC Bayern. “World Sevens Football is an exciting opportunity to take part in. We are delighted to represent FC Bayern München in this thrilling tournament and look forward to inspiring fans worldwide.”
“As a club that has consistently championed women’s football in Portugal, we are proud to be part of this historic competition and welcome these incredible athletes and fans to our home country,” said Fernando Tavares, Vice President at Sport Lisboa e Benfica. “World Sevens Football offers our players a unique opportunity to compete at an elite level while being rewarded for their talent and dedication - a step forward for the women’s game and we are pleased to be part of it.”
Marc Skinner, Head Coach of Manchester United Women, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity to be part of something new for the women’s game. Our only focus right now is on finishing the domestic season as strongly as possible in the WSL and the FA Cup; then we can travel to Portugal to enjoy what promises to be an entertaining three days of fast, fun, seven-a-side football.”
Adrian Jacob, Head of Football, W7F commented: “World Sevens Football is about creating opportunities for women footballers that reflect their immense value and talent. We’re excited to welcome these incredible teams to Estoril as we kick off a new era in women’s football and look forward to announcing our remaining clubs very soon.”
Tickets are now on sale with a range of alternatives to suit every fan’s preference, from unreserved seats in the grandstand to the W7F party deck and VIP options. For more details on ticketing and updates on participating teams, visit www.worldsevensfootball.com
Media contact: media@worldsevens.com
About World Sevens Football
World Sevens Football (W7F) is a groundbreaking global 7v7 women’s football series set to host its first event in May 2025 in Portugal. Featuring an electrifying seven-a-side format, W7F promises fast-paced matches and a $5 million prize pool per event. With the contribution of a distinguished Player Advisory Council, including former national players Tobin Heath, Anita Asante, Kelley O’Hara, Laura Georges, and Caroline Seger, W7F aims to drive innovation and elevate the women's game. Partnering with DAZN for global broadcasting, production, and marketing, W7F is poised to become a transformative force in women's football, offering unparalleled opportunities for players and clubs.
