Uganda, Romania Roll Out FIFA-Backed Plans to Boost Women's Football Commercial Growth

With the support of FIFA's Commercial Strategy Programme, the national football associations of Romania and Uganda have launched pilot projects aimed at enhancing the commercial viability of their women's domestic leagues.

The recent surge in women's football's popularity, highlighted by the success of events like the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup™, has underscored the game's significant commercial value. This growth has inspired nations worldwide to invest in their local competitions with clear planning and resources.

As part of this global trend, Romania and Uganda were selected to receive assistance and funding through a FIFA pilot program.

The initiative, one of 13 available to all 211 Member Associations, is designed to create sustainable commercial women's leagues by developing bespoke strategies. Both countries hope these new commercial plans will accelerate the growth of women's football and serve as a model for others.

In early February, the Romanian Football Federation (FRF) unveiled its commercial strategy for the Women's SuperLiga at its headquarters in Bucharest.

Developed in collaboration with FIFA, the plan was presented to key stakeholders, including representatives from FIFA, UEFA, Romanian clubs, sponsors, and media. Razvan Burleanu, FRF President and a FIFA Council Member, emphasised the need for a new approach.

"Women's football has moved beyond a phase where it could be sustained by enthusiasm and isolated initiatives alone," he said.

"Sporting development must be matched by commercial development. The Women's SuperLiga must become a valuable product, a space for performance, inspiration, and belonging."

Burleanu added that the strategy aims to build a sustainable monetisation model by transforming the league into a media and community product capable of generating recurring revenue and growing its audience.

Ada Bonilla, FIFA's Lead for Women’s Football in Europe, highlighted the remarkable progress in Romania. "Not so long ago, all of the registered women’s football players could fit in this auditorium," she noted.

"Now there are more than 11,000 registered players and over 100,000 participants, with numbers increasing every year. It is a clear showcase of the extraordinary path of women’s football from informal roots to a truly global sport with vast economic potential."

In mid-February, the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) also launched its Women Super League Commercial Strategy in Kampala.

The event, attended by around 150 people, outlined a plan to strengthen commercial structures, improve elite competitions, and create talent pathways from the grassroots level.

The strategy aims to attract investment, professionalise clubs, and enhance player welfare while supporting governance reforms and leadership development for women in football.

This initiative follows other FIFA-backed projects in the East African nation, including the provision of medical and technical equipment to all 12 FUFA Women Super League clubs last year through the League Development Programme.

"Today, parents and communities have accepted that a girl can play football, get an education, and even earn a living through the game," said FUFA President, the Hon. Moses Magogo Hassim.

"Our focus now is to professionalise women’s football, strengthen clubs, and ensure sustainable investment that allows our players to reach their full potential."

Solomon Mudege, FIFA's Head of Development Programmes for Africa, affirmed the organization's commitment. "We are proud of what FUFA has achieved," he stated at the launch, "and we take it as a challenge to support it further."

A new FIFA commercial strategy program is set to unlock the potential of women's football in Uganda, creating a clear pathway from grassroots participation to the elite level, according to a recent statement.

The initiative reflects a strong commitment to advancing infrastructure, governance, and the overall development of the women's game.

Simon Toselli, FIFA's Regional Lead for Asia and Oceania in the Women’s Football division, explained that the program is designed to guide women's leagues worldwide toward greater success.

"FIFA created a dedicated programme to support its Member Associations in developing a commercial strategy for their women’s football competitions, enabling them to better monetise their rights and reach financial sustainability," he said.

Toselli highlighted two successful pilot projects in Romania and Uganda, which were used to test the approach and gather key insights.

"Both MAs [Member Associations] showed a high level of commitment, preparation and engagement to reinforce their commercial strategy," he noted. "They organised a successful onsite strategy launch, gathering key stakeholders, media and sponsors.”