World Sevens Football

World Sevens Football
FoundedJanuary 2025 (2025-01)
RegionInternational
Teams8
Current champions San Diego Wave FC (1st title)
Most championships Bayern Munich
San Diego Wave FC
(1 title each)
BroadcasterDAZN
WebsiteOfficial website
December 2025 World Sevens Football

World Sevens Football (W7F)[1] is a women's association football competition series format, which features existing clubs playing professional seven-a-side football.

Format

World Sevens Football features a pitch half the size of a regulation (11-a-side) pitch and goals that are 2m tall and 5.5m wide. There is no offside rule. Games are played in two halves of fifteen minutes each, with rolling substitutions from an unlimited squad (with fourteen players for each match). In the case of games being tied, they go to 5 minutes extra time, and then sudden-death penalties.[2] The organisers devised the format with the aim to appeal to "a new generation of fans."[3][1]

Tournaments are invitational – with mainstream top-level women's football teams applying to be included – and feature eight teams split into two groups of four, with the groups followed by semi-finals and the final. The competition is not regulated by FIFA, and takes place outside the FIFA International Match Calendar, meaning there are no player release obligations for the clubs.[3] The inaugural tournament was streamed live on DAZN.[4] World Sevens Football was founded by Jennifer Mackesy and Justin Fishkin.[5] Its player advisory council is composed of former internationals Anita Asante, Laura Georges, Tobin Heath, Kelley O'Hara, and Caroline Seger.[6]

May 2025 tournament

The inaugural tournament took place from 21–23 May 2025 at the Estádio António Coimbra da Mota in Estoril, Portugal. The site and dates were chosen due to their proximity to the 2024–25 UEFA Women's Champions League final, set to be held in Lisbon on 24 May. Participating teams were finalised during the later stages of the Champions League knock-out rounds, as only the two finalists were ineligible to take part.[3]

In April 2025, Ajax, Bayern Munich, Benfica, and Manchester United were all confirmed as participants.[7] In May 2025, Manchester City, AS Roma, Paris Saint-Germain and Rosengård joined the tournament.[8][9][10]

Teams

All times are local, WEST (UTC+1).

Group 1

Pos Team Pld W L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Bayern Munich 3 3 0 11 3 +8 3 Advanced to knockout stage
2 Manchester City 3 2 1 7 5 +2 2
3 Ajax 3 1 2 6 6 0 1
4 Rosengård 3 0 3 0 10 −10 0
Source: World Sevens
21 May 2025 Manchester City 4–0 Rosengård Estoril, Portugal
17:00
  • Fujino 2'
  • Kerolin 5', 16'
  • Oyama 25'
 Report Stadium: Estádio António Coimbra da Mota
22 May 2025 Manchester City 2–2
(6–5 p)		 Ajax Estoril, Portugal
13:30
Report
Stadium: Estádio António Coimbra da Mota
Penalties
Kerolin
Coombs
Fujino
Park
Keating
Kerolin
Coombs 		Yohannes
Kardinaal
Noordman
van Egmond
van Eijk
Yohannes
Kardinaal

Group 2

Pos Team Pld W L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Manchester United 3 3 0 8 5 +3 3 Advanced to knockout stage
2 Paris Saint-Germain 3 2 1 6 4 +2 2
3 AS Roma 3 1 2 5 7 −2 1
4 Benfica 3 0 3 4 7 −3 0
Source: World Sevens

Knockout stage

Bracket

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
23 May
 
 
 Bayern Munich5
 
23 May
 
 Paris Saint-Germain0
 
 Bayern Munich2
 
23 May
 
 Manchester United1
 
 Manchester United2
 
 
 Manchester City0
 
Third place
 
 
23 May
 
 
 Paris Saint-Germain3
 
 
 Manchester City1

Semi-finals

23 May 2025 Bayern Munich 5–0 Paris Saint-Germain Estoril, Portugal
15:00 Damnjanović 14'
Plattner 15'
Tanikawa 21', 28'
Zadrazil 25'		 Report Stadium: Estádio António Coimbra da Mota
23 May 2025 Manchester United 2–0 Manchester City Estoril, Portugal
16:30 Malard 4'
George 25'		 Report Stadium: Estádio António Coimbra da Mota

Third place match

23 May 2025 Paris Saint-Germain 3–1 Manchester City Estoril, Portugal
18:30 Traoré 12'
Geyoro 19'
Hurtré 24'		 Report Park 9' Stadium: Estádio António Coimbra da Mota

Final

23 May 2025 Bayern Munich 2–1 Manchester United Estoril, Portugal
20:00 Tanikawa 22'
Zadrazil 26'		 Report Awujo 14' Stadium: Estádio António Coimbra da Mota

Awards

Award Player (club) Ref
Breakout Player Simi Awujo (Manchester United) [11]
Golden Ball Momoko Tanikawa (Bayern Munich)
Golden Boot Momoko Tanikawa (Bayern Munich)
Golden Glove Ena Mahmutovic (Bayern Munich)

December 2025 tournament

The second tournament is taking place in December 2025, in Fort Lauderdale in the United States.[12] Investment for five years of the format has been made.[3][13] In October 2025, AFC Toronto, Flamengo, Club América, Tigres UANL, the Kansas City Current, San Diego Wave FC, Deportivo Cali, and Nacional were confirmed as participants.[14]

Teams

All times are local, EST (UTC−5).

Group 1

Pos Team Pld W L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Tigres 3 2 1 8 4 +4 2 Advanced to knockout stage
2 Flamengo 3 2 1 5 7 −2 2
3 AFC Toronto 3 1 2 7 7 0 1
4 Kansas City Current 3 1 2 6 8 −2 1
Source: World Sevens

Group 2

Pos Team Pld W L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 San Diego Wave 3 3 0 6 2 +4 3 Advanced to knockout stage
2 Club América 3 2 1 8 2 +6 2
3 Deportivo Cali 3 1 2 5 6 −1 1
4 Nacional 3 0 3 3 12 −9 0
Source: World Sevens
5 December 2025 Club América 5–2 Nacional Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
20:00
Report
  • Figueredo 18' (pen.)
  • Clara 22'
 Stadium: Beyond Bancard Field
6 December 2025 Nacional 0–4 Deportivo Cali Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
1:30 Report
  • Ibargüen 10'
  • Montoya 25'
  • Pérez 27' (o.g.)
  • Cobos 30'
 Stadium: Beyond Bancard Field

Knockout stage

Bracket

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
7 December
 
 
 Tigres UANL (a.e.t.)2
 
7 December
 
 Club América1
 
 Tigres UANL0
 
7 December
 
 San Diego Wave3
 
 San Diego Wave5
 
 
 Flamengo1
 
Third place
 
 
7 December
 
 
 Club América1
 
 
 Flamengo0

Semi-finals

7 December 2025 San Diego Wave 5–1 Flamengo Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
1:00 PM Corley 12'
Djeni 16' (o.g.)
Leon 18'
Dali 26'
Arias 27'		 Report Laysa 8' Stadium: Beyond Bancard Field

Third place match

Final

Awards

Award Player (club) Ref
Breakout Player Gia Corley (San Diego Wave) [15]
Golden Ball María Sánchez (Tigres UANL)
Golden Boot María Sánchez (Tigres UANL)
Golden Glove DiDi Haračić (San Diego Wave)

See also

  • 7's Football League – a seven-a-side football format in the Philippines, which has a women's division
  • Queens League – a seven-a-side women's football format in Spain, with its own franchise teams
  • The Soccer Tournament – a seven-a-side football format in the United States, which has featured women's and mixed teams

References

  1. ^ a b "World Sevens Football: Global women's seven-a-side series to start in May". BBC Sport. 20 March 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  2. ^ "Sporting & Disciplinary Regulations". World Sevens Football. 21 May 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d Garry, Tom (20 March 2025). "World Sevens Football: who will be taking part and how will it work?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  4. ^ Garry, Tom (20 March 2025). "Global women's seven-a-side football series launched with $100m investment". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  5. ^ Harpur, Charlotte (25 May 2025). "Inside World Sevens Football: A $5m prize pot, rolling subs, DJ sets and plenty of personality". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Man Utd one of eight clubs entering new World Sevens tournament". BBC Sport. 24 April 2025. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
  7. ^ "World Sevens Football Unveils First Four Elite Women's Teams For Inaugural Tournament in Portugal". World Sevens Football. 24 April 2025. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  8. ^ "Man City complete Women's World Sevens line-up". BBC Sport. 6 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  9. ^ "World Sevens Football: Roma to take part in new 7-a-side tournament in Portugal". AS Roma F.C. 6 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  10. ^ "Paris Saint-Germain to take part in World Sevens Football in Portugal!". Paris Saint-Germain F.C. 6 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  11. ^ "Tournament recap — Bayern win inaugural W7F tournament". World Sevens Football. 24 May 2025.
  12. ^ Jacques, John (20 October 2025). "AFC Toronto Joins Tournament With Five Million Dollar Prize Pool". Northern Tribune.
  13. ^ "New women's 7 vs. 7 league touting $5M purses". ESPN. 20 March 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  14. ^ "NWSL's KC Current, SD Wave to play in World Sevens Football". ESPN. 28 October 2025.
  15. ^ "Tournament recap — San Diego Wave FC rides undefeated run to W7F trophy". World Sevens Football. 7 December 2025.
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