Sydney set to host FIFA Women’s Football Convention 2023

With the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 counting down to its final games, international football’s governing body will be holding the FIFA Women’s Football Convention in Sydney on 18th and 19th August.

Being held in the days between the mid-week semi-finals of the competition and Sunday’s final, the Convention will see 1,000 delegates descend on the International Convention Centre Sydney to discuss the development of women’s football.

Being held for only the second time, FIFA has invited representatives from all of its member associations, as well as key global stakeholders, to attend the Convention for which the program will follow the five pillars of FIFA’s Women’s Football Strategy: Develop and grow, showcase the game, communicate and commercialise, govern and lead, and educate and empower.

Through a series of speeches, panel sessions and demonstrations, the Convention will celebrate the success stories of women’s football globally, while offering a platform for FIFA’s member associations (MAs) to connect and share best practices. Representatives from all MAs are invited, along with the six Confederations and other FIFA stakeholders and Commercial Affiliates.

Putting the Convention into context, FIFA President, Gianni Infantino advised “we are at a remarkable moment in the development of women’s football.

“As we witness the greatest-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup, with records being broken on a daily basis, it is essential that we also maintain this momentum across all aspects of our sport by staging the second FIFA Women’s Football Convention at Sydney’s iconic International Convention Centre.

“This Convention follows the inaugural edition in France in 2019. But in four short years, and backed by FIFA’s dedicated funding through a global pandemic, it is wonderful to see how quickly women’s football has advanced.

“I look forward to joining friends and colleagues from across the world of women’s football to ensure the momentous things we are achieving here in Australia and New Zealand are used to further boost the sport - and to ensure this tournament not only inspires a new generation of female footballers, but also empowers a new generation of leaders.”

FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura said that this tournament “is a gamechanger for women’s football”, adding “the crowds, the atmosphere and the quality of football we have seen already has been exceptional.

“I look forward to reflecting on that success and taking another enormous step to building on it at the Second FIFA Women’s Football Convention.”

Advising that the tournament and conference presented Sydney with the opportunity to promote and profile NSW’s sporting excellence, BESydney Chief Executive, Lyn Lewis-Smith added “while the FIFA Women’s World Cup has been an incredible event to entertain global audiences and showcase women’s sporting excellence, the FIFA Women’s Football Convention 2023 in Sydney is where advances in the business and the human sides of the world game will be made, creating a legacy to embrace, educate and empower women around the world through football.”

The FIFA Women’s Football Convention will feature a variety of international speakers who are influential and successful in their field, chosen because they are playing their part in giving women and girls the chance to fulfil their potential - across football, sport and society.

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Images: Sydney is hosting the 2nd FIFA Women’s Football Convention this week (top, credit: Arthur Stanley/Venues Live), Matildas fans at Stadium Australia (middle, credit: Arthur Stanley/Venues Live) and the convention will discuss discuss the development of women’s football (below, credit: Shutterstock).