Mickey and Minnie bring the magic to UEFA Playmakers celebration

Since its launch in 2020, the UEFA Playmakers programme, inspired by Disney, has given 161,300 girls across Europe a fun and safe introduction to football through movement, play and the magic of Disney storytelling.

Following an initial pilot phase featuring seven national associations in 2020, the programme is now being delivered by project managers and coach educators across 46 different countries.

All were in attendance for the inaugural Playmakers Conference in Nyon, alongside representatives from Disney and sister confederations AFC (Asia), CONCACAF (North Central America and Caribbean) and CONMEBOL (South America).

Designed to reflect the fun and energetic nature of Playmakers, the packed agenda featured interactive sessions, panel discussions and group exercises across two inspiring days.

Giving girls a place to belong

The conference kicked off with an entertaining intro from self-confessed Disney aficionado and UEFA deputy general secretary Giorgio Marchetti, followed by a panel discussion featuring UEFA director of women’s football Nadine Kessler, Walt Disney Company EMEA vice president of brand and franchise marketing Nicole Morse and UEFA Women’s Football Committee chair and Estonian Football Association general secretary Anne Rei.

Together, they explored how Playmakers can provide the spark which inspires girls to fall in love with football.

"Playmakers is helping girls find a place where they belong, so they grow up with the idea that sports is a good thing, being part of a community is a good thing," said Nadine Kessler. "Whether they become professional footballers or not, I don't mind. I just hope they look back on their life and see Playmakers as something that really had an impact on them, strengthened their self-esteem and also taught them really important life skills."

In another session, Playmakers ambassador Lotta Schelin, Sweden's all-time record goalscorer and a three-time UEFA Women's Champions League winner, shared her passion for the programme.

"The storytelling through Disney characters is so powerful. Getting the girls involved in the story and taking away all the pressure from playing football – you're in the story, you can progress in your own time, in your own space. It's about having fun and that's fundamental. I think it’s so good that a lot of girls can start their football journey this way."

Nadine Kessler, Nicole Morse and Anne Rei took part in a panel discussionUEFA

Sharing best practices

Delegates heard inspiring case studies and insights from Norway, Serbia, and Wales, as well as the story of 11-year-old Lucija from Malta, who discovered her passion for football through Playmakers four years ago and has since been part of the national youth team set-up.

Success stories were also shared during a panel discussion featuring a selection of project managers and coach educators. Sweden’s Jenny Neimann, a coach with IFK Eskilstuna, explained how the introduction of Playmakers has completely transformed the club.

"IFK Eskilstuna was one of the first clubs to bring in Playmakers when Sweden joined the programme in 2021. Now, four years later, we have 120 girls active, representing 23% of all players in the club. We’ve also gone from having no female coaches to women now representing 23% of our coaching staff."

Ensuring girls' football stories last a lifetime

A central focus of the conference was charting the next steps for girls and coaches involved in the programme, ensuring they remain in football and strengthening pathways from grassroots.

UEFA PlayGames was introduced as an open resource for national associations, clubs and schools to help perpetuate the love of football sparked by Playmakers, with participants treated to live-action drills out on the pitches adjacent to UEFA HQ.

UEFA Playmakers Conference participants took part in drillsUEFA

Building on this, Clare Daniels of the English FA, a pioneer of the storytelling approach, shared how pathways have been created in the country to keep girls engaged in the game and ensure a connected journey from their very first Playmakers session to clubs, communities and beyond.

"Remember, play and storytelling don't disappear," Daniels said. "It stays with us through the amazing stories that we share with these girls from the movies. The adults and children build a connection.

"So, it's utilising this connection now to galvanize and make something really special across the continent. Because together, we can make sure their story doesn't just begin, but it lasts a lifetime."