Rosa Sko: Giving girls in Oslo greater access to football

When Barcelona and OL Lyonnes met in the 2026 UEFA Women's Champions League final at Ullevaal Stadium in May, it wasn't just the players who took centre stage.

Throughout the weekend, 150 girls from Rosa Sko (which translates as ‘Pink Shoe’) enjoyed a series of unforgettable experiences, including attending official training sessions, a player meet-and-greet and receiving tickets to watch the match. One lucky youngster, ten-year-old Hadiya, had the opportunity to hand out the medals alongside UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin during the closing ceremony.

But how is Rosa Sko impacting the lives of these girls – and thousands of others – on a daily basis?

Hadiya was chosen to hand out the medals alongside the UEFA president

Pathways for players and coaches

Established in 2016, Rosa Sko works to give girls in Oslo – particularly those from underprivileged and minority backgrounds – greater access to organised sport, while also creating pathways for young female coaches.

The organisation provides free school-based football activities for girls in a safe and supportive environment, following a 'girls coaching girls' approach designed to encourage participation.

"The starting point was the desire to reach all girls who want to play football, but who, for various reasons, do not get the opportunity," explains Rosa Sko founder and former Norway international Eli Landsem. "We knew that many girls from minority backgrounds fall out early. I therefore thought that school could be the most important arena to reach them – everyone is there, regardless of background, finances and parents’ knowledge of the sport."

Alongside the school activities, 'transition academies' have been established to help participants continue their journey into local club football. The academies are free of charge, open to all girls and focused on confidence-building, wellbeing and participation rather than performance.

"An important part of the model is also that young female leaders and coaches from the project are given paid roles in the transition, and in some cases, they continue on to the club," says Landsem. "This creates continuity and security for the girls."

In addition to its involvement with the Women's Champions League final, Rosa Sko was previously selected as Norway's grassroots initiative to champion during and after UEFA Women's EURO 2025. This was part of the Legacy for the Future programme, developed by the UEFA Foundation for Children and the adidas Foundation.

The girls met players from both sides on the day before the finalUEFA via Getty Images

A tangible impact in Oslo

Two years ago, Rosa Sko began working alongside the Norwegian Football Association as part of the federation's ‘For Oslo’ project, which aims to increase participation among girls and young women by recruiting, retaining and developing players.

Since then, the number of girls' teams in disadvantaged areas in Oslo has more than doubled from five to 11, while the number of girls’ futsal teams has increased from 29 to 64.

At the same time, 102 female youth coaches have undertaken coaching qualifications, with 14 young women working at local clubs taking part in leadership programmes, further strengthening capacity to get more girls involved in the future.