History builds credibility, credibility builds equity: How European competitions strengthen the women's game

With FC Barcelona and OL Lyonnes preparing to meet at Oslo's Ullevaal Stadion for the Women's Champions League final, the occasion provided a fitting backdrop for the discussion on how our competitions are raising standards, accelerating player development, attracting investment and driving growth across the ecosystem.

The panel brought together perspectives from across the game, with UEFA Executive Committee member and Norwegian Football Federation president Lise Klaveness, UEFA deputy general secretary Giorgio Marchetti, England head coach Sarina Wiegman and Manchester United defender Fridolina Rolfö all contributing.

UEFA competitions: A driver for growth

From packed stadiums to record audiences and growing investment, UEFA's flagship women's competitions such as the Women's Champions League, Women's Europa Cup and Women's EURO have become powerful engines of growth, helping to drive visibility, investment and global interest.

Wiegman has experienced that evolution firsthand. After leading the Netherlands to Women's EURO glory on home soil in 2017, she repeated the achievement with England in 2022 and 2025, witnessing the sport's rapid rise across two nations.

"Hosting and winning the EUROs in the Netherlands... we had bigger crowds, we became visible," she said. "Then, as soon as we became successful in England, so many things happened – records were broken, on and off the pitch."

Klaveness also highlighted the UEFA Women's Champions League as a driver of change, recalling Barcelona's sold-out semi-final against Wolfsburg in 2022.

"We went to Camp Nou and there were 92,000 there, and the whole concrete was just shaking," she said. "My tears were pouring down, because I thought I would never experience it. So, raising the profile of these competitions has really changed the game."

For players, meanwhile, the Women's Champions League has become a benchmark for excellence. Fridolina Rolfö, a two-time winner with Barcelona, credited the competition with accelerating her development at the highest level.

"The Women's Champions League is the highlight for every player – it's the biggest event of the year," she said. "It has played a big part in my development. Playing against different teams all over Europe is challenging and helps you grow as a team and a player. It's the best and so competitive."

Barcelona's sold-out Women's Champions League semi-final against Wolfsburg in 2022 was highlighted as a driver of changeUEFA via Getty Images

Expanding access through competition reform

As women's club football continues to grow, creating more opportunities for teams across Europe to compete at the highest level has become a key priority.

The final in Oslo marked the start of a new era for UEFA's women's club competitions. The 2025/26 season saw a new 18-team league phase in the UEFA Women's Champions League, while the UEFA Women's Europa Cup made its debut, opening the door to more clubs and more meaningful European fixtures.

Designed to preserve sporting merit while broadening access, the reforms create more competitive matches, greater unpredictability and additional pathways for clubs to test themselves at the highest level.

"For us, it's very important to make sure that no one is left behind," said Marchetti. "At the same time, you need to guarantee that the excellence of the competition stays and even grows."

The UEFA Women's Europa Cup gives more clubs the chance to compete in EuropeUEFA via Getty Images

Building on decades of progress

Hosting the Women's Champions League final in Norway served as a reminder that progress has been built on decades of commitment to the women's game.

"The women's game has a long history in Norway," said Klaveness. "I see the people whose shoulders we're standing on, and I just feel very proud. It also shows the level the Women's Champions League has reached that hosting the final creates so much national pride."

Wiegman agreed, reflecting on Norway's influence during her own playing career.

"Norway has played a big role in the development of the women's game," she said. "I still remember playing against them – we never won! Returning to a country that was a trailblazer for women's football feels like coming full circle."

Marchetti explained how UEFA's competitions had evolved into the drivers of progress they are today, highlighting two milestones that helped transform the landscape.

"The decision to change the Women's Cup into the Women's Champions League may have looked simple, but it immediately changed perceptions," he said. "Clubs started buying into the women's game, and once that happened, everything began to accelerate."

He also pointed to UEFA's decision to elevate the UEFA Women's EURO into a first-class event, with the attendance of 41,301 at the 2013 final in Stockholm demonstrating the tournament's growing appeal.

That growth was underlined at Women's EURO 2025, which attracted a record-breaking 657,291 spectators. Of the tournament's 31 matches, 29 sold out, including the final at St Jakob-Park, where a capacity crowd of 34,203 watched England lift the trophy.

Decades of investment in competitive opportunities have helped transform the women's game, with UEFA's competitions now raising standards, creating opportunities and driving growth across Europe.