Welcome to World Sevens Football – DJs, smoke cannons and £3.7m prize pot

Telegraph

22-05-2025

Of all the unique elements to the new World Sevens Football tournament, the Jaws theme tune being played before a penalty kick was perhaps the most striking.
Bizarrely brilliant is the best way to describe the first full day of women's football's new competition.
Few knew what to expect from this tournament, which will earn the winners £1.9 million in prize money. Even the teams competing were not sure what was waiting for them when they arrived in Estoril on the Portuguese Riviera.
An unpredictable DJ, smoke cannons and street-style football was the answer. Telegraph Sport was on the ground in Estoril to take in and assess women's football's new format.
Eyes on the prize
There had been questions over how seriously the competing teams would take the World Sevens. Manchester City left several of their big-name players at home in contrast to Manchester United, who brought a full strength squad.
But it was clear from the start that every team competing want to win. That is no doubt due to the huge prize money available to the winners. The total prize pot is worth £3.72 million while the winners will take home £1.9 million, with a percentage of the money going directly to players.
'For any team who wins it, it would do a lot,' Marc Skinner, the United coach, said of the prize pot.
'If we then get to the point where we can win the prize money, then of course that can be huge for us as well. But more importantly, the players have to enjoy it and that's exactly why we were here.'
Speaking after his side won their second game on penalties, Nick Cushing, the interim City manager, said: 'Because it's new, there's no real jeopardy. If we lost today, we would be disappointed, but it's not like you've been knocked out of the Champions League.
'As the tournament starts to go on, you get closer to the prize money and you get closer to being the first winner, the jeopardy starts to come in and the tactics start to change.'
Fun, flair and vibes
The seven-a-side format means players are not bound by the strict tactics and principles we often see in the Women's Super League.
The whole point of the World Sevens is for games to be entertaining and there was no hint of a low block or a bore draw. In fact, draws are not allowed – with matches having five minutes 'over-time' and penalties if teams are level after 30 minutes.
'I think this format really speaks to the next generation, it's football fun again,' said former United States player Tobin Heath, who is one of the former pros on the player advisory council.
Living in the moment 🤣 #MUWomen || #WorldSevensFootball pic.twitter.com/6D8pMFiDOU
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) May 22, 2025
'Football has become so professionalised, so prescribed. We're missing the fun, the feel of what football is, what I fell in love with. I don't see it enough anymore. I think it's being coached out too young, too soon. And even speaking to the players, it's been fantastic.'
There was a moment in Bayern Munich's game against Benfica when Tuva Hansen took her shirt off after scoring and was booked by referee Minka Vekkeli. But organisers decided to rescind the yellow card, with the pair then taking part in a light-hearted video.
At World Sevens Football, we celebrate joy! @FCBayernEN pic.twitter.com/2yFaJ4gPWq
— World Sevens Football (@worldsevens_) May 22, 2025
Most players seemed to embrace the format and, in truth, when else do they really get to let loose and just enjoy themselves?
At the start of each game, the starting seven players are announced on the speaker before they run out onto the pitch. It was clear several found it amusing but many embraced it, with United's starting team all doing cartwheels for their second game. Players clearly enjoyed the opportunity to have fun.
City forward Kerolin said it felt like she was back playing in Brazil while United's Gabby George said players have been able to relax after a tough domestic campaign.
In addition to Hansen, Bayern Munich appeared to be having a team competition for the best goal celebration.
🎣 Bayern ready to reel in another spectacular win 😜
📺 Watch it all LIVE & FREE on DAZN
🗓️ May 22
🔗 Link in bio #DAZNxW7F #WorldSevensFootball pic.twitter.com/WFJ60bzlbt
— DAZN Women's Football (@DAZNWFootball) May 22, 2025
🍎Bayern moving into the semis like...
📺 Watch it all LIVE & FREE on DAZN 🔗 https://t.co/dIfKpURfZv
#DAZNxW7F #WorldSevensFootball pic.twitter.com/H6iXyRSpFm
— DAZN Women's Football (@DAZNWFootball) May 22, 2025
'It's enjoyable for the fans, but also enjoyable for us,' George said. 'We've just had a long, gruelling season, we put ourselves under immense stress and pressure because we want to win things. But here we've just been able to let our hair down and show our flair.'
NBA-style atmosphere and the fan experience
At the start of the tournament, the in-house DJ would play music when players went to take corners as well as when goals went in. The highlight was undoubtedly the Jaws theme tune being played before Ajax midfielder Lily Yohannes took and scored a penalty against City's Khiara Keating.
🎯 Johannes gives Ajax comeback hope from the penalty spot!
📺 Watch it all LIVE & FREE on DAZN
🗓️ May 22
🔗 https://t.co/dIfKpURfZv #DAZNxW7F #WorldSevensFootball pic.twitter.com/9OkCBPj4nB
— DAZN Women's Football (@DAZNWFootball) May 22, 2025
'I don't know if you're familiar with going to any basketball games, but music is such a part of that culture and we're really trying to bring the culture into the experience of the game,' Heath said.
Music during Women's Super League games is something traditionalists would turn their nose up at, and rightly so, but in this format it works.
The crowds taking in games were not huge but given the location that is not a surprise – Portugal is hardly a hotbed for women's football. Many of the teams taking part were not announced until a couple of weeks before and more fans may have travelled over had they been given more notice. That is something that organisers will hope to navigate in the future.
There did appear to be a sizeable engagement with the tournament, which was broadcast for free on DAZN, on social media.
Is the tournament here to stay?
The obvious question is: can the World Sevens become a regular part of the women's football calendar?
It has certainly been a hit with players. The involvement of Heath, and other former pros such as Anita Asante and Caroline Segers, has been key. Competing teams were impressed by the arrangements made for them and how organisers catered to their specific needs.
A lot of the build-up to this tournament centred on injury concerns ahead of this summer's European Championship, and whether players are overloaded. But United's Grace Clinton countered that players would only have been doing the same type of games in training had they not been at the tournament.
'I've heard from a lot of players who are thankful that they have a space to continue to play, to continue to have their fitness, to get their confidence,' Heath said.
'I understand being overloaded, but I can tell you that's like maximum 10 per cent, five per cent, of the footballing population. And I can tell you most of the footballing population, they're being under-loaded. There's so many players that are just craving for minutes.'
World Sevens Football is funded by the United States-based philanthropist Jennifer Mackesy, co-owner of National Women's Soccer League club Gotham FC.
It is understood there is a commitment to invest as much as $100 million (£75 million) in W7F over the next five years, with further events planned. A second tournament will take place on another continent between November and December, with different teams competing.
So, the tournament is here to stay in the short term. It will be intriguing to see whether the interest and excitement can be maintained in the long term, but the early signs show there is definitely an appetite among players for the tournament to continue.