'Disruptor' World Sevens tournament 'is football fun again'

BBC News

23-05-2025

Eight clubs. Seven-a-side. A whopping $5m prize pot.Bayern Munich have taken home the majority of that money, winning £1.8m ($2.5m) by beating Manchester United 2-1 in the World Sevens Football (W7F) final.That is more than the winners of the 2024-25 Women's Super League, Women's Champions League and Womens FA Cup received combined.Runners up United have claimed £739,120 ($1m), with Paris St-Germain and Manchester City £480,428 ($650k) and £258,692 ($350k) for finishing third and fourth respectively.The inaugural 'grand slam' tournament has taken social media by storm this week, but has it been a success and what does it mean for the future of women's football?
Minority owner of Gotham FC and Chelsea, Jennifer Mackesy, has invested $100m in the competition over five years.She co-founded the tournament alongside US entrepreneur Justin Fishkin.Each club receive a participation fee - the exact figure has not been disclosed but is lower than $1m - while there are bonus payments for clubs who reach the semi-finals, win the third-fourth play-off and finish runners-up.Of the total prize money received by each club, 60% of that will go directly to the club to invest in whatever way they chose, while the other 40% is split among players and staff - and not necessarily evenly.For example, players and staff could choose to split that money with members of the squad who did not travel to Estoril, give higher fees to those who played more minutes or to others who carried out media duties.BBC Sport has been told the players of at least one club in the tournament have chosen for their share of the 40% prize money they are entitled to, to go directly back into the club for investment.
Prize money 'a really important statement'
Along with the prize money for the four semi-finalists - Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, $500,000 will be shared between the four teams that went out in the group stages - Ajax, Benfica, Roma and Rosengard.City interim boss Nick Cushing said the money up for grabs is a huge statement of intent."There are probably about seven galaxies out of my universe [before I can say] how important it is," he said."I think what it does do is it highlights the growth of the women's game. It's a statement, it's a really important statement and it's one that we thought was important to be part of."Before the tournament, United boss Marc Skinner said he expected the three-day event to be "carnage and fun". He wasn't wrong.Skinner celebrated United's semi-final win over rivals City by dancing in the middle of a circle of his players and pretending to deal money out of the palm of his hand."For any team who wins it would do a lot," Skinner said before the final. "First and foremost the players are enjoying it and having a good time. If we then get to the point where we can win the prize money then of course that can be huge for us."
'You have to reward them accordingly'
Questions were initially asked over scheduling a tournament immediately after the conclusion of a busy domestic season and before an international break and major tournament, with fears players would not want to risk picking up injuries before a busy summer.But all eight teams bought into the tournament, sending strong squads with plenty of players who will feature at Euro 2025 represented.The incentive of taking home a slice of the prize pot helped according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire."It's indicative that investors see women's football and see tournaments like this in a way that the Indian Premier League was created in the sense that it is a disruptor tournament," he told BBC Sport."By putting in big prize money it means that you attract the best players, it means that the clubs want to be part of the competition as well. If you want the best talent then you have to incentivise them and you have to reward them accordingly."The people behind these initiatives are willing to put their money where their mouth is. We could be having this discussion in two or three years' time where this is the norm, or alternatively it would have been an experiment which hasn't worked."There is no feeling among players that the tournament is a fad, with overwhelming positivity radiating through Estoril."It's so sick, I'm loving it, absolutely loving it," Manchester United captain Maya Le Tissier told BBC Sport. "It's so fun, the whole set-up is incredible. I'm very lucky to be playing in this tournament. The vibe between all the teams is amazing.""If we could come every year or every week, that would be great. It's just so fun. But it has to be somewhere sunny. It can't be in Manchester. It wouldn't have the same effect."
'We saw personalities come to life'
With rolling substitutes, no offsides and 15-minute halves, the tournament format brings out flair and creativity, as well as attacking intent.Le Tissier said part of the enjoyment came from playing with more freedom and less pressure, something which was at the forefront for former Arsenal defender Anita Asante, who is on the World Sevens player advisory council."We saw personalities come to life," Asante said. "They were enjoying the experience, competitive on the pitch and it has just been such a fun engaging experience."I think it's an opportunity for them to really just feel like the inner child comes out again and they have fun playing the game of football in the way that we all enjoy."Tobin Heath, a World Cup winner with the United States who is also part of the advisory council, believes the tournament has been a hit."For me, a 90-minute football game nowadays is not speaking to the next generation," she said. This format really speaks to the next generation. It's football fun again. "Football has become so professionalised, so prescribed. We're missing the fun, the feel of what football is, what I fell in love with. Speaking to the players here, it's been fantastic. They just say, this is so fun."After the final whistle in Friday night's finale, there was no sulking from runners-up Manchester United. Once Bayern's initial celebrations were over, both teams embraced and celebrated in the spirit of the tournament."It was cool because I just wanted to do a handshake and say 'thank you' but they wanted to party together," Bayern's matchwinner Sarah Zadrazil said."I think this is what the tournament is about. It brings different clubs together and we just wanted to have a good time. I think we did that over the three days and I'm excited for the last party now. They are all amazing players and it's one big football family."
So what next?Future events are being planned in cities across the United States, Mexico, Asia and Europe and the aim is to have up to five tournaments every year.No date or venue has been confirmed for the next event, but organisers expect the next edition to take place outside of Europe before the end of 2025."I don't think we will ever lose the love and affection that fans have for their own clubs and also for the Lionesses," Maguire added. "But as an alternative, I think there is a market for tournaments like this."It can complement rather than substitute the traditional women's game. "Attendances this season have been a bit disappointing in the WSL and this will be seen as an alternative and a way of bringing in a new demographic to watch the women's game. That can only be good for the game as a whole."