Fifa has approved sweeping new regulations requiring every women's team competing in its tournaments to have at least one female head coach or assistant coach on the bench.
The council of the governing body passed the measures today, requiring a minimum of two female staff members in each team's technical area during matches.
These rules take effect immediately for this year's under-17 and under-20 Women's World Cups, as well as the Women's Champions Cup.
The regulations will also apply to the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil, covering both national team and club competitions at the youth and senior levels.
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The decision addresses a significant imbalance in women's football leadership.
At the 2023 World Cup, just 12 of the 32 participating nations had a woman in charge.
Six countries at that tournament - Argentina, Colombia, France, Haiti, Morocco and the Philippines - fielded no female coaching staff whatsoever.
Since then, the landscape has shifted somewhat.
Every women's team competing in its tournaments must have at least one female head coach or assistant coach on the bench
|GETTY
Seven of those 12 female-led teams have since appointed male managers, although four nations previously led by men have brought in women, including the United States with Emma Hayes.
Uefa has operated a comparable policy since the 2020/21 season, which Fifa's initiative now mirrors globally.
Jill Ellis, Fifa's chief football officer, emphasised the urgency of the situation.
She said: "There are simply not enough women in coaching today. We must do more to accelerate change by creating clearer pathways, expanding opportunities, and increasing the visibility for women on our sidelines."
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England's Sarina Wiegman stands as a four-time Fifa best women's coach of the year
|GETTY
Ellis added: "The new Fifa regulations, combined with targeted development programmes, mark an important investment in both the current and future generation of female coaches."
Fifa president Gianni Infantino addressed the issue at last month's UEFA Congress in Brussels.
"Of course we need more women in important positions in football," he said, noting the governing body must create opportunities and support female coaches.
Among the most prominent female coaches in the women's game is London-born Hayes, who leads the United States alongside assistant Denise Reddy.
The Lionesses won the Euros in 2025
| GettyIn 2024, Hayes described the shortage of female coaches in English football as "a massive issue", calling on administrators to develop more innovative solutions.
England's Sarina Wiegman stands as a four-time Fifa best women's coach of the year, having steered the Lionesses to consecutive European Championship victories.
She was the sole female manager remaining at the quarter-final stage of the 2023 World Cup.
Wiegman said at the time: "Of course what we hope is to get more female coaches at the top level and that the balance gets better than it is right now."
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