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On International Women’s Day, we are taking an important step forward in our commitment to making football a more inclusive space for everyone.

Last Friday, EFC and Women in Football (WIF) hosted a members-only webinar to share two significant updates with our community. First, we announced a new partnership between EFC and WIF that will bring the two organisations together across several initiatives designed to support people working across the football industry. Second, we introduced the name of our new initiative: Everyone’s Game FC.

This network and movement is designed to champion diversity, inclusion and connection across the game.

 

Working together for meaningful change

EFC and WIF first collaborated in 2024 to launch the biannual Women on Board Programme, which supports women in senior roles across European football to take the next step into board and executive positions.

This new partnership once again brings together two organisations that care deeply about creating a football industry where more people can grow, lead and be supported.

By combining our expertise, networks and platforms, we hope to create more opportunities for people from a wide range of backgrounds to build careers in football and to be visible within the game.

Through shared events, conversations and initiatives, the partnership will also help amplify the voices of those working to create a more inclusive future for the sport.

Women in Football CEO, Yvonne Harrison said: "We're proud to be EFC's partner of choice driving gender equality in the football workforce, there is such strong alignment in our mission to ensure women working across the football industry can thrive and reach their potential. We celebrate the current impact of our collaboration and are hugely excited about the next phase of our work and the launch of Everyone's Game FC."

 

A game for everyone

Everyone’s Game FC was formally unveiled during Friday’s EFC x WIF members webinar.

The initiative aims to create a welcoming space for people across football to learn from one another, build connections and take part in conversations that move the industry forward. It reflects a simple idea: football is stronger when more people feel they belong.

 

 

Starting the conversation

The initiative will launch with an eight-part webinar series that explores topics relevant to people working in football today.

Sessions will cover themes including leadership, networking, allyship and how to create open and constructive conversations in the workplace. The series will also feature interviews with leaders from across the football industry who are helping drive positive change.

The first session was kicked off by Sky Sports News presenter Hayley McQueen interviewing Ebru Köksal, Chair of Women in Football. Ebru took the participants on a whistle-stop tour of her career which has been primarily spent in two male dominated industries: Finance and Football. She talked about her memories of joining Galatasaray, rising from CFO to CEO and her time as General Secretary at the Turkish Football Federation; shared some of the the tactics she uses to help block out ‘noise;’ detailed her ambitions when she first joined WIF in 2015; and outlined her thoughts on how the football industry can tackle the prevalence of gender discrimination that still exists, in order to create systemic change..

Dedicated webinar sessions will be open to anyone within the industry wanting to gain valuable insight and make meaningful contributions to equality in the game. 

 

Building the community

Alongside the webinar series, the partnership will create opportunities throughout the year for EFC and WIF members to build their professional networks and connect in person, including at the EFC Club Connect: Women’s Football in Lisbon (14–15 March) and the 2026 EFC General Assembly in Copenhagen later in the year.

These events will help extend the conversations started through the webinars and strengthen the sense of community across the network.

 

Looking ahead

Everyone’s Game FC is just getting started. We look forward to growing this community with people across the sport who believe football should be a place where everyone has the opportunity to belong and succeed.

Keep an eye out on the EFC website and follow us on our socials for more updates about Everyone’s Game FC.

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