In Poland, where the FIFA Women’s Under-20 World Cup has been under way since 5 September, a quieter change is travelling alongside the matches. For the first time at a FIFA competition, every team has arrived with a technical staff required to include at least two women, with one of them serving either as head coach or assistant coach.
The measure, approved by the FIFA Council in March, applies across women’s football: senior and youth events, club tournaments and national-team competitions. It will remain in force when Brazil hosts the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
Its purpose is to widen women’s access to senior positions on the touchline and within national associations. The requirement sits within FIFA’s Women’s Development Programme, which is intended to support the longer-term progress of female coaches. The scale of the task was clear at the 2023 World Cup in Australia, where only 12 of the 32 participating head coaches were women.
Brazil’s young side in the first tournament of the new era
Brazil’s Under-20 team are among the sides operating under the new framework in Poland. Camilla Orlando, the team’s coach, described the opportunity as the fulfilment of an ambition and credited her mentor with helping her develop the confidence and planning needed for the role, as well as strengthening her connection with players and fellow staff members.
“I had dreamed of taking part in this programme, so being here and being selected is incredible,” Orlando said. “My mentor helped me greatly with confidence, planning and building relationships with the players and technical staff.”
The next FIFA event to use the requirement will be the Women’s Under-17 World Cup in Morocco in October. Brazil have qualified for that tournament and will pursue what would be their first title at the level.
