Women’s football fanbase to surpass 800 million by 2030, Nielsen report

Women’s football is on track to become one of the world’s top five sports by 2030, with the majority of its fanbase projected to be female, according to a new report from Nielsen Sports in collaboration with PepsiCo.

The study — Undervalued to Unstoppable — is Nielsen Sports’ most comprehensive analysis of the sport to date, offering never-before-shared insights into its accelerating global growth, audience profile, and commercial power.

Key findings include:

The global women’s football fanbase is projected to grow by 38%, rising from 500 million to over 800 million by 2030.

60% of fans will be female by 2030 — creating one of the few sports where women represent the majority audience.

Women are expected to control 75% of household purchasing decisions by 2028, underscoring the urgency for brands to act.

47% of fans are among the top global earners, and 50% are aged 25–44 — a prime commercial demographic.

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup reached a media engagement audience of 2 billion, while sponsorship deals tripled compared to 2019.

Despite these metrics, just a small fraction of global sponsorship budgets are allocated to women’s football. The report identifies this as a significant gap — and a major commercial opportunity.

Samantha Lamberti, Head of International, Nielsen Sports: “We have long believed in the potential of women’s football, and today, we’re no longer just tracking progress, we’re witnessing a breakthrough. From media rights to sponsorship and fan engagement, this is no longer a case of future promise but present value.”

Jane Wakely, EVP & Chief Consumer Marketing Officer & Chief Growth Officer, International Foods, Pepsico: “At PepsiCo, we see women’s football as more than just a sport, it’s a cultural force with the power to connect, inspire and grow our brands. As a business, we’re proud to partner with UEFA Women’s Football, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the WNBA and leading athletes across the world, because we know these platforms unlock powerful passion points for an increasingly engaged and influential audience.”

Women’s football has seen a 60%+ rise in female fans over the past five years, with momentum strongest in markets like China (adding 186 million fans), Brazil (39% of the population interested), and India (35% of the population interested). In the UK, fan interest surged 15% in just two years, following the Lionesses’ UEFA EURO 2022 win — a moment that helped lift Women’s Super League visibility to record levels. Brazil, host of the 2027 World Cup, already over-indexes on audience engagement, but still faces gaps in sponsorship infrastructure — suggesting further upside for brands that move early.

Hosts of the upcoming UEFA European Women’s Championship, Switzerland, has seen its women’s football fanbase increase by 22% in 2024 alone. With the tournament, which kicks off on July 2nd, played on home soil, the nation could become Europe’s next women’s football hotspot.

Participation numbers echo the global fan interest trajectory. In Europe, player growth has soared: France (+150%), Spain (+95%), the Netherlands (+25%), and the UK (+24%) have all recorded major increases since 2019. In Asia, the trend is even sharper, with China seeing a 300% rise and Vietnam up 42%.

Current hotspots where a significant proportion of the female population play women’s football, such as Mexico (6.9%), Saudi Arabia (6.1%), and Vietnam (8.1%), highlight how local investment, national strategies, or first-time World Cup entries can rapidly accelerate interest—often before the audience numbers catch up.

With growing fan bases, surging participation, and expanding media visibility, the message is clear: this is a sport on the rise. For brands, the opportunity is not just to sponsor a game, but to help shape a movement.

www.nielsen.com

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