Fifa
- Kynisca to be integrated across Women’s Champions Cup through branding and storytelling
- Tournament’s final phase takes place in London from 28th January to 1st February
Fifa has teamed up with Michele Kang for the inaugural Women’s Champions Cup in an agreement that will see her multi-club soccer ownership group Kynisca sponsor the tournament.
The pact makes Kynisca the presenter partner of this year’s tournament, which is taking place in London from 28th January to 1st February, and the organisation will be integrated across key tournament and final phase moments through branding and storytelling.
Fifa added that the union would create new global opportunities for women’s club soccer and increase the visibility of the next generation of female athletes worldwide.
“The launch of the Fifa Women’s Champions Cup is a powerful step forward for women’s club football globally,” said Jill Ellis, Fifa’s chief football officer.
“Partnering with Kynisca underlines our shared, unwavering commitment to building platforms that showcase the pinnacle of women’s football. Fifa would like to express our gratitude to Michele Kang, a true pioneer of the women’s game, for her support of this game-changing competition.”
Kang added: “The inaugural Fifa Women’s Champions Cup represents a defining moment for women’s football. Partnering with Fifa on this historic competition reflects Kynisca’s belief in the power, potential and global appeal of the women’s game. We are proud to support a tournament that will set new benchmarks for excellence and ambition.”
The first edition of the Women’s Champions Cup was confirmed last March after the launch of a 16-team Women’s Club World Cup was postponed until 2028. Fifa plans to hold the Women’s Club World Cup every four years, with the Women’s Champions Cup being held in the other three years of each cycle.
The competition features the champion clubs from each of the six continental confederations. The semi-finals will be played at Gtech Community Stadium, home of Premier League club Brentford, before Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium hosts the third-place playoff and final.
DAZN will broadcast the Women’s Champions Cup in most countries around the world, with Fifa finally securing a deal just weeks before the opening matchup. Sky Sports will air the competition in the UK and Ireland and streamer CazeTV will do the same for Brazil. Fifa has also struck a deal with Morocco’s national broadcaster and DAZN has secured the rights to the semi-finals in the US.
DAZN will broadcast the Women’s Champions Cup in most countries worldwide, with Fifa securing a deal just weeks before the opening matchup. Sky Sports will air the competition in the UK and Ireland, while streamer CazeTV will do the same for Brazil. Fifa has also struck a deal with Morocco’s national broadcaster SNRT and DAZN has secured the rights to air the semi-finals in the US.”
Kang, who made her fortune in health technology, launched Kynisca in 2024 and its clubs include the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) Washington Spirit, the Women’s Super League’s (WSL) London City Lionesses, and French Première Ligue outfit OL Lyonnes. Last year also saw Kang commit US$25 million to support US Soccer, following a US$30 million donation in 2024.
Speaking to SportsPro last year, Kang said she wanted to own “at least one club in each continent”.
SportsPro says…
Fifa usually reserves sponsorship of its tournaments for major consumer brands, but this deal further solidifies Kynisca as a central player in the commercialisation of women’s soccer.
For Kang, who is is deputy chair of Fifa’s committee for women’s club competitions, the agreement offers global visibility for Kynisca as it seeks to establish itself as the world’s pre-eminent women’s sports organisation. Fifa, meanwhile, enhances the credibility and legitimacy of its new tournament by aligning with arguably the most influential investor in women’s soccer.
More broadly, this partnership suggests that the future of the women’s soccer commercial ecosystem may be shaped not only by traditional sponsors but also by investors in the sport.
Get your daily briefing of all the essential news across the sports industry with the SportsPro Daily Newsletter. Subscribe here.