Women’s Champions League final shows growth of the sport, says NWSL commissioner

EINDHOVEN – Saturday’s sold-out Women’s Champions League final between Barcelona and Wolfsburg is an ideal showcase for the global growth of women’s football, the United States’ National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) commissioner Jessica Berman said on Thursday.

Spanish giants Barcelona hope to collect their second title in three years in a compelling match-up with their German opponents, who are desperate to hoist the trophy for the first time since 2014.

Fans have bought more than 34,100 tickets for the showdown in Eindhoven in the Netherlands, European football’s governing body Uefa said, in the first sold-out final since 2010.

“We have fully sold out a Women’s Champions League final... which is just another sign that we have reached a new level,” said Nadine Kessler, Uefa’s managing director of women’s football.

“It’s going to be an amazing occasion for everyone, whether in the stadium or in front of the TV.”

Berman was also pleased with the ticketing outcome, adding: “It shows that there is global interest in women’s football and not only around country competitions, but also around club competitions.

“What has been built here in Europe around inter-league club competitions has really shown the rest of the world that there could be global interest in women’s club football.”

The NWSL chief has aggressively pursued expansion in the top-flight American league, which recently awarded expansion rights to a new Bay Area team, allowing it to become the NWSL’s 14th club.

Two more teams are expected to join in 2026, she told the Washington Post in May.

“What we’re doing in the United States is an opportunity for others to see what’s possible when female athletes are given proper training conditions and playing environment, to be able to perform at the highest level,” added Berman.

“It took us some years to get where we are right now, where finally, I would say for all of our clubs, we have appropriate training environments for our players and for our games as well, where our players are playing every single game in front of fans (in stadiums) that can hold more than 10,000 capacity.”

Berman also expects that roughly a third of the NWSL players will feature in the Women’s World Cup, which kicks off in Australia and New Zealand on July 20. Four-time winners United States are the defending champions.

“It’s going to be competitive,” she said. “And I think the competitiveness of the World Cup will be a sign that the global game is growing.” REUTERS