UEFA Launches First Ever Women's Football Strategy With 5-Year Plan to 2024

​UEFA has officially launched its first ever women's football strategy, with European football's governing body committing to a five-year plan with the intention of 'supporting, guiding and lifting both women's football and the position of women in football across Europe'.

By 2024, UEFA hopes to have seen the number of women and girls playing football in member associations double to 2.5 million. It also wants to double the 'reach and value' of the Women's Champions League and double female representation on all UEFA bodies.

In addition, UFEA is targeting a change in perception over women's football and aims to improve player standards by reaching 'standard agreements' for national team players and implementing safeguarding policies in all 55 member associations.

"Women's football is the football of today. It is not the football of tomorrow. It is UEFA's duty as European football's governing body to empower the women's game," the UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin explained.

"So UEFA will put significant financial investment into the sport - underlining that it dares to aim high and make European football as great as it can be. The actions that we propose and commit to in 2019 will lead to a greater, more professional and more prosperous game by 2024."

Nadine Kessler, UEFA's head of women's football, added, "This strategy will champion, innovate and accelerate women's football for all so that every women and girl can have a love and affinity for football whether as a player, coach, referee, administrator or fan.

"Every girl, regardless of talent, deserves a place to play football and the possibility to strive for the impossible without limitation. Women's football is football, and football has a huge ability to impact beyond the field of play and break down cultural and social barriers.

"Therefore, Time for Action: UEFA Women's Football Strategy 2019–24 has been drawn up to lead a step change for women's football and women in football."

Already UEFA has increased its funding for women's football by 50% by 2020 and launching the 'Together #WePlayStrong' campaign.

This weekend will see the Women's Champions League final between Lyon and Barcelona take place in Budapest after UEFA has taken the step of unbundling the competition from the men's in order to give it a platform of its own.