With much of the sporting world focused on the ongoing Men's World Cup, plenty is happening in women’s football too. Europe has confirmed more of its direct qualifiers for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil, while the transfer market is beginning to gather momentum as clubs prepare for another busy summer.

Salaries in women’s football remain one of the sport’s most talked-about topics. They are a measure of how far the game has come. In some leagues, players still need a second job to make ends meet. In others, new financial records are being set.

When the United States women’s national team won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019, businesswoman Michele Kang was so uninformed of the world of football that she didn’t even know who Lionel Messi was. That idea seems inconceivable today as the women’s football tycoon owns and is closely involved in three clubs across the globe. How did she get here and what impact has her investment had on the sport?

Claudia Martínez Ovado’s path to football was more tortuous than it should have been. Yet she never gave up on her dream, and within a few years, after playing handball and minifootball, she had established herself as one of the world’s top talents in her age group.

England is the pioneer of women’s football and sets an example in many areas. It is where investment continues to grow, and the Women’s Super League is often presented as proof of how far the women’s game can progress. Yet even in the country of the reigning two-time European champions, not everything is perfect as the recent case involving third-tier side Plymouth Argyle Women highlighted.

Women's Super League has been rocked by what may be the most controversial transfer in modern women’s football history. And the transfer window does not even open yet until 18 June. At the same time, club football has taken a back seat to the international game, with European nations battling for places at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027. Germany have already secured direct qualification, while England suffered their heaviest defeat under Sarina Wiegman. So, what else happened in women’s football this week?

In January 2028, the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup will take place, marking a historic milestone for the women’s game. The tournament will feature 16 clubs from across FIFA’s confederations. The host nation has yet to be announced, but Qatar has already expressed interest in hosting the competition. The proposal has drawn attention given that Qatar’s women’s national team is currently unranked by FIFA, has not played an official international match in more than a decade, and operates within a political and social environment that many argue conflicts with the values of inclusion and equality that women’s football seeks to promote.

June is Pride Month, and few areas of sport embrace queer visibility as openly as women’s football. Compared to the men’s game, female footballers are far more likely to be openly LGBTQ+, while clubs themselves often actively speak about inclusivity and make it clear that everyone is welcome at their matches, regardless of identity.

In the capital of Italy, a potential new leader for both Le Azzurre and Le Giallorose is coming to the fore. Eighteen-year-old Giulia Galli recently won the Italian league title with AS Roma and is eagerly looking forward to the new season, in which she could take on a bigger role on the team.