Off the Pitch

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?

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.

Salaries in women’s football remain one of the sport’s most frequently discussed topics. Across many clubs and leagues, players are still not fully professional, despite competing at the highest levels and, in some cases, representing their national teams. Yet, as in many other industries, the landscape is changing rapidly and for the better.

In 2021, the NWSL launched the Nationwide Community Impact Award, an annual honor given to a player for their work off the pitch. In 2024, the league announced that the award would be renamed to the Lauren Holiday Impact Award to honor former USWNT and NWSL player Lauren Holiday for her work on and off the pitch. Each year, one player from each club is nominated for their work with a community partner. 

Alexia Putellas is one of the biggest names in the world of football. On the pitch, the Barcelona Femení player has become a legend and one of the best players in the world after winning Ballon d’Or twice. She was the first Spanish woman to win a Ballon d’Or, a milestone she repeated a year later, alsoo being the first player to win two awards of this type in a row. Any trophy or individual distinction was too small for her: she won everything she could and more.

Women’s football is becoming an increasingly valuable commodity on the business market. The shift is visible not only in the transfer market, but also in club ownership. After Serena Williams, Natalie Portman, and Ed Sheeran, another major name is entering the scene. The GOAT himself.