FIFA launches female health and performance education platform
FIFA has launched a Female Health and Performance Project offering science-based education modules designed to close the women-specific evidence gap shaping training, recovery and injury risk across the game.
FIFA has launched a Female Health and Performance Project aimed at improving how female athletes are prepared, trained and supported, as the governing body seeks to address a long-standing lack of women-specific sport science research.The initiative delivers specialist, science-based educational content tailored to female athletes, with 30 online modules covering 13 topics and designed for audiences ranging from the general public to elite practitioners and FIFA’s 211 Member Associations.The commercial and strategic relevance sits in workforce capability and player availability. Better-informed training loads and medical support can reduce injuries, protect performance and help federations and clubs maximise returns on investment in women’s football as competitions expand.FIFA said training methods and systems have historically been shaped by research conducted on men, leaving female athletes relying on evidence that does not reflect their physiological characteristics.It cited a study analysing 5,261 research articles published in sport and exercise science journals between 2014 and 2020, which found only 34% of study participants were female and just 6% of research exclusively focused on women.FIFA said that imbalance can reduce the efficacy of training approaches and increase injury risk when programmes are applied without accounting for female-specific needs.The project builds on a pilot programme delivered ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, when FIFA provided specialised training programmes to 10 national teams.The new rollout extends access to all 211 FIFA Member Associations via educational modules hosted on FIFA’s Training Centre.Dame Sarai Bareman, FIFA’s chief women’s football officer, said: “FIFA’s aim is to optimise every female footballer’s health, well-being and performance, and to improve knowledge around women and girls in football at every level of the game.”She added: “We need to normalise conversations around female health and embrace this, using it to our advantage instead of ignoring it or being fearful of discussing it. It is not a weakness; it is a strength.”FIFA said the modules were developed in collaboration with world-leading experts and cover broad sport science areas such as sleep, recovery, and strength and conditioning through the lens of the female athlete.Female-specific topics include female physiology, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause, with four learning levels from introductory material to integrated application for specialists.The project also aims to break taboos, normalise language and reduce stigma, positioning open communication as part of a high-performance environment for women and girls in football.The next steps are adoption by Member Associations and integration into national team and grassroots coaching education pathways ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil next year.