Concacaf announces strategic plan to develop women’s football

Miami (Via Concacaf) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) today announced a strategic plan to grow and increase participation in the women’s game across its 41 Member Associations.

The framework was presented to the Member Associations by Concacaf Head of Women’s Football Karina LeBlanc, following the 25th Extraordinary Congress held in Paris, France.

“We need to accelerate the development of women’s football in our region and our strategic plan is the starting point,” said Concacaf President Victor Montagliani. “The game is universal, therefore, our aim is to break down cultural barriers, invest in women’s football and help the sport grow and thrive across our 41 Member Associations. The basis of this plan is to provide every girl in our Confederation with an opportunity to play the game and dream.”

In 2018, as part of its commitment to grow the game, the Confederation established a dedicated women’s football department, led by former Canadian international Karina LeBlanc. Concacaf also invested in development programs, while hosting six competitions that provided a platform for nearly two-thousand female athletes to participate in championships across the region.

“Concacaf has a massive opportunity to grow the game. As a former player, I have seen the extraordinary ability of football to change lives and empower human beings,” said LeBlanc. “Our vision is to improve the lives of women by working together with our 41 Member Associations on three main objectives: changing perceptions, building sustainable foundations and growing participation.”

Developed in consultation with federations and stakeholders, each of these three objectives form the core pillars and goals of the strategic plan to address key challenges across the region.

Pillars and Goals

Communication – Change Perceptions
Goal: Communicate the importance of women’s football and advocate on key issues affecting women in North, Central America and the Caribbean.

Development – Build Foundations
Goal: Create career pathways to develop and empower women.

Growth – Grow Participation
Goal: Build a self-sustainable growth model and enhance the game’s commercial value.

As the Confederation gains greater insights into the specific challenges of its federations and to ensure the consistent delivery of sustainable results, the plan will be continually refined and updated. Women’s football will be an integral part of Concacaf 2030, a strategic initiative that will consist of a consultation process with its 41 Member Associations to define a collective vision to grow the game.