“We’ve been denied the same level of opportunities because of those absent years,” Emma Hayes once remarked, recalling the harsh reality that still surrounds women’s soccer. Despite dedicating over two decades to the sport and achieving remarkable success, the English tactician still feels the weight of a lingering shadow, one cast by the era when the women’s game was outright banned. But what if we told you that’s all about to change?

And by change, we mean a leap of faith that this game was never expected to take. Well, just like Hayes, you must have seen a lot of advocacy to urge the growth of the female sport. This is obvious due to the fact that, over the years, it has often faced challenges, prejudices, and not enough opportunities compared to its male counterpart.

But talk about beating the odds to make a breakthrough—what if we were to tell you that women’s soccer is set to witness a huge boom in its global popularity like never before? Well, at least a study from Nielsen Sports and PepsiCo believes so, claiming that it is on a path to reach over 800 million fans by the year 2030.

This not only indicates a whopping 38% increase in popularity but also suggests that the women’s game could surpass other global sports, including Formula One and tennis. And if you think that’s all the ‘Undervalued to Unstoppable’ report has to say about the women’s game over the next five years—think again!

As per the study released on Tuesday, over 60% of those fans are expected to be female, which will potentially make women’s soccer one of the rare sports that boasts a predominantly female following. Additionally, a forecast of around 30% increase in global broadcast audiences for major women’s tournaments has also been predicted in the next five years.

Interestingly, Samantha Lamberti, managing director of Nielsen Sports International, proudly believes the female side of the beautiful game is set for something remarkable. “We have long believed in the potential of women’s football, and today, we’re no longer just tracking progress, we’re witnessing a breakthrough,” she said.

“From media rights to sponsorship and fan engagement, this is no longer a case of future promise but present value.” Well, this is supported by previous examples—such as the sponsorship deals for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, which tripled compared to the 2019 edition.

Yet, this still represents just a small fraction of the global sponsorship budget allocated to the women’s game. No wonder researchers believe there are significant untapped opportunities in this space, especially since, by 2028, women are expected to influence over 75% of household purchasing decisions.

Already enjoying the highs of being among the top 10 most-watched sports, women’s soccer still has the potential to break into the top 5. But how exactly did such progress come about for the women’s game?

More about the inevitable rise of women’s soccer!

A lot of factors come into play when it comes to the growth of women’s soccer. Starting with the National Women’s Soccer League in the U.S., which since its launch more than a decade ago, witnessed significant growth. Last season alone it recorded an 18% year-over-year increase in viewership for its championship game.

Part of the credit goes to the $240 million broadcast deal that the NWSL secured to display live matches on ESPN, Prime, ION, and CBS Sports. Let alone continuously adding new expansion teams that are creating records in their own manner, like upcoming side Denver paying a record-breaking $110 million expansion fee, or Angel City FC becoming the most valuable franchise with a valuation of over $280 million.

Coming to Europe, Disney+ bagged a broadcasting deal last month to air Women’s Champions League matches across Europe. Simultaneously, that saw Reddit co-founder and Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, buy a minority stake in Chelsea. Not to mention that the American entrepreneur never backed down in betting big on the women’s game, even once vocally insisting, “There will be a $B women’s sports franchise by 2030. Mark my words!” or even claiming that “NWSL is better than the MLS.”

Remarkably, ESPN shared a report from Deloitte that last season’s WSL experienced a historic surge of 34% in revenue. In fact, by the end of the 2025-26 season, this number may reach the £100 million ($135.9 million) mark, even though a dip in attendance was witnessed in the peak of 2023-24 that will surely climb back on the occasion of UEFA Women’s Euros in Switzerland.

Speaking of which, the European women’s tournament has witnessed a growth of soccer fans by 22% ahead of its kick-off. Meanwhile, the UK alone witnessed a 15% increase in the two years post-Euro 2022 win. So just imagine the growth that Brazil—home of the beautiful game—will endure from the 2027 World Cup, or even the U.S., as they host the LA Olympics and 2031 WC.

Speaking on global terms, women’s soccer has attracted a whopping 60% increase in female fans over the past five years. Surprisingly, the majority of this growth has been witnessed in China, adding over 186 million fans alongside Brazil and even India, as ESPN reports.

Additionally, China also witnessed a rising enthusiasm in the participation rate of female soccer, with a reported jump of over 300%. Meanwhile, European countries like France (150%), Spain (95%), the Netherlands (25%), and the UK (24%) have also seen major increases since 2019.

If all such numbers won’t see women’s soccer surpass other sports like F1 or tennis, then we don’t know what else will. Regardless, share your views in the comments below.