Football, a new sporting passion for women with 247,160 members, a record in France

The French women's team, a model for many licensees. MAXPPP – FRÉDÉRIQUE GRANDO

Football became for the first time women's favorite sport ahead of tennis

On the occasion of International Women's Rights Day on March 8, the French Football Federation publishes on Friday "the figures for women's practice" which have never been as important as this year.

As of March 7, 2024, the FFF has 247,160 female licenses, a record and a figure "increase of 12% compared to last year at the same time. By category, women's football has +12.4% players, +9.6% managers and +13.3% referees", specifies l&# 39;instance.

In October 2023, the president of the FFF Philippe Diallo announced that he wanted to double this figure in five years and increase the number of female licensees to 500,000.

Budget of 15 million

"It's ambitious but we can win this bet"the president of the "3F" then thought. Mr. Diallo and Jean-Michel Aulas, his vice-president, a strong man in women's football within the body, announced in April a plan for the feminization of French football, including an increase from 20 to 25 % of allocations to women's clubs, which represents between 4 and 5 million euros of annual investments on the part of the federation.

The budget devoted by the FFF to women's football this season is "15 million euros, including 7 million dedicated to the Women's Football League professional", the body said on Thursday. The "3F" was able to recently be proud of having achieved, with 30,267 spectators, the highest attendance at home for a Les Bleues match outside the World Cup established at the Groupama Stadium in Lyon-Décines, on February 23, 2024 during the semi-finals of the League of Nations against Germany (2-1).

900,000 additional supporters in one year

Also on the occasion of International Women's Rights Day, the Professional Football League (LFP) revealed on Wednesday, in its annual image barometer carried out with Ipsos, that "football had become for the first time, women's favorite sport ahead of tennis"< /em>.