World Girls’ Football Day 2025

World Girls’ Football Day was held in Chur on October 11, 2025. While more than 1,000 girls chased the ball outside, discussions were held in the Fortuna Hall about the future of Swiss women’s football.

Girls on the ball! For a whole day, they were excited to play soccer at the Obere Au sports facility, and the weather was fine too. There were a total of nine categories, including for the first time one for female players over the age of 28. Even teams from southern Germany came to compete with the Swiss.

In parallel with the tournament, people from the worlds of sport, science and politics came together for the World Girls’ Football Day Forum. SRF presenter Seraina Degen moderated during the morning.

Women’s EURO 2025 was a key moment

Jon Domenic Parolini, Minister of Sport for Graubünden, opened the Forum with a clear message: that the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 showed just how peaceful, fun and inclusive a major football event can be. “Events like this are incredibly important for young girls,” said Parolini.  “They create role models, make equality visible and give girls the right to dream.”

But he also talked about hurdles: prejudices, uncertainty, structures that are not yet widespread. Many girls would still not dare to go onto the pitch. That’s why World Girls’ Football Day was not a symbolic holiday, but a working day for equality – a day to show what’s possible when people work together.

Bettina Baer: “The Game is Changing”

Another highlight of the Forum was Bettina Baer’s input. Baer is a three-time Swiss champion with FC Zürich Frauen and a former international player who now works for an internationally active sports marketing agency. In her presentation entitled “The Game is Changing,” she showed how women’s football is developing commercially in Europe.

Baer spoke frankly about her own crisis at 23: multiple stress due to studies, job and sport, but no prospects in football. Today, things are different, as girls have role models such as Viola Calligaris, Alisha Lehmann or Alexia Putellas, the three-time Ballon d’Or winner from Spain.

Women’s football is growing and growing

Major events such as the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 are not only sporting highlights, but also catalysts for growth: studies show that people interested in football are ten times more likely to interact with women’s football during such tournaments. This visibility can set a growth cycle in motion:

• Sponsors invest
• Associations, clubs and leagues grow
• Fans and audience multiply
• The media report more often
• More sponsors are added.

Baer’s contribution made it clear that women’s football has long been more than just a niche sport. It is a growing market with social relevance. But growth needs clear aims. As part of its “Here to stay” legacy program, the Swiss Football Association has communicated the following aim: to double the number of registered girls and women involved in football in Switzerland – players, referees, coaches, and officials – by the end of 2027 compared to 2023.

A realistic aim if women’s football in Switzerland continues to enjoy the same level of support as it did in summer 2025.