Eoin Harrington reporting from the FIFA 23 EA Sports Women's Football Summit in London.
The inaugural EA Sports Women's Football Summit took place in London on Tuesday night, and we were there to pick up some exciting news about the integration of women's club football into FIFA 23.
The star-studded guestlist included cover star of FIFA 23 Sam Kerr, her Chelsea teammate Lauren James, Aston Villa WSL star Kenza Dali, among an illustrious list of former and current pro women's footballers.
The event was a celebration of the women's game, and its integration into FIFA 23. At the event, there were three exciting announcements made - with the major news being the addition of the UEFA Women's Champions League to FIFA 23.
FIFA 23: Women's Champions League coming in early 2023
In the futuristic venue of Outernet in central London, EA Sports hosted a celebration of women's football on Tuesday night.
Sam Kerr, Lauren James, Fran Kirby, Karen Carney, Kenza Dali and more were in attendance for a panel discussion on the addition of women's club football to FIFA 23, as well as the strides forward made in representation and towards equality in recent years.
Kerr, this year's FIFA cover star, said she was "still not over it" when asked about gracing the box art of the iconic football game.
The fact that Kerr graces the cover of the game is a mark of the stride forward taken in visibility for women's football in recent years - a rise that EA Sports developer Andrea Hopelain said that the FIFA 23 team are eager to contribute to. Hopelain pointed out that the young, impressionable audience who play makes the game "have a voice" - making the integration of women's football even more powerful and important.
This year saw the Women's Super League and Division 1 Féminine added to the game for the first time ever, and both trophies were on display at Outernet on Tuesday, alongside the Ligue 1, La Liga, and Premier League trophies.
Soon, there was another trophy added to the lineup. The first exciting announcement of the evening revealed that the UEFA Women's Champions League will be added to FIFA 23 in early 2023, with some more of Europe's top clubs set to be added to the game.
❗️New competition coming to #FIFA23@UWCL arrives in early 2023, the next step in Women's Club Football 💪 pic.twitter.com/I5UGf8Zav3
— EA SPORTS FIFA (@EASPORTSFIFA) October 18, 2022
The EA Sports statement on the UEFA Women's Champions League says:
EA SPORTS has also announced a multi-year partnership with the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL), which will allow both parties to deliver a more impactful experience for women’s football fans around the globe. Starting early 2023, EA SPORTS™ FIFA 23 will feature the knockout stage of the UWCL, with clubs including Juventus Women, Real Madrid Femenino, Chelsea Women, Manchester City Women, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, Paris Saint-Germain Féminine and more.
“We are delighted to see the UEFA Women’s Champions League being integrated into EA SPORTS FIFA 23” said Nadine Kessler, Chief of Women’s Football for UEFA. “It feels like a natural fit for the world’s best women’s club competition to be part of the world’s leading football simulation game. This is another major step in the women’s game and an ideal additional platform for the female athletes contributing to its success.”
READ HERE: FIFA 23 META: New 4-2-3-1 Tactics Found By Pro Player
The announcement of the Women's Champions League's addition to the game was followed by the announcement of an official broadcast partnership between EA Sports and the competition's broadcaster DAZN. Shay Segev, CEO of DAZN Group, said:
We are thrilled to officially announce EA SPORTS as DAZN’s newest global broadcast sponsor of the UEFA Women’s Champions League coverage, as part of a budding roster of like-minded brands investing into the ever-strengthening women’s football economic ecosystem.
What EA SPORTS is doing to advance the women’s game is game-changing, and we look forward to activating this new partnership to collectively reach and engage millions more fans around the globe and inspire the next generation along the way.
DAZN shared some of the viewing figures from recent clashes, saying that over 2.3 million viewers watched the most recent El Classico between Real Madrid and Barcelona - proving that the popularity of women's football is on the up and up.
READ HERE: How To Master Power Shots On FIFA 23
The rest of the panel discussion saw developers and footballers alike speak on the impact of adding women's football to FIFA 23, the success of the recent European Championships in England, and the potential for further expansion.
READ HERE: People Are Loving The Slo-Mo Footage Of Amber Barrett's Glasgow Winner
Dzuljeta Tamsone, who led the mission of adding ratings to all of the women's club footballers in FIFA 23, explained their rating process, saying that it was exciting to have been a leader of the first effort of its kind in women's football. She also joked that some players had not been been assigned.
But, in the most impactful announcement of the night, EA Sports pledged to support the development of women's football from a grassroots level - starting with the creation of an accelerator fund and internship programme.
Their official statement on the matter read:
EA SPORTS unveiled the ‘Starting XI Fund’, an Accelerator Fund for Women’s Football that is designed to grow the game moving forward. To jumpstart the fund, EA SPORTS has committed an $11M investment, which will incorporate in-game, league, club and athlete investments to continue elevating the women’s game. EA SPORTS also announced that beginning in 2023, it will fund a women’s football internship program with each new and existing women’s league partner, designed to inspire and empower young females from diverse backgrounds to become involved in the world of football.
“EA SPORTS is at the epicenter of global football fandom, and we recognize the role we have in representing and elevating diversity and participation in the sport,” said Andrea Hopelain, SVP of Brand, EA SPORTS. “Our commitment extends beyond the pitch in the virtual and real world. The Starting XI Fund reinforces our dedication to unrivaled authenticity and representation in our games, and also showcases our focus on being changemakers for the future of the sport.”
With the Women's World Cup, Champions League, and domestic leagues appearing for the first time in the FIFA franchise this year, as well as Sam Kerr becoming the first ever female cover star, and now the future commitments from EA Sports and DAZN, it certainly feels like yet another indicator of the rise of women's football.
SEE ALSO: Best Career Mode Wonderkids You Need To Sign
