On Thursday, March 19, 2026, FIFA passed a historic decree stating all women’s teams at world tournaments must have a woman as either a head coach or assistant coach.
The rule applies to national and club competitions at the senior and youth levels, including the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil and this year’s under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.
Ghana’s Black Queens are coached by the masterful Swedish tactician Kim Lars Björkegren, an experienced male coach in the female football domain, supported by one of his assistants, Anita Wiredu.
According to The Telegraph, six teams at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup employed no female coaches, despite Spain winning the final against England 1-0.
Along with the female head or assistant coach, the rule stressed the presence of at least one more female staffer on each team’s bench.
“The new FIFA regulations, combined with targeted development programmes, mark an important investment in both the current and future generation of female coaches,” said former U.S. women’s head coach and current FIFA Chief Soccer Officer Jill Ellis.
