In an era in which new tournaments seem to appear regularly, nobody promised a dramatic shake-up like World Sevens football.
Eight sides of Elite Women from all over Europe go to the Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota in Estoril, Portugal, for the inaugural event between May 21 and 23 May.
W7F will “implement an exciting seven-a-side format that promises fast, high scoring competitions”, according to the organizers.
Manchester United-FA Cup second on Sunday-Is One of the involved teams and head coach Marc Skinner is delighted to experience a hugely different form of football.
“It is getting tactically crazy, what I think we want. We want a massacre,” said Skinner. “It will make everyone laugh and it's entertaining.
“We listened to our players. If they didn't want to go, we wouldn't really put our name in it.”
With a series of well -known names and a prize pool larger than those offered by the Women's Champions League, this is not a regular kickabout at the end of the season.
Go behind the scenes with Manchester United while they are preparing for World Sevens Football that will start next week! 7V7, smaller fields and faster competitions. They are ready to bring the heat (and feel it too)!
Buy tickets and stream it live on @daznwfootball now! pic.twitter.com/zxcbzvgosb
– World Sevens Football (@worldsevens_) 16 May 2025
The format
Each match lasts 30 minutes and is played in half a size, with unlimited, rolling substitutions allowed and in another enormous deviation from the standard-not exterior.
In the case of a draw, five minutes of added time is played, where each team is reduced to five players and the Golden Goal Rule in force.
Slot-dood Penalty Shoot-Outs will be used if necessary, so drama is definitely in the store.
The competitors
Eight teams are split into two Pools of four, where the group stage takes place during the first two days and the knockout phases that are organized on Friday.
Ajax, Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Rosengard will form group A, with Benfica, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Roma in Group B.
The top two sides of each group will continue to the knockouts, where tournament people expect more teams – including clubs of the NWSL in the future.
A number of major players will be present, with the strong traveling team of United, including England Internationals Ella Toone, Grace Clinton and Maya le Tissier.
Marc has mentioned a team of 20 players for this week's @worldseven_ tournament in Portugal #muwomen || #Worldsevensfootball
– Manchester United Women (@manutdwomen) 19 May 2025
Rivals Man City, however, will be without Vivianne Miedema, Khadija Shaw, Alex Greenwood and Lauren Hemp, in addition to other star players, who have chosen a more experimental team in the aftermath of their fourth-placed Super League finish of women.
Fauen-Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich have said that they will travel to Portugal with their “whole team”, although director of women's football Bianca Rech said that the minutes of some players will be managed.
Euro 2025 will have an impact, because many players are expected to skip competition for their countries in Switzerland.
English boss Sarina Wiegman had mixed thoughts about the event when it was first announced and said: “I would say if there are meaningful minutes to prepare for the euros, then in this short term, for some it wouldn't be that bad.
“But in the longer term I don't see how we can fit that in the schedule in the calendar.”
2 days until World Sevens Football starts! 8 teams. 7V7. $ 5 million on the line. Portugal is about to feel the heat, are you? Buy tickets and stream it all live on @daznwfootball! pic.twitter.com/503aerxkkn
– World Sevens Football (@worldsevens_) 19 May 2025
The prize money
The tournament has attracted interest due to the total price spot of $ 5 million (€ 4.4 million/£ 3.7 million), with $ 2.5 million (€ 2.2 million/£ 1.85 million) to the victors – more than $ 1.6 million (€ 1.4 million/£ 1.2 million) distributed to the Champions League.
Tournament organizers have said that a further element will take place in North America in the second half of 2025, invited with eight new teams.