Bermuda Football Association (BFA) President Mark Wade is set to speak live following a historic decision by FIFA to mandate female representation within the coaching ranks of all international women’s teams.
The groundbreaking regulation, passed by the FIFA Council on Thursday, March 19, 2026, requires every team participating in a FIFA-organized women’s tournament to appoint at least one woman as either their head coach or assistant coach. The move is designed to dismantle long-standing barriers and ensure that the rapid global growth of women’s football is matched by increased leadership opportunities for women on the sidelines.
Key Details of the Mandate
Implementation Timeline: The rule will officially debut at the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland this coming September.
Broad Scope: The mandate applies to all youth and senior tournaments, national team competitions, and even club competitions, including the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Additional Bench Requirements: Beyond the coaching role, teams must also ensure that at least one member of their medical staff is female and that at least two officials seated on the team bench are women.
The directive follows troubling statistics from the 2023 Women’s World Cup, where only 12 of the 32 head coaches were female. Jill Ellis, FIFA’s Chief Football Officer, highlighted the urgency of the change, stating, "There are simply not enough women in coaching today. We must do more to accelerate change by creating clearer pathways".
Wade, is the position of Deputy Chairman of the FIFA antiracism and anti-discrimination committee, and he also serves as the Caribbean Football Union’s Chairman of Referee’s Committee
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