World Football Summit Madrid 2025: Where football meets purpose

WFS Madrid 2025 kicks off this week at La Nave, transforming the Spanish capital into the epicenter of football innovation for two days. But this isn't just another industry conference—it's where purpose meets profit, where values meet vision.

While we're joining digitally this year, we're excited to keep our eyes focused on the most impactful football action as sessions are broadcast live.

Get your ticket to attend digitally here

Now with an Official Purpose Partner

Having collaborated for eight years, World Football Summit and Common Goal have taken the next step—Common Goal becomes WFS's Official Purpose Partner. The partnership, which began with a conversation between co-founders in 2016, now formally commits to advancing gender equality, environmental impact, and inclusion across all WFS events, proving that football's commercial and social impact sides can work hand in hand. Here’s the announcement from earlier this year.

Voices for change take center stage

Among the confirmed speakers, several stand out for their commitment to using football as a tool for social transformation. Some of the bigger names include:

Lise Klaveness, President of the Norwegian Football Association, brings her fearless advocacy for human rights to Madrid. Since taking office as Norway's first female FA president in 2022, Klaveness has become one of the most prominent voices on human rights issues in football.

Gaia Pretner, Head of Sustainability at the European Football Clubs (formerly known as ECA, but rebranded themselves last week), represents the growing movement toward environmental responsibility in football.

Grace Ahrens, Executive Director of Women in Soccer, champions diversity and inclusion across the game. With over a decade of experience in workforce development, she's working to create opportunities for women and underrepresented gender identities in football—both on and off the pitch.

Nadine Kessler, UEFA's Managing Director of Women's Football and former FIFA World Player of the Year, continues to shape the strategic direction of women's football across Europe, ensuring the women's game receives the attention and resources it deserves.

Among the people from the Football For Good sector representing on stage are:

Beatriz Carrasco Aguas, Communications and Project Officer at Integrated Dreams. The Lisbon and Madrid-based non-profit works to increase representation of disabled people in the sports industry through professional training, employment promotion, and adapted sports strategies.

Katie Ellis Carrigg, Head of Partnerships at Liverpool FC Foundation. She leads the foundation's partnership strategy, creating innovative programs such as the LFC Memories app, which helps fans with dementia connect through football.

Mark Lewis, CEO at The Sports Effect. With 12 years of UN experience, Mark's consultancy helps organizations deliver impactful Sport for Development programs on refugee inclusion and social cohesion. At WFS Madrid, he's hosting a panel on community impact and the Football Foundations Impact Report.

Football For Good session highlights

There is no shortage of engaging sessions on the program. Below are some that we’ll be keeping extra attention to.

Dont miss: Our list of all speakers and their sessions

(All times in Europe/Madrid timezone)

Wednesday, October 15

Presentation - #skipthebarriers
12:30 PM to 1:00 PM

Foundations of the Future: Grassroots, Performance and the Evolution of the Game
12:45 PM to 1:30 PM

Thursday, October 16

Foundations for good: Power of storytelling in sports for a better society
10:15 AM to 10:55 AM

Business of the Beautiful Game: Innovation driving success on & off the pitch
10:40 AM to 11:20 AM

Global Untapped Potential: Investing in Women’s Football
10:55 AM to 11:35 AM

Leading Football Forward: Governance, Integrity & the Future of the Game
11:20 AM to 12:00 PM

Fireside Chat: Foundations and Future of Women's Football Development
12:40 PM to 1:20 PM

Innovation and inclusion: the new paradigm for a better sport
3:00 PM to 3:40 PM

A future of innovation and sustainability: How can football make a long term impact?
3:40 PM to 4:20 PM

More beautiful football

It really hurts not being able to be there in person, knowing these things will happen in Madrid:

Madeleine Penfold exhibition and workshop

Adding a cultural dimension to the summit's impact agenda, photographer Madeleine Penfold's exhibition, will be attended by Spain's Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz Delgado. The exhibition, taking place at the Ministry of Inclusion on October 17 at 12:00 PM, highlights how football intersects with broader social issues and human stories. Madeleine is also doing a workshop on Thursday.

Charity Tournament: Kick for change

ASE Athletics and the Fútbol Más Foundation are set to introduce a sports-based social program for at-risk children at a Madrid school. And they are launching in style with a football tournament supported by Common Goal and Tackle.

Sorteo equipos: Torneo Kick for Change

Impactful workshops

Celebrating football's game changers at the WFS Awards

The WFS Awards, taking place Wednesday evening at Teatro Eslava, honor the individuals and organizations shaping football's future. This year's finalists, drawn from over 135 applications across 20 countries and six continents, showcase the global reach of purposeful football initiatives.

Several awards spotlight Football for Good in action:

Football for Good Award

Enabling Leadership Play (EL Play) uses football as a learning tool in marginalized communities, empowering youth through play-based education and creativity in fragile environments.

Eli Wolff Football Without Limits Award

Il Calcio è di Tutti (FIGC) launched Italy's first-ever national football tournament for athletes with disabilities, fully integrated into the national ecosystem—making football a space without walls.

Marcus Rashford Award

The Jan Vertonghen Foundation transforms hospital wards into playful, creative spaces, bringing dignity and hope to vulnerable children in Belgium and beyond.

Women in Leadership Award

Diana Matheson spearheaded the creation of Canada's Northern Super League, answering a decade-long need for a professional women's league and bringing together teams, investors, and supporters to make it a reality in 2025.

Best Women's Football Initiative

The Football Association of Wales' Cymru WEURO25 Campaign used the slogan "For Us. For Them. For Her." to break down financial and cultural barriers, achieving 8.35 billion in media reach and doubling national awareness.

Full list of winners

One more thing…

All For One FC is a new initiative launching during the conference, featuring a special jersey available for purchase. Information is scarce right now, but this definitely sparks our interest and the jersey is looking good.

World Football Summit – why it matters

For those working in the Sport for Development sector, WFS Madrid represents more than networking opportunities. It's a signal that football's power brokers are increasingly recognizing their responsibility to use the game's global reach for good.

When leaders like Klaveness challenge the status quo, when organizations like Fútbol Más demonstrate football's capacity to transform lives, and when institutions like UEFA and EFC prioritize sustainability and inclusion, they're proving that commercial success and social responsibility aren't mutually exclusive.

As the beautiful game continues to grow its global footprint and economic power, events like WFS Madrid remind us that football's greatest potential isn't measured in revenue or ratings—it's in its unmatched ability to unite communities, break down barriers, and inspire positive change.

The conversations happening in Madrid this week will shape not just the business of football, but its purpose. We're looking forward to the kick-off and to covering more of the action!