Women’s football is throwing a party in South Florida—and the stakes have never been higher. Next month in Fort Lauderdale, World Sevens Football (W7F) brings its globetrotting tournament stateside with a $5 million prize pool, the largest in women’s club football history. Eight elite teams from across the Americas will compete for three days at Beyond Bancard Field. But W7F isn’t just about the money. It’s about reimagining the game as a high-octane celebration where goals come by the handful, smoke cannons erupt behind the net, and a live DJ keeps energy high between plays.
The format itself is built for entertainment. Matches are seven-a-side on a half-sized pitch with two 15-minute halves. No offside rule. Rolling substitutions. The result? Nonstop attacking play. “There has been no patient buildup and nobody is sitting deep in a low block; it is just attack after attack,” one observer noted of the inaugural tournament in Portugal. Think football at its most expressive—less tactical chess match, more schoolyard sprint. W7F co-founder Jennifer Mackesy frames it as “more than just competition—it’s about creating a platform that inspires the next generation while celebrating the best in the game and paying these athletes a prize pool they deserve.
The December 5–7 tournament represents an unprecedented cultural crossover. Powerhouse clubs from the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Brazil, and Colombia converge in one place. The Kansas City Current and San Diego Wave FC represent the NWSL. Liga MX Femenil sends Club América and six-time champion Tigres UANL, famed for their massive fanbase. Brazil’s storied Flamengo and Colombia’s Deportivo Cali Femenino round out a field that reads like a who’s who of American football royalty.
It’s a meeting of different styles under one roof. Mexican flair meets NWSL athleticism meets Brazilian ginga. With regional bragging rights on the line, fans are already calling it a “Clash of Americas”—a rare chance to see North and South American champions face off outside a World Cup setting. Bringing together powerhouse clubs like Club América and Flamengo shows how deeply the women’s game is resonating across continents,” Mackesy said.
For players, the format feels liberating. French defender Hawa Cissoko, who played in the inaugural W7F, captured the sentiment: “I was really sad it was only one game today—I could play all day like this. We are here to have fun on the pitch… now it makes me feel like 10 years ago… and that’s so nice.” Brazilian star Kerolin Nicoli agreed: “Everyone is like: ‘OK, we like these vibes.’ It’s a little bit Brazilian, I think. I like the ginga.”
The tournament encourages that joy. In Portugal, Manchester United’s squad famously formed a victory pyramid after scoring. Bayern Munich’s players went viral for a choreographed “bowling pins” celebration. At W7F, player personalities shine as brightly as their skills. Even the Vengaboys make an appearance—the DJ queued them up during penalty shootouts.
Off the field, organizers are creating a festival-like fan experience. The W7F Fan Fest features live music and a Goal Line Party Deck where supporters can cheer just feet from the action. South Florida’s diverse community—with its strong Latin American ties and vibrant soccer culture—provides the perfect backdrop. Expect Tigres and América supporters draped in flags alongside Wave and Current fans, all dancing each time the stadium speakers blare a celebratory anthem. “From the atmosphere in Fort Lauderdale to our broadcast around the world with DAZN, every decision we make is about raising standards, building excitement, and making every moment memorable,” said W7F CEO Sarah Cummins.
The financial stakes are transformative. Bayern München, the inaugural champions, earned $2.5 million for lifting the trophy—more than many top clubs’ annual budgets. That’s more than double what Europe’s UEFA Women’s Champions League winners took home last season. For the eight clubs in Florida, every goal potentially translates to tens of thousands of dollars for their players. It’s a paradigm shift: a weekend tournament that can meaningfully boost a club’s finances.
W7F’s architects see the money as a catalyst. This high-stakes competition showcases the talent and ambition fueling the women’s game today… creating opportunities that reward excellence and elevate women’s football on the global stage,” Cummins explained. Backed by investors and former players like Tobin Heath and Kelley O’Hara on its advisory council, W7F is making a bold claim: the women’s game can grow by innovating beyond the 11v11 norm.
The experiment in Portugal showed promise. Fans worldwide tuned in by the hundreds of thousands on free streams. Highlights rippled across social media with fans calling it “the World Cup of 7v7″ and “women’s football meets Coachella.” Now Fort Lauderdale aims to build on that momentum. “This isn’t just a tournament, it’s a movement,” insists W7F’s head of football, Adrian Jacob.
On December 5, when the first whistle blows, it will signal more than another tournament. It will herald a new kind of women’s football experience—one where a goal sets off fireworks and a pop song, where a trophy lift triggers a payday bigger than a continental crown, and where the world’s best players smile like kids at play. For a sport that’s spent decades fighting for its due, W7F offers a breath of fresh air and a shot of adrenaline. Over one jam-packed weekend, the beautiful game dons a party hat and lights up the Florida night. Everyone is invited to join the celebration.
