There is a new addition to the women's football calendar this May: World Sevens Football (W7F). The tournament has grabbed attention for its $5 million total prize money -- the winners take home $2.5m, which is more than the $1.6m given to the winners of the UEFA Women's Champions League -- and the calibre of competing teams from some of the top leagues in Europe.
W7F has been positioned as a grand slam series for professional women footballers in an "electrifying seven-a-side format that promises fast, high-scoring matches."
A source told ESPN that W7F's distinctive feature is that the "teams are composed of players from their active rosters, ensuring that fans see top-tier talent in action." This is in contrast to other tournaments like The Soccer Tournament (TST) and Baller League that are made up of current and former players, celebrities and open-entry teams.
Here is everything you need to know about the tournament ahead of its start date of May 21.
When and where is it taking place? And how can I watch?
The tournament will be held in at the 8,000-capacity Estádio António Coimbra da Mota in Estoril, Portugal from May 21 to May 23.
Estoril is a 30-minute drive away from Lisbon, which will be staging the Women's Champions League final at Sporting CP's Estádio José Alvalade on May 24.
W7F will be broadcast on DAZN.
Which teams will be playing?
Ajax, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Manchester City, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Roma and Rosengard are all taking part in the inaugural series.
But the organizers have said they expect to expand the competition pool in future editions.
What is the format?
Each game will be 30 minutes long, with two halves of 15 minutes each. Games will go to extra time if the scores are level.
The eight competing teams have been broken into two groups of four, from which the top two teams will progress to the knockouts.
The group stages will take place on the first two days of the tournament, with the knockouts on the final day. Each team will play between three to five games, depending on how far they progress.
Teams can bring squads of up to 25 players, with 14 permitted to be used during a game and unlimited substitutions.
GROUP 1
Ajax, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Rosengard
GROUP 2
Benfica, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Roma
Fixtures
May 21:
Man City vs. Rosengard
Roma vs. Man United
Ajax vs. Bayern Munich
PSG vs. Benfica
May 22:
Man City vs. Ajax
Rosengard vs. Bayern Munich
Roma vs. PSG
Man United vs. Benfica
Bayern Munich vs. Man City
Rosengard vs. Ajax
Benfica vs. Roma
Man United vs. PSG
May 23:
Semifinal 1
Semifinal 2
Third-place match
Final
Why are no NWSL clubs taking part?
No teams from the NWSL are participating in this edition of the W7F as the 2025 season will be in progress. However, a source told ESPN that NWSL sides have shown an interest in participating in future tournaments.
What is the prize money?
There is a total prize pool of $5m, with $2.5m set aside for the winning team and $1m for the runners-up.
Who is organizing it?
The tournament was co-founded by NY/NJ Gotham FC and Chelsea minority owner Jennifer Mackesy, and entrepreneur Justin Fishkin.
Former Chelsea chairman Adrian Jacob has been named head of football, while Bay FC co-founder Aly Wagner is the chief of strategy.
World Sevens has also developed a player advisory council that includes USWNT World Cup winners Tobin Heath and Kelley O'Hara, as well as former England international Anita Asante.
Barcelona star Kika Nazareth, who will miss Euro 2025 for Portugal through injury, has signed on as a player ambassador.
How often will these tournaments take place?
While a schedule is yet to be announced, the next edition of W7F is expected to be held in North America in the second half of 2025.
What have people been saying about it?
Marc Skinner, Manchester United manager: "It's tactically going to be crazy, which I think is what we want -- we want carnage. It will make everyone laugh and it is entertaining. My players want to play in it. We'll have to learn the format as we go. The first one will just be utter carnage and fun. We listened to our players on this. If they didn't want to go, we genuinely wouldn't put our name in it. The ones that don't want to -- there's three or four players who have pulled out for their own personal reasons -- will still get any prize money if we win."
Therese Sjogran, Man City Women's director of football: "The tournament is an exciting new competition for the women's game, and, as a club that continually looks to blaze the trail, we are proud to be part of this milestone moment from the beginning. We look forward to bringing our players to Portugal."
Elisabetta Bavagnoli, head of women's football, AS Roma Women: "As a club, we are continuously seeking ways to develop our players and be part of the evolution of women's football. World Sevens presents an incredible opportunity for us to test ourselves against some of the best teams in the world in a format that will be fast, competitive, and entertaining for fans around the globe."
Tobin Heath: "Being part of World Sevens Football from its inception is incredibly meaningful to me. W7F is creating a future where women footballers have greater opportunities, financial security, and a bigger platform to connect with fans. This is about legacy-about changing the game for generations to come. And as a 1-vs.-1 artist myself, this format is a dream stage for those duels."
Have there been any concerns raised about the tournament?
At a time where player workload is such a hotly discussed topic, the addition of another tournament before May 24's UWCL final and ahead of Euro 2025 (which is from July 2 to July 27) has brought up questions over player welfare.
When asked about the tournament, England manager Sarina Wiegman said: "If you look at the short term before these Euros now, we have a very good contact with clubs and [if] they would get some, I would say meaningful minutes to get prepared for the Euros and do what's right to get [in] the best possible shape for the Euros, then in this short term, for some it would not be too bad. But in the longer term I don't see how we can fit that in the schedule in the calendar."
Meanwhile Asante told the BBC that "every aspect" of player welfare has been considered: "It's short-format games so the distances players will cover and the amount of time they will be doing those physical actions is completely different to an 11-vs.-11 game. Having a bigger squad will allow clubs to manage minutes and load. From the feedback we have got from players, they are really excited to play in this competition."
What has been planned for attending fans?
The tournament will have a Fan Fest that includes interactive experiences, live music and opportunities to meet players. There will also be a luxury cabana for a more premium viewing experience.