Ushering in the power of the collective: Team Visa
Women’s football is flourishing. Participation in the game has more than doubled since 2013 with football the number one women team’s sport in 21 countries across Europe.1 It’s taken a lot of hard work and perseverance to get to this point where the game is getting the recognition it deserves. But the fight isn’t over. Across Europe, we’re yet to see women’s football fulfil its true potential and showcase the value it can have in our wider communities.
That’s why at Visa, we are dedicated to growing the acceptance of the women’s game globally.
Following on from our ground-breaking announcement to support UEFA Women’s Football, today we are announcing the Team Visa roster of best-in-class European female football players who all embody our core values of acceptance, inclusion and innovation.
Visa founded its Team Visa program in 2000, with the aim of providing athletes with the tools, resources and support they need to achieve their lifelong dreams, both on and off the field of competition, regardless of their origin or background. Today, Team Visa is unified by athletes who embody Visa’s values with athletic talent matched equally by their character.
By encouraging everyone to come together to create the right environment for women to succeed, to enjoy, and to champion the game, we are inspiring a culture shift. A shift which supports the current and next generation of women - ultimately making women’s football accepted, equally, everywhere.
We are celebrating the strength, resilience and talent of women’s football in the spirit of all women – from the field to the boardroom. Sports has a synergistic relationship with other professions. It can be a platform to encourage, and be encouraged by, strong, resilient women, in any field. A survey by EY Women Athletes Business Network found that almost three quarters of business women agreed that a background in sports can help accelerate a woman’s career. Furthermore, two thirds believed that athletes make excellent candidates for jobs due to sport’s associated attributes such as the ability to compete as part of a team.2
Team Visa member and star defender for England, Lucy Bronze said: “I'm delighted to be part of Team Visa, working together to promote acceptance of women’s football across the world. I know the power of what can be achieved as a team, on and off the pitch, and look forward to accelerating the growth of the game over the next few years.“
But we’re not there yet. Our ultimate goal is to see such a balance in coverage and empowerment in the women’s game. Today, we’re proud to announce Team Visa, because we believe that the power of sport is strongest when it unites and is inclusive.
Team Visa footballers
- Kosovare Asllani (Forward, Linköpings FC, Sweden),
- Ramona Bachmann (Forward, Chelsea FC, Switzerland),
- Lucy Bronze (Defender, Olympique Lyonnais, England),
- Laura Giuliani (Goalkeeper, Juventus FC, Italy),
- Caroline Graham Hansen (Midfielder, VfL Wolfsburg, Norway)
- Didem Karagenç (Defender, Beşiktaş J.K., Turkey)
- Fran Kirby (Forward, Chelsea, England)
- Eugenie Le Sommer (Forward, Olympique Lyonnais, France),
- Kim Little (Midfielder, Arsenal FC, Scotland),
- Dzenifer Marozsan (Midfielder, Olympique Lyonnais, Germany)
- Nadia Nadim (Forward, Paris Saint Germain, Denmark)
- Ewa Pajor (Forward, VfL Wolfsburg, Poland),
- Nikita Parris (Forward, Olympique Lyonnais, England),
- Alexia Putellas (Midfielder, Barcelona FC, Spain)
- Shanice van de Sanden (Forward, Olympique Lyonnais, Nederland)
1UEFA 2018
2EY Women Athletes Business Network report, 2016 https://www.ey.com/gl/en/newsroom/news-releases/news-ey-women-athletes-business-network-and-international-womens-forum