If we want equality for women and girls, we need everyone onside. That’s why this summer, we’re celebrating the FIFA World Cup with a charity sweepstake. Download your sweepstake kit here.
Women’s sport is going through a period of unprecedented growth. In 2025, 12.2m people tuned into the Lionesses’ historic Women’s Euro victory, making it the most-watched sports moment of the year (and attracting almost as many domestic viewers as the Celebrity Traitors final at 15m. Pretty good, eh?).
The Women’s Rugby World Cup final was the most-streamed rugby match of 2025 – men’s or women’s – and our research found that the Red Roses inspired around 2m girls to want to try rugby if offered the chance.
For a generation of girls, this changes everything. They can now see women celebrated on the biggest stages in sport. They see strength, resilience and ambition reflected back at them. They see that sport belongs to them too.
View this post on Instagram
Despite the growth of women’s sport, many girls still face barriers that boys do not. Nearly half (45%) of girls in England agree that people think sport is “for boys” and doesn’t matter for girls. There remains a 24% gender gap in team sport participation, with around 930,000 fewer girls than boys playing team sport in England.
Too many girls are still missing out on the joy, belonging and lifelong benefits of sport.
Change cannot rest with women and girls alone. If we want real equality in sport, we need collective action.
And that’s exactly why the FIFA Men’s World Cup matters. The men’s tournament is one of the biggest shared cultural moments in the world. It brings families, friends, workplaces and communities together. It sparks conversations, creates memories and reminds us of the power of sport.
View this post on Instagram
Supporting women’s sport doesn’t mean choosing between the men’s or women’s game. Both can thrive, both can inspire, both have the power to bring people together and change lives.
Encouragingly, attitudes are already shifting. In 2025, 7 in 10 men told us felt proud of the Lionesses’ Euros win, and the same number agreed that women’s sport is ‘different to men’s sport but great in its own right’ – a sign of growing recognition that women’s sport doesn’t need comparison to thrive.
This summer, we’re celebrating the FIFA Men’s World Cup while championing the future of women’s sport.
Because if we’re serious about equality for women and girls, we need everyone onside.
How to get involved
One simple way to turn your support into action is by hosting a World Cup sweepstake with your colleagues, teammates, friends or family.
By taking part, you’ll be helping our charity get one step closer to our vision of a world where no-one is excluded from the joy, fulfilment and lifelong benefits of sport.
Are you in? Here are some steps to help you get started:
- Download our FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026 sweepstake kit.
- Cut out the team tickets and place them into a hat or container
- Ask participants for a small donation – we suggest £5 or £3 – and invite players to draw at random
- Make a note of each participant’s team; any unallocated countries can be redistributed
- Follow along with the tournament; at the end, the winner will collect 50% of the pot with remaining funds donated to Women in Sport
- Donate the funds you’ve raised via our donation page or by setting up a fundraising page on JustGiving.
View this post on Instagram
Why your support matters
- 1.3 million girls who once loved sport disengage during their teenage years.
- There is a 24% gender gap in team sport, with 930,000 fewer girls than boys playing team sport in England.
- Only 46% of girls in England meet recommended activity guidelines, compared to 52% of boys.
- From harmful stereotypes, to lack of girls’ teams, and too few female coaches, girls still face barriers in sport every day.
Sport has the power to divide, sure. But it also has the incredible ability to unite. This summer, as the world tunes into the World Cup, we’re asking people to stand together for something bigger: a world where everyone belongs in sport.
Join us. We’re stronger together.
