Accounting and soccer. They are two words not often associated together unless you work at the front office of a professional club. Yet they’ll be closely associated for years to come, thanks to global small business accounting platform Xero being named as a FIFA Women’s Football Partner under FIFA’s new commercial partnership structure, which takes effect in 2023.
This global partnership will span the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™, as well as the 2024 and 2026 editions of the FIFA U-20 Womenʼs World Cup™ and FIFA U-17 Womenʼs World Cup™. What significance does this hold for the soccer world? How can small business accounting solutions benefit the beautiful game? It all comes down to grassroots investment.
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Women’s soccer has made great strides in popularity over the years, with many hallmark moments ingrained in the broader soccer community’s collective memory. Just over a month ago, the Real Madrid and Barcelona women’s club teams squared off in a world-famous “El Clasico” match that saw a record attendance of 91,553 fans.
This massive interest did not materialize out of thin air. Clubs like these, with hundreds of millions of dollars at their disposal, have been able to create world-class support systems, compelling marketing materials, and have generally heightened interest for their women’s teams due to their ability to invest both on and off-the-field, as well as the broader community.
At the heart of Xero’s collaboration with FIFA is a commitment to do the same. The goal is to help build on the growing momentum behind women’s soccer across countless global communities, all while supporting the athletic talent and women small business owners that serve as a cornerstone for said communities.
Not everyone at the moment unfortunately has the resources at their disposal of major clubs to support women’s soccer. While some of this falls on the financial side, much of it also rests on the lack of educational resources and technology.
Xero will be providing support for two FIFA womenʼs football development programs that tackle all of these issues: Capacity Building for Administrators, and Coach Education Scholarships. With more financially viable and well-trained clubs alongside strong small business networks surrounding them, talent in women’s soccer could see major improvements (particularly outside areas with large-scale backing already in place).
In turn, this sets off a circular motion of increasing investment. With more professional and entertaining teams comes more fans and more money, which is fed back into the teams, improving the entire space ad nauseum.
That certainly answers the “how” behind our accounting and soccer marriage. But what about the why? Why is Xero a strong partner for FIFA and women’s football?
Progress for women in entrepreneurship has shared a similar trajectory to that of women in sports over the years. Xero set out to support an underserved segment of small business more than 15 years ago.
It simply is answered by who we are as an organization. Xero was founded in New Zealand (co-host for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023), and has a love for women’s soccer. But this partnership extends beyond the goals and international accolades.
Strategically, a global partnership with FIFA Women’s Football provides Xero with an opportunity to build stronger bonds with the communities it serves, expanding the trust that the brand has built over the last two decades with businesses around the world.
It also leaves Xero poised to grow its brand with new audiences and untapped networks of small business owners looking to optimize and transform their accounting and bookkeeping practices digitally.
What Xero can offer back to FIFA and women’s soccer is just as potent. Progress for women in entrepreneurship has shared a similar trajectory to that of women in sports over the years. Xero set out to support an underserved segment of small business more than 15 years ago. Small businesses previously lacked access to the tools and opportunities of their larger business counterparts, and they have been underserved in the broader economy.
When equipped with the right support, small businesses can succeed in communities across the globe, and equality improves for those communities. It is evident that although there has been some excellent progress around women in sport, there is still some way to go and we are proud to be driving this change.
Over the next few years together, FIFA’s firm commitment to accelerating the growth of the women’s game and making soccer truly global, alongside Xero’s prowess in accounting solutions for small business, will unite to uplift women in both their athletic and business endeavors, and will look to champion women’s soccer and entrepreneurship on the global stage.
Rachael Powell is Chief Customer Officer at Xero. She is responsible for Xero’s global sales, marketing, communications and customer functions. Throughout her career, she has held leadership positions in marketing, sales and HR, predominantly in digital and technology companies. Rachael believes customer experience must resonate from the inside-out and advocates for positive engagement programs to effectively mobilise the business strategy at scale. Rachael has a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology, a Master’s in Business Administration, a Bachelor of Business and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
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