Have you noticed how women’s football now shows up everywhere, from global advertising campaigns to sold out stadiums and fashion led women’s football merch on high streets and online? A few years ago, brands barely scratched the surface. Today, brands associated with women’s football are actively investing, collaborating and building long term relationships with the game.
As founders of a women founded and led football brand, we have seen this shift up close. Brands are no longer just sponsors. They are cultural partners helping shape how women’s football looks, feels and grows.
In this article, we break down the key brands associated with women’s football, why they matter and what their involvement means for fans, players and women in business. Whether you are a supporter, a creative or a brand looking to engage authentically, this guide explains the current UK landscape.
Why Brands Are Investing in Women’s Football Now
Women’s football is no longer framed as a future opportunity, it is a present one. Attendance records are being broken, broadcast deals are expanding and fan communities are deeply engaged.
From our experience working across merch, illustration and storytelling at AFTA Studios, brands are drawn to three core factors.
Rapid audience growth, particularly among younger and more diverse fans.
Strong values alignment, including equality, inclusion and community.
Cultural relevance, where football intersects with fashion, media and social change.
Unlike the men’s game, women’s football still offers space for brands to build meaning, not just visibility. This is why many women’s football brand partnerships feel more human, creative and embedded in the culture.
Global Brands Associated With Women’s Football
Some of the most recognisable global brands have made clear and consistent commitments to women’s football.
Mastercard and Experience Led Partnerships
Mastercard is one of the most visible brands associated with women’s football, particularly through UEFA competitions. What sets Mastercard apart is its focus on experience led activation rather than logo driven sponsorship.
In December 2025, we experienced this first hand through our work with London City Lionesses and Mastercard. AFTA Studios collaborated to design limited edition scarves celebrating the club’s new partnership and sense of unity. The scarves were distributed at the home match against Brighton and Hove Albion and seeing fans wearing them across the stadium was a genuinely proud moment for us as a women founded and led studio.
Beyond women’s football merch, we were also part of the matchday experience, illustrating fans before kick off. This created a community led activation that allowed supporters to engage creatively with both the club and the brand.
Our collaboration with Mastercard extended beyond football. In summer 2025, AFTA Studios took part in the SOOO London x Mastercard women’s sports innovation store on Regent Street, a space showcasing women led creative businesses in sport. Projects like this show how brands associated with women’s football can open doors for creatives, communities and fans alike
Google Pixel and Modern Storytelling
Google Pixel’s involvement in women’s football has helped modernise how the game is presented and consumed. By aligning with elite athletes and competitions, Google Pixel positions women’s football as innovative and forward thinking.
From a brand perspective, this partnership recognises that fans of the women’s game are digitally literate and value authenticity over hype. Google Pixel is often cited as an example of how technology brands can support women’s football without overpowering it.
EE and the Lionesses Era
EE has played a major role in supporting England’s national teams, including the Lionesses. Their campaigns during major tournaments have helped bring women’s football into mainstream British culture.
What EE does particularly well is normalisation. Women’s football is not treated as a side project. It is presented as part of the core football conversation, which has a lasting impact on fans and young players alike.
Club Level Brands in Women’s Football
Beyond global sponsors, club level brands are where women’s football identity is often shaped most clearly.
Arsenal Women and Brand Leadership
Arsenal Women have set a benchmark for how brands can engage meaningfully with the women’s game. From facilities and marketing to licensed women’s football merch, the club treats the women’s team as a flagship product.
Working within this ecosystem has shown us how strong branding attracts creatives, designers and collaborators who want to be part of something progressive and respected. This approach also opens doors for women founded and led studios and suppliers.
London City Lionesses and Purpose Driven Partnerships
London City Lionesses are built entirely around women’s football. Their brand partnerships reflect this clarity of purpose.
Rather than chasing scale, the club prioritises alignment. Brands involved often share values around community, development and representation. These see partnerships feel intentional, sustainable and deeply connected to the club’s identity.
Women’s Football Merch as a Brand Touchpoint
Women’s football merch has become one of the most powerful brand touch points in the game.
Why Merch Matters More Than Ever
Merchandise is often the first physical connection a fan has with a club or movement. When done well, women’s football merch becomes a form of self expression, a cultural statement and a way to support women founded and led initiatives.
From our work at AFTA Studios, we have seen fans respond most strongly to merch that feels thoughtful, design led and rooted in real stories from the game. Brands that collaborate on merch projects move beyond sponsorship into co creation.
Women Founded Brands in Women’s Football
Alongside major corporate brands, there is a growing ecosystem of women founded and led brands shaping women’s football from within.
This includes creative studios, independent merch brands and media platforms telling player led stories. From our perspective, this is where the most meaningful cultural shift is happening.
When women are not just featured but leading, the output feels different. It is more nuanced, more joyful and more honest. Brands that choose to partner with women founded businesses are investing in better work, not just better optics.
What Brands Should Understand Before Entering Women’s Football
Not every brand gets it right. From our experience, successful women’s football brand partnerships share a few principles.
Authenticity over optics. Fans are highly attuned to tokenism.
Collaboration over control. Heavy handed branding often backfires.
Long term investment. Growth in women’s football rewards patience.
When brands understand this, their association becomes part of the sport’s story, not a footnote.
Conclusion
Women’s football in the UK is now supported by a powerful mix of global brands, progressive clubs and women founded and led businesses. From Mastercard, Google Pixel and EE to Arsenal Women and London City Lionesses, brands associated with women’s football are shaping how the game is seen and valued.
At its best, brand involvement supports players, empowers fans and creates space for women in business to lead. As founders building within this ecosystem, we see enormous potential for brands that approach women’s football with respect, creativity and care.
About our work
If you are interested in women’s football merch, creative partnerships or collaborating with a women founded and led studio, explore more about our work at AFTA Studios.
To discuss a project or partnership, get in touch and be part of shaping the future of women’s football.
Frequently Asked Questions
What brands are associated with women’s football?
Brands associated with women’s football include global partners like Mastercard, Google Pixel and EE, as well as club partners connected to teams such as Arsenal Women and London City Lionesses.
Why are brands investing in women’s football?
Brands are investing in women’s football due to rapid audience growth, strong values alignment and cultural relevance across sport, fashion and media.
How do brands support women’s football beyond sponsorship?
Beyond sponsorship, brands support women’s football through community activations, creative collaborations, women’s football merch and long term partnerships with clubs and creatives.