October 12: Conmebol has brought together top women’s clubs from across South America to discuss governance, licensing and commercial growth, with the region’s club game facing a bigger test than simply producing talent.
The meeting, held ahead of the 2026 Women’s Libertadores in Ecuador, focused on how clubs can build stronger structures around their women’s teams and move towards a more professional model.
FIFA, Red Bull Bragantino, Dragonas IDV and Tigres Femenil, where former Colombia captain Natalia Gaitán is now sporting director, took part in the session.
The Women’s Libertadores begins on Thursday with 16 clubs from the 10 member associations of Conmebol competing in Ecuador over the two weeks. Corinthians is the reigning champion, and Brazil again brings three participants.
Financially, CONMEBOL has steadily increased the money around its flagship women’s competition, but the gap with the men’s game is still huge. The 2026 tournament will award $3.65 million in club payouts, including $2 million for champions and $50,000 for each participating team.
This means the push for better governance and stronger club structures above the level of an administrative exercise. A large number of South American clubs are still trying to turn successful women’s teams into sustainable businesses rather than departments dependent on their men’s operations.
Licensing is also becoming a key factor. FIFA held the first meeting of its Women’s Club Licensing Working Group earlier this year, with the six confederations involved in drawing up common standards for a game that is moving towards a more formal global club structure.
FIFA hopes this structure will be harder to ignore in 2028, when it launches its first Women’s Club World Cup. Conmebol will have two direct places and one play-in place in the 16-team finals, giving South America’s leading clubs a new global route beyond the Libertadores and facing the best of the best in Europe.
South America has never had a shortage of elite female players. Keeping more of them in strong, properly run domestic club environments has proven much more difficult, with most pushing north to the NWSL or across the Atlantic to Europe.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at (email protected)
