Reports suggest a new lucrative seven-a-side tournament could take place this summer involving English clubs, which could include Manchester United and Man City
Angel City FC could be joined by Manchester City or Manchester United in a lucrative new seven-a-side tournament this summer
Women's football could see the introduction of a lucrative new seven-a-side tournament this summer, if reports this week are anything to go by.
The game is rapidly growing across the world and The Guardian claims a brand new independently-run competition could take place this year, and will be funded by private US-based investment. The competition, which is rumoured to be taking place in Portugal, will be staged in the week leading up to this year's UEFA Women's Champions League final, although the European governing body are not believed to be involved in its creation.
It will be a seven-a-side tournament consisting of smaller squads capped at 14 players. The article claims it will take place over three days, with each game consisting of two 15-minute halves, and will follow a round-robin group stage format before semi-final matches and a final.
Angel City FC are rumoured to be one of two NWSL teams set to compete in the tournament, while Frauen-Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich are also tipped to be involved. The article claims at least two Women's Super League clubs will be invited, although it is unlikely the final lineup will be confirmed before the Champions League finalists are locked in.
Manchester United are not competing in this year's Champions League following their fifth-place league finish in the WSL last season. Manchester City, however, are gearing up for a quarter-final tie against domestic rivals Chelsea this month.
It has been suggested that those contesting the Champions League final, which will be staged at Jose Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon on May 24, will not take place in the newly-formed tournament. However, the money on offer in the prize pot is rumoured to reach seven figures, which rivals the prize money available for the finalists of UEFA's premier competition.
The introduction of a new tournament will likely divide opinion given the growing workload being placed on players. Not only that, international managers will likely have something to say given it will be staged roughly six weeks before Euro 2025 in Switzerland.
If rumours of Angel City's involvement are true, the tournament could clash with matchday nine or 10 of the NWSL season, in which they are currently scheduled to face Bay FC and Racing Louisville. That being said, The Guardian's report does claim that clubs involved will prioritise the new competition ahead of other commitments, likely due to the 'significant seven-figure sum' prize money on offer.