The FA Strategy

CEO Foreword

Our new strategic plan through to 2028 aims to take English football forward, with a clear focus on the biggest opportunities and challenges that need to be addressed.

Football is truly a game for all; it has the power to unite communities, improve lives and inspire positive change, on and off the field.

With the fantastic progress achieved in all areas over the last four years, we’re building from strong foundations. From unparalleled growth in the women’s and girls’ game to engaging more than two million people across our digital platforms and achieving unprecedented results on the pitch, this has been a hugely successful period for The FA.

In developing our 2024-2028 strategy, we prioritised programmes to inspire positive change in our society. Through in-depth analysis we have identified challenges that need to be met head-on and opportunities which could transform our game. The result is a focused strategy with clear targets.

The positive impact on the country of our England teams reaching four senior tournament finals in as many years and winning UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 has been fantastic. Nothing has the power to inspire and unite communities like our national teams. We are focused on delivering further success by providing world-class support structures, environments and pathways that enable our players to perform on the biggest global stages.

Football is a game for all, so we must embrace the unique diversity of our country and tackle discrimination wherever it raises its ugly head. We have made substantial progress but there is more to do; football should welcome and include everyone.

We are very proud of the growth we have driven in the women’s and girls’ game, but we will not be satisfied until there are as many girls playing football as there are boys. This means continuing to focus on local opportunities for every girl in schools and clubs, while introducing broader opportunities in communities.

The biggest barrier to playing football in England is access to good-quality pitches. This is simply not acceptable in a country with our resources. We will continue to work with our partners in the Government, Sport England, the Premier League and the Football Foundation to ensure everyone has access to high-quality, affordable-to-use facilities. In tandem, we will develop our Community Club project so that these facilities become the hearts of their local communities and drive positive change.

The strong foundations established over the last four years, and the opportunities presented as co-hosts of UEFA EURO 2028, give us an incredible platform to inspire positive change through football and an exciting four years lie ahead for the English game.