World Sevens Football (W7F) brought its high-speed, high-stakes format to the US for the first time from 5–7 December. The competition featured eight elite women’s clubs and a total prize pot of $5 million. With no draws, no offside and no breathing space, the margins were razor-thin. By Sunday night, however, San Diego Wave stood alone as winners – unbeaten and $2 million richer.
What is W7F?
W7F is football stripped back and spiced up. The tournament runs across three matchdays, with teams playing up to five games. Matches are seven-a-side, split into two 15-minute halves, played on half-sized pitches with rolling substitutions and music pumping throughout.
Fort Lauderdale marked just the second W7F tournament to date. The first was staged in Estoril, Portugal from 21–23 May 2025, where Bayern Munich claimed the inaugural title with a 2–1 win over Manchester United in the final.
Which teams entered?
The Fort Lauderdale edition featured clubs from six countries, including:
- Tigres (Mexico)
- Club América (Mexico)
- Flamengo (Brazil)
- Deportivo Cali (Colombia)
- Nacional (Uruguay)
- Toronto AFC (Canada)
- San Diego Wave FC (USA)
- Kansas City (USA)
Matches were streamed globally on DAZN.
How San Diego Wave won it
From the opening game, the Wave set the tone. They finished the tournament with five wins from five, scoring 15 goals and conceding just three.
In the knockout stages, San Diego dismantled Flamengo 5–1 in the semi-final before beating Tigres 3–0 in the final. Makenzy Robbe gave the Wave the lead in the 10th minute, before an Adriana Leon quick-fire double (16’, 17’) put the game beyond doubt. Tigres forward María Sánchez claimed the Golden Boot with six goals and was named tournament MVP – but the trophy belonged to San Diego.
What stood out wasn’t just the scoring output; it was control. In a format designed for chaos, the Wave imposed structure. Quick rotations followed. Intelligent pressing set the rhythm. Elite finishing did the rest.
Final Highlights
A new type of tournament for the modern fan
W7F challenges a long-held assumption: that the traditional 90-minute game is the only serious version of football. In Fort Lauderdale, the quality was high and the stakes were real. As a result, the crowd energy felt closer to a festival than a fixture. In many ways, it echoes what LIV Golf has done for golf: shorter, sharper, and designed for a new audience.
For players, it provides meaningful off-season competition. Meanwhile, clubs gain international exposure without the grind of long tournaments. For fans, it delivers football that fits modern attention spans without sacrificing technical quality.
Up next
The next tournament has not yet been announced, but World Sevens Football is expected to confirm details soon. Fans can sign up to the W7F newsletter for updates.
