The Football Federation of Belize (FFB) officially launched Belize’s Women’s Football Strategic Plan on December 11th, unveiling a bold, forward-looking roadmap to increase opportunities for girls and women throughout the country who are passionate about football. The launch united several key stakeholders supporting the initiative, including Ada Cordova, an island footballer and coach who has represented Belize on the senior women’s national football team.
The plan details a comprehensive four-year strategy to improve women’s participation in football and ensure female players have opportunities comparable to those of male players. The FFB states that the approach focuses not only on increasing engagement but also on strengthening support systems and development pathways for girls and women across the country.
FFB President Sergio Chuc said the federation has been placing increased focus on women’s football in recent years. “Now, we have gotten the stakeholders together to put this four-year plan together,” he said. “FIFA has been pushing big when it comes to female football and having a pathway going forward,” Chuc noted. For the past two years, female players have been compensated at the same level as male players. However, he acknowledged ongoing financial challenges. “Even with CONCACAF, we get $125,000 to play two games. But for the females, we only get $25,000,” Chuc said.
During the launch, the FFB explained that the strategy was developed over several months with input from a wide range of stakeholders, including administrators, players, and coaches. A series of sessions was conducted to identify gaps, strengthen development pipelines, and create a sustainable model for the future of women’s football in Belize.
FFB Technical Director Philip Marin said the process included three primary consultations. “Our first consultation was with our management team, followed by another one with our senior women’s national team and the third with our Congress members and the stakeholders of football,” Marin explained. He said the strategy is built around five pillars. These include grassroots and youth development; strengthening leagues and national teams; capacity building for coaches, referees, administrators, and managers; promotion and visibility; and infrastructure and resources to ensure adequate playing facilities for women’s football.
FIFA Women’s Development Consultant Lorena Soto said the initiative aligns with FIFA’s global vision for the sport. “We want to make it accessible for every girl and woman around the world. And that’s exactly what we showed today in the strategy for the next five years,” Soto said. She explained that FIFA has thirteen programs explicitly dedicated to women’s football development across its 211 member associations. Belize has already begun accessing these opportunities through the Women’s Football Strategy. According to Soto, having a clear strategy in place unlocks access to additional programs and long-term support. “So, right now we have 13 programs, and the support of FIFA is always available in any other area that they need,” she remarked.
Cordova told The Sun she is optimistic about the plan’s potential impact. “I hope we can have more females playing football, and that the players get the opportunities they deserve,” she said. “I also hope that more women are involved in football managerial positions.” Last month, Cordova attended the second Concacaf Coach Education Conference in Guatemala City, Guatemala, an experience she described as enriching and valuable for regional learning and knowledge sharing among coaches and technical leaders.
With support from FIFA, the FFB says implementing the strategic plan is critical to keeping Belize competitive in regional tournaments and attracting more girls to football from an early age. The federation noted that continued collaboration and investment will be key to building a strong foundation for women’s football nationwide. Organizers believe the strategy positions Belize’s women’s football to grow and excel locally, regionally, and internationally.
 officially launched Belize’s Women’s Football Strategic Plan on December 11th.){kind=link}