UEFA and The Walt Disney Company have launched a new initiative, “Play Games,” aimed at helping girls aged 5–12 stay in soccer by turning early curiosity into long‑term participation. Building on the success of the existing UEFA Playmakers programme, Play Games uses story‑driven, small‑sided soccer activities to help young players grow in confidence, skills, and love for the game.
UEFA Playmakers, inspired by Disney storytelling, was introduced in 2020 as a fun, low‑pressure way for girls aged 5–8 to experience football for the first time. Since then it has reached more than 168,000 girls across Europe, offering sessions in thousands of locations through national associations and local clubs. The new Play Games programme is the next step in that pathway, designed specifically to help those girls – and others who are just discovering the sport – transition from introductory sessions into more game‑like play and eventually into teams.
According to the official announcements from UEFA and Disney, Play Games offers open, story‑driven resources for coaches working with girls aged 5–12 in clubs, schools, and community programmes. The activities are built around small‑sided formats, from 1v1 duels all the way up to 4v4 games, emphasizing frequent touches on the ball, decision‑making, and repeated opportunities to attack, defend, and score. By keeping teams small and environments playful, the programme is intended to reduce pressure, increase engagement, and make it easier for girls to build confidence on the pitch.
One of the distinctive features of both Playmakers and Play Games is their use of Disney stories and characters as a framework for learning. Sessions use narratives inspired by Disney and Pixar films to set up challenges, guide movement, and spark imagination, helping girls connect emotionally with what they are doing on the field. In Play Games, those stories are woven into game‑like situations, where players are encouraged to solve problems, collaborate, and express themselves through football and soccer as the story unfolds.
UEFA positions Play Games as a crucial part of its broader women’s soccer strategy, “Unstoppable,” which focuses on building a sustainable, inclusive pipeline of future players and fans. Disney, for its part, is highlighting Play Games as the latest step in a joint mission to create accessible girls’ soccer and football pathways for young female players, backed by free online resources for coaches and organizations. Together, the partners are explicit about the goal: not just getting more girls to try the sport once, but helping them stick with the game as they grow.
For parents, coaches, and club leaders, the core idea is simple: smaller teams, more touches, more creativity, and a narrative frame that makes participation feel fun and welcoming. By lowering the barriers to entry and focusing on enjoyment and confidence, UEFA and Disney are betting that more girls will not only start playing, but keep playing long enough to find their place in the sport – whether that is in a local community soccer or team or dreaming of the Champions League.
You can read UEFA’s official announcement of Play Games here: UEFA and Disney launch Play Games to inspire the next generation of Women’s Champions League stars.