India, March 20 -- FIFA has approved a landmark regulation requiring every team in its women's competitions to include at least one female head coach or assistant coach, in a move aimed at addressing the gender imbalance in elite coaching. The decision was cleared by the FIFA Council on March 19 and will begin taking effect later this year across women's tournaments.

The rule will be introduced at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland, and the FIFA Women's Champions Cup, before extending to major senior events, including the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. FIFA has also mandated that each team must include at least one female medical staff member and have at least two female officials on t...