In its almost 120 year history there have been nine male presidents of FIFA and not one woman. But that could all be about to change.
The Women’s World Cup put football centre stage and captured the imagination of people around the world. But the global focus also turned the spotlight on the myriad problems still rife within them women’s game - sexual abuse, pay disparities, bonuses and poor working conditions to name but a few.
But a new beacon of hope for the future of women’s football is here.
Dark Horses has teamed up with Maggie Murphy, CEO of Lewes FC, the first club in history to offer equal pay to men and women, and Twise.ai to introduce Hope Sogni, the first-ever female candidate for FIFA President - who has been created using AI.
You can chat to Hope in real-time here and see her introduce herself as the first woman to stand for FIFA present here
Every element of Hope’s personality and outlook on the world of football has been influenced by female leaders from the women’s game, including Moya Dodd, the former vice-captain of the Matildas and one of the first women to join the FIFA Council.
Hope’s run for presidency starts on 22nd November and her first official platform was an interview with The Guardian’s award winning women’s football journalist Suzie Wrack.
Meet the AI-created football expert aiming to teach Infantino a lesson | Football | The Guardian
In the coming weeks and months Hope will continue to push her manifesto messaging wherever and whenever possible as she builds momentum to throw her hat into the ring for football’s top job.
Hope has been created because the team behind her believe that there are not enough senior female women in football; and that the women's game is suffering because of it. Hope gives women in football whose voices may be seen as dangerous anonymity and a platform to speak, inspiring people to push for change and highlight just how few women there are in key decision making roles in football.
Hope Sogni said: “I believe that a brighter future for the beautiful game is possible. We can do better. Sport has the power to create positive change, and I am dedicated to promoting gender equality, transparency and inclusivity within the organisation.”
Although football took centre stage at the Women’s World Cup, issues around sexual abuse, missing pay and bonuses, and poor working conditions are still high on the agenda of many key figures in the game. Jamaica’s national team, The Reggez Girls, were forced to boycott matches as they still had not been paid for their historic World Cup campaign. This week, England’s Georgia Stanway spoke out about the scheduling of the Ballon d'Or Féminin award ceremony, which clashed with international matches so female nominees were unable to attend, another example of FIFA overlooking the women’s game.
When asking Hope about this topic, she stated: “Having more women in decision-making roles at FIFA is crucial, it ensures that the voices and perspectives of women are heard and considered when making important decisions that impact the sport. As president I would focus on key issues such as sexual abuse, a need for an ethics oversight, financial accountability and voting reform”
Moya Dodd, the former vice-captain of the Matildas and one of the first women to join the FIFA Council, said: “It continues to be a huge challenge for women to have a voice in football’s decision-making. To create an AI-driven composite voice of women’s perspectives, and bring her to life as an alternative leader, is an innovative way to inject fresh views into old governance and help us imagine a different FIFA. I’m pleased to have been one of many women whose work was used in training the AI behind Hope.”
Maggie Murphy, CEO of Lewes FC, said: “It is key for the health, growth and development of the game for all, that more women take on or are elected into key decision-making and leadership roles, right from within local clubs all the way up to the FIFA presidency. There are many brilliant women doing exceptional work, often under the radar, whose knowledge and expertise would transform the game if given a bigger platform. Using AI in this way is an innovative method to start a conversation about some of the leadership styles and positions that could help the game grow to the benefit of the whole global football community”
Melissa Robertson, CEO of Dark Horses, said: “The technology used to create Hope is astounding, she feels very human and has an refreshingly progressive view on how football should be governed. The current FIFA President was elected unopposed for his second term in office, so we hope that we can create conversations about why more women aren’t in key decision-making roles at FIFA and why there has never even been a female candidate, never mind a president.”
René Lönngren, CEO of Twise.ai, said: “We are honoured to work with Dark Horses to make Hope come alive as a human-like speaking AI. Our pioneering technology allows for anyone to create an AI version of anyone, and what better use case than supporting a positive change in the world and bringing a broader perspective to sport.”
