Meet the company helping women’s soccer reach new heights

When the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ kicks off in Australia and New Zealand this summer, it will represent the continued growth of women’s sports, and women’s soccer in particular. Organizers of the tournament anticipate it will become the most-watched FIFA Women’s World Cup™ ever, and it will also be the first World Cup since the U.S. women’s team reached a historic pay equity agreement in 2022. With those important stakes, supporters of women’s sports — from individual fans to companies with a mission of empowering women athletes — will be watching closely as the tournament plays out.

One of those companies is Xero, a global small business platform that connects users to accountants, bookkeepers, banks, and relevant apps to help solve business needs. Xero, led by CEO Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, has committed to supporting the women’s World Cup this year through its partnership with FIFA Women’s Football, and is also partnering with the English Football Association, Lewes F.C., and New Zealand Football. Thanks to these partnerships, it was one of 29 brands included on the Laureus Sport for Good Index in 2022.

With the upcoming World Cup, Xero and Singh Cassidy saw an opportunity to help support women’s sports on a global stage. “Globally, soccer is the most popular and widely watched women’s sport — it’s growing faster than ever and the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ is the largest women’s sporting event in the world,” Singh Cassidy said. “Our support provides an opportunity to contribute to a movement that’s empowering women.” One important aspect of Xero’s collaboration with FIFA Women’s Football is its support for FIFA’s Women’s Development Programmes, designed to accelerate women’s soccer on and off the field. There are eight programs in total, and Xero supports two: Coach Education Scholarships and Capacity-Building for Administrators.

Xero also provides support for smaller, grassroots soccer clubs by providing access to financial management resources (including a 25% discount on its own software) and encouraging accountants and bookkeepers to help clubs achieve their goals, among other initiatives. Many soccer clubs are small businesses themselves, Singh Cassidy pointed out, with other small businesses (e.g. catering, maintenance, etc.) depending on their success. With these smaller clubs, Xero has the capacity to make a big impact: “We want to help ensure grassroots clubs are a place of joy, camaraderie, education and health for women and girls so they can be empowered to thrive,” Singh Cassidy said.

Overall, Xero and Singh Cassidy hope that their support of women athletes can help provide players with valuable life skills like teamwork, resilience, empathy, strength and perseverance. Those skills can help them off the field, in their personal lives, and in the workplace — something Singh Cassidy knows well. “My 16-year-old daughter is a dedicated water polo player who’s been competing since she was nine,” she said. “Besides teamwork, the grit and persistence she’s learned in the last seven years is incredible to witness. I love hiring former athletes into business for these very reasons — they’re not only collaborative but also show a resilience that’s absolutely necessary as an entrepreneur or executive.”

Learn more about how Xero is supporting women’s soccer and women small business owners here.