Marc Skinner said it best after his Manchester United side lost the World Sevens final last summer: "If we're not invited back, I'm going to be mad." They're back. And this time, W7F is coming to their backyard.
World Sevens Football has confirmed its first-ever London edition, running from 28th to 30th May at Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium. Manchester United and Aston Villa are the first two of eight Women's Super League clubs confirmed to participate, with a $1.5 million prize pot on the line.
An all-WSL tournament with something to prove
Unlike previous editions — which drew clubs from across Europe, North America, and South America — this London instalment is exclusive to the WSL. That's a deliberate choice. Co-founder Jen Mackesy put it plainly: the idea is to create something "tailored to their clubs, their players, and their fans."
Eight clubs. Three days. One stadium in West London. The format keeps what made the earlier editions work — 30-minute games, rolling substitutions, a smaller natural-grass pitch — while sharpening the competitive focus. With all participants coming from the same league, there's genuine familiarity and existing rivalry baked into every match.
The timing isn't incidental either. The tournament closes on 30th May, one day before the Adobe Women's FA Cup final at Wembley. For anyone making a weekend of women's football, it's a genuinely compelling double bill.
Where United and Villa stand heading in
For Manchester United, W7F arrives at the end of a season defined more by what rivals are achieving than what they are. Manchester City look set to win their first WSL title in a decade, leaving United's league campaign without a trophy. The tournament is, as their own football operations director Ameesh Manek framed it, "an excellent format" and a meaningful finale — though the edge of last year's runner-up finish will sharpen that motivation considerably.
Aston Villa's inclusion is notable too. A club still building their WSL identity, playing in a tournament of this profile — against seven other top-flight sides, with real prize money — is exactly the kind of exposure that accelerates that process.
The remaining six participating clubs haven't been announced yet, but with $1.5 million and a home crowd, expect the competition to be fierce. Bayern Munich won the inaugural edition in Portugal. San Diego FC took the Florida title. The WSL has a point to make about where it sits globally.
- Dates: 28–30 May 2025
- Venue: Gtech Community Stadium, London
- Format: 7-a-side, 30-minute matches, rolling substitutions
- Prize pot: $1.5 million
- Confirmed teams: Manchester United, Aston Villa (six more TBC)
- Tickets on general sale: 14th April at 10am via worldsevens.com
Member presale opens a day earlier, on 13th April at 10am. Day passes and three-day packages are both available. Broadcast details are still to come.
