Two consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup titles and a pair of FIFA World Coach of the Year awards stand as an emphatic testament to Jill Ellis’ managerial talent.

But Ellis acknowledged that relationships and mentorship played a role in her rise from university assistant coach in the United States to a two-time world champion and, now, FIFA Chief Football Officer.

“Someone believed in me and opened a door for me, that opportunity and the work that I committed to doing was the catalyst for what came later,” she said.

Her story is an inspiring example of what can happen when ability and ambition are given access. Yet journeys like Ellis’ remain less common than she would like. The number of high-level opportunities for female coaches is not rising as quickly as the global popularity of the women’s game. On International Women’s Day, a 115-year-old celebration of women’s achievements and a call to action for awareness and advocacy, FIFA’s Chief Football Officer spoke about the importance of broadening the pathway for the next generation of women in the game.

“The bigger our sport gets, the more pathways and opportunities there should be for women in all areas of our game. Yet, we still see very low numbers,” she said. “And that's a core focus, being in the position I'm in now. Trying to find mechanisms, strategies and initiatives that can create pathways and roles for more women to be on the sidelines and front office. When female coaches are ready and prepared, we have an excellent success rate at the highest levels."

For Ellis, increasing representation is not just about fairness it is about visibility and inspiration.

“When women are ready and prepared, we see a very strong success rate at the highest level,” she said. “But we have to make sure those opportunities exist. When people see women in those positions - competent, qualified and leading - they begin to believe they can do it too.”

Growing up in her native England and then the USA, where she attended high school and university, Ellis had her own role models and mentors. Her father, John Ellis, was a coach. She had the opportunity in the mid 1990s to serve as an assistant at the university level for April Heinrichs, the US women’s national team legend and future head coach. She then had the chance to work under Pia Sundhage during the gold medal run at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. A door opened, Ellis excelled, and that led to further opportunities. Her acumen and network were developed at the highest level.

“The things that you learn in the pressure cooker, in the moment, managing players, managing the tournament, etc, etc. Those are things that really steeled me and prepared me for being a head coach. And I think we have that responsibility to make sure people are ready,” Ellis said.

An important component of FIFA’s holistic commitment to boosting women’s football is the FIFA Women's Development Programme, which includes coaching education scholarships and support for FIFA Member Associations (MAs) to establish group coaching courses and/or domestic mentorship programmes. There is also the Elite Performance: Coach Mentorship initiative, a global programme that supports the development of high-level female coaches by pairing them with a world class mentor for 18 months.

Now in its third edition, the initiative pairs 20 of the game’s most accomplished coaches with members of the next generation of promising female tacticians from around the world. Current mentors include Corinne Diacre, Even Pellerud, Asako Takemoto and Tina Theune.

And among the current mentees is Camilla Orlando, a former SE Palmeiras coach who managed Brazil to the South American U-20 crown in Paraguay in February. Orlando will be at the helm for Brazil at September’s FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Poland 2026™. Meanwhile, she is benefiting from the mentorship of Francisco Neto, Portugal’s Head Coach, as part of the programme.

“It's a great opportunity to share experience and grow through others' experience,” Orlando said of working with Neto. “My mentor is from Portugal, has been in the World Cup and has been developing a women's programme in Portugal, so it's a great, great opportunity. Also being around great women, great coaches that inspire me, that are living in their countries is so inspiring, so amazing to be in a place like that. I have the belief that we are growing a lot, and we're going to be helping others to the best level as well. It's a great, great initiative, and I'm very, very happy to be part of it.”

Orlando played university football in the USA and later worked in various roles connected to the 2008 FIFA Futsal World Cup™, the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ and the football tournaments at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Her time in North America offered insight into “how big the game could be and how the game could change lives,” she said. And her association with world-class international competitions allowed her to see that impact up close.

“I was fortunate to see really close some of the best women coaches in action in one of the biggest tournaments in the world,” she said of her Olympic experience. “I was really inspired and it helped me to see that it's possible, that at some point I could be having that experience as well."

Orlando’s coaching journey has included stops at SC Internacional, Red Bull Bragantino, Real Brasília FC, SC Palmeiras and the United Arab Emirates national team. It will surely now get a boost thanks to the FIFA mentorship programme and this year’s U-20 Women’s World Cup.

“The biggest challenge in the beginning was that I was always having to prove my knowledge about the game. It was really tough,” she said. “But I always used some tough situations to grow and understand how that can help me to be a better coach.”

Ellis and Orlando will be in Brazil next year, when the FIFA Women's World Cup™ is played in South America for the first time. The tournament’s historic 10th edition will be represent a turning point for the women’s game across Latin America and yet another catalyst for its rampant growth globally.

Ms Ellis said that she hopes the grand event also makes a difference for women seeking increased opportunity in coaching and football leadership positions. Every tournament, and every relationship and experience they spark, adds an important rung the next Ms Ellis, or the next Orlando, may climb.

“Its impact goes far beyond a 32-day tournament. These women take the experience with them - into their next roles, their next opportunities - bringing leadership skills, hiring experience, and a stronger network,” Ellis said.

“When I got into coaching, you learn how to carry yourself. You learn how to manage pressure. You learn how to message. There are so many things you learn through sport that can now help you in a business environment, in a teaching environment, in a professional environment.

“I think it's not just opening doors. It's also about empowering the women that go through them with how they view themselves, how they view each other. I think there's nothing more powerful than seeing heroes and the more female heroes we can create in Brazil, I think the more it benefits the future generations.”