Overview

• The World Sevens Football series launched in Estoril, Portugal, showcasing a seven-a-side format with rolling substitutes, no offside rule, and 30-minute matches to encourage attacking play.
• Entertainment elements like live DJs, themed player walkouts, and smoke cannons aim to engage younger, digital-first audiences.
• Eight professional teams, including Manchester United, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain, competed for a $5 million prize pool, with $2.5 million awarded to the winners.
• While on-site attendance was limited to a few hundred, the tournament's DAZN YouTube stream attracted over 161,000 views on its first day, signaling strong digital interest.
• Organizers plan to expand the series with a North American edition later this year and another global event in November–December, backed by a $100 million, five-year funding commitment.