Visa Announces Team Visa Athletes with 100 Days to Go until the FIFA Women’s World Cup™

Team Visa footballers from Morocco include Ghizlane Chebbak and Fatima Tagnaout

Marakkech – April 11, 2023 – Visa (NYSE: V), the Exclusive Payment Service Partner of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™, joined ‘100 days to go’   celebrations today to unveil the 33 women football players it is supporting through its Team Visa program. This new group of Team Visa athletes – from 27 markets – including Morocco for the first time - represents the largest number of women footballers in Team Visa’s history. The program extends Visa’s commitment to connecting the world through sport and championing women athletes at a time when women’s football continues to reach new heights.

“We’ve witnessed historic shifts for equity and equality in football in recent years, and Visa is committed to providing these resilient women with the tools and resources necessary to continue working for a level playing field,” said Sami Romdhane,  Country Manager, Morocco, Visa. “At Visa, we are proud to support talented female athletes around the world, and we are happy to welcome Ghizlane and Fatima to the Visa team for the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ We look forward to seeing them unlock their greatest potential.” 

Athlete Spotlights from Around the World

The footballers on Team Visa are helping change the game, on and off the pitch. 

• On the pitch, players such as Ellie Carpenter (Australia), Debinha (Brazil), Christine Sinclair (Canada), and Ghizlane Chebbak (Morocco) have each made historic strides for the game, earning various awards, "firsts” and international records. 
• Off the pitch, Team Visa athletes are blazing their own trails: Miriam Mayoraga (Argentina) does double duty as a doctor; Sam Mewis’ (USA) leadership led to securing equal pay for her team; Huynh Nhu (Vietnam) broke down barriers as the first Vietnamese footballer to play abroad; and Didem Karagenc (Turkey) is a physical education teacher starting a grassroots football camp for local girls. 

Team Visa athletes from Morocco Ghizlane Chebbak and Fatima Tagnaout have both been role models for their communities and the Team Visa opportunity helps highlight their efforts. “I have been taking every opportunity to encourage young girls to practice sports, especially women's football, reminding society, especially families, of the need to support their daughters' ambitions and believe in their dreams,” said Ghizlane Chebbak.

On her end Fatima Tagnaout has inspiring little girls from a young age. “In the absence of a women's soccer club in my neighborhood, I started playing with the boys which attracted the attention of the country's biggest club. I’m thrilled that my experience has influenced many people to open or enroll their daughters in soccer schools.”

Team Visa: A Platform to Inspire

Since 2000, Team Visa has lent crucial support to more than 500 athletes around the globe providing them with a platform to tell their inspiring stories. To help athletes thrive personally and professionally, the program provides financial support, as well as assistance with philanthropic endeavors, financial literacy tools, and mental health and wellness resources. Team Visa athletes are selected for the program based on their personal journeys, athletic achievements, community involvement, and alignment with Visa’s core values of equality, access, and inclusion. 

Supporting Women Footballers Year-Round

For more than 15 years, Visa’s investment in women’s football has focused on increasing visibility for the sport at all levels, driving acceptance, and future-proofing the game. Visa is the first FIFA Women’s Football Partner, first partner for UEFA Women’s Football, and sponsor of national teams including the U.S. Soccer Federation and Mexican Football Federation. Off the pitch, The Second Half is a career development program to support European women footballers as they consider careers beyond football.

As attention turns toward Australia and New Zealand this July, Visa will cheer on its Team Visa athletes participating in the tournament, present the fan-voted Visa Player of the Match trophy at each match, and implement innovative payment experiences throughout official venues.

To learn more about Visa’s support of athletes and plans surrounding FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ visit here.

Full list of Team Visa women footballers: Miriam Mayorga (Argentina), Ellie Carpenter (Australia), Debinha (Brazil), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Ashley Lawrence  (Canada), Haiyan Wu (China), Wang ShanShan (China), Daniela Montoya (Colombia), Shirley Cruz  (Costa Rica), Katerina Svitkova (Czech Republic), Eugenie Le Sommer (France), Lea Schüller  (Germany), Sara Björk Gunnarsdottir (Iceland), Laura Giuliani (Italy), Mana Iwabuchi  (Japan), Fatima Tagnaout (Morocco), Ghizlane Chebbak (Morocco), Claudia Bunge  (New Zealand), Inna Palacios  (Philippines), Ewa Pajor (Poland), Megan Campbell (Republic of Ireland), Camelia Ceasar  (Romania), Cho So hyun  (South Korea), Marta Cox (Panama), Kosovare Asllani (Sweden), Ramona Bachmann (Switzerland), Didem Karagenc (Turkey), Huynh Nhu (Vietnam), Fran Kirby (England), Lauren James  (United Kingdom), Catarina Macario  (United States of America), Mallory Swanson (United States of America) and Sam Mewis  (United States of America).

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About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating payments transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.

Media Contacts

Visa
Katie Harris-Maines
[email protected]