DON’T THINK. JUST ENJOY! All About World Sevens, London 2026
It’s fast and it’s furious and it’s fun. And this is only the third time the World Sevens tournament has taken place, the first was in Portugal, the second in the United States, and now the three-day event sets up camp in London.
We hear from the teams taking part – from the head coaches, plus star players Freya Godfrey and Melvine Malard – and we mark your cards on exactly who to watch from each team.
Starting with group stage ‘round robin’ matches on Thursday 28th and Friday 29th May – with the semis and final on Saturday 30th May – this is a chance for existing fans to see their favourite teams and stars in action, and up close. For new fans it’s the chance to see loads of goals (because there’s no offside) and intense, fast action.
Everyone will enjoy trying to work out exactly which players are involved at any one time, as the Sevens matches feature rolling subs. Good luck to anyone trying to get Maya Le Tissier off the pitch though! All matches are played on a half-size pitch and last 30 minutes, which means each half is just 15 minutes long, with five minutes for halftime. Extra time is played if needed…
Group 1 looks pretty tasty, with Everton, Leicester City, London City Lionesses, and local rivals Chelsea. As for Group 2, that features Aston Villa, plus the only team with previous Sevens experience, Manchester United, along with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham.
So head to Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium. The precise schedule, ticket link, and broadcast details are at the bottom of the feature.
But first let’s hear from each of the teams, in alphabetical order, about their hopes and expectations…
ASTON VILLA, NATALIA ARROYO
You signed up to play the Sevens tournament, what made you want to take part?
It was interesting to see the project last summer, with different clubs. For teams like us that are not playing in Europe, it’s always a good opportunity to imagine yourself in this environment but a bit more flexible, a bit more relaxed.
So I enjoyed that as a fan, as a good way of seeing another phase of players, celebrations, and the good vibes.
It was a good tournament. And when we knew it could be happening here in England – I wish I could have the opportunity to play against clubs from other countries, but it is what it is – I think it gives us a good chance, especially for international players to stay a little bit fit because the calendar is how it is.
We finish [the WSL season] in the middle of the month, but individually the players are being told to keep training because they have important qualifying games for the World Cup.
So it’s positive for us as a club to continue having fun training together every day. It probably makes the resting time a little bit short but if not, it was maybe too long. So it’s keeping in competition in a more relaxed way and hopefully we can have more fun. The format is interesting and it’s good to be around the innovation.
Have you thought about the prize money?
If that’s an extra motivation, yeah. I’m not here to judge what motivates people. If money makes them run more and fight for that, I will celebrate that. And if all the extra money is for them, I hope they remember and they invite me for dinner or something!
What did you learn from watching the Sevens last time?
I remember celebrations were a big thing.
Having the opportunity to have some microphones around, for fans to be more involved with what type of conversations players have with coaches. I think that’s interesting.
It reminds me of the under-12 tournaments I was involved in with the national team. That was stressful as a coach. You have a lot of substitutions, much more involvement.
It will be a nice way of finishing the season, competing, and playing football. That’s what we love, and in a nice environment.
I hope a lot of fans are there and we can enjoy it. And if these types of initiatives help the women’s game to grow, I’m in.
VILLA PLAYERS TO WATCH: Lynn Wilms, Kirsty Hanson, Rachel Daly
CHELSEA, SONIA BOMPASTOR
World Sevens Football presents an exciting opportunity for our team to test ourselves against world-class opposition in a unique and highly competitive environment.
As only the second European edition of the tournament – and the first to be staged in London – it’s a fantastic occasion for our supporters to see the team in action one final time before the players head off for a well-earned summer break following a demanding season.
CHELSEA PLAYERS TO WATCH: Alyssa Thompson, Ellie Carpenter, Veerle Buurman
EVERTON, SCOTT PHELAN
Why as a club did you want to get involved, and as a manager are you excited to try something different?
I think it brings nice variety to the season. The feedback that we’ve gathered from last season was that it was an exciting event to be part of and we were keen to be part of it.
It’s an opportunity for us to show ourselves as a club, compete against some good teams, and help further raise the profile for our own team, but also the women’s game in general, which is really important.
Small-format games are not something you see often, so I’m curious as a coach where it takes us and what learning we can get.
It’s an occasion that we’re all looking forward to competing in. So hopefully we can have fun.
EVERTON PLAYERS TO WATCH: Ruby Mace, Courtney Brosnan, Yuka Momiki
LEICESTER CITY, RICK PASSMOOR
Are you looking forward to the World Sevens and what is your expectation of it?
Obviously the World Sevens it’s a different format. It spreads light onto the game in a different way, particularly on the players’ personalities and character.
It’ll attract a new audience for football coming into the stadium, but also potential investors.
And it’s a great opportunity, so everybody can mix and see the players firsthand.
As long as it continues to drive the game forward, I think that’s first and foremost.
I might be sat in a corner crying… but again, anything to put the game in the right light,.
It’s a great opportunity for the players to be themselves after a tough season and then to go into an international.
Also for the fans, there were about 500 from Leicester at the playoff at the Valley, which is amazing.
I think the Sevens for them, will be kind of joyful too.
They’ve been fantastic.
They’re fully endorsing what Leicester City are doing with the women’s team, the facility.
They want to be entertained, I understand that, but I want to tell them the work that the staff do behind the scenes is relentless.
So, I’d like to thank the fans.
We’ve just fallen short this season, and I’m sure they’ll be back, because a lot of times, as a manager, as a player, you do it for the fans, because deep down you are a fan.
You are a fan, no matter what, that’s what brought you into the game.
I remember the first times that I used to watch Doncaster Belles, aged whatever it was.
Watched the women’s game grow.
So the fans are fantastic, and I really appreciate everything they’ve done this season for us.
LEICESTER CITY PLAYERS TO WATCH: Katie Keane, Jutta Rantala, Nelly Las
LONDON CITY LIONESSES, FREYA GODFREY
If somebody hadn’t seen the Sevens before, how would you persuade them to come along?
I think it’s going to be a football party.
When I watched it last year, it was dancing with a bit of football on the side, just pure vibes.
And what are you looking forward to most in the World Sevens?
I’m really excited to be competing with my friends.
Obviously, it’s just WSL teams and I know we play them week in week out, but that’s very competitive.
This is also going to be competitive, don’t get me wrong, but it’s in more of a light-hearted format.
So it’ll be fun to be competing against them in close 7-v-7 competition.
For players and fans, what makes it different?
Well, obviously it’s seven-a-side, the pitch is smaller!
It’s going to be a lot more intense, more end-to-end, so hopefully a lot more goals will be scored.
The games are shorter, so intense but hopefully quite entertaining with celebrations and stuff.
There’s no offside as well, which is good, isn’t it?
Yeah, I’m going to be seeing people just standing in the goals.
I can imagine Izzy [Goodwin] will be literally goal-hanging the whole time.
We’ll just stick her up there, just punt the ball up there!
Has the training been different for the Sevens? Are you used to doing small-sided games?
Yeah, we normally do small-sided, but on a very small pitch, whereas the Sevens pitch is actually still quite big for the size of the teams, I guess. Which is good for us because it means especially going into an international break, we’re still getting a lot of aerobic work to keep fit.
We’ve been playing medium-sided games, almost like a split between the two.
We’ve had a seven-a-side pitch painted over our training pitch.
And we’ve bought new seven-a-side goals. So, yeah, we’ve been practising.
Have you been doing lots of top bins?
No, not quite. I think we probably will do some shooting practice tomorrow.
Good idea. I think if it’s a draw you go to added time don’t you, and is it golden goal?
Yeah, first goal wins, golden goal!
You’ve talked about the training. What about your preparation for walkouts and celebrations?
Yeah, I mean that’s been a big chat amongst the changing room.
When we’ve been practising the seven-a-side, we’ve been practising our celebrations as well, as people score.
It’s funny to see what ideas people are getting, and I’m sure in the hotel before the games we’ll be practising some more.
They were mad last year, weren’t they? Someone catching a fish, and a cycling one.
Yeah, yeah. I remember United’s walkouts, and Bayern’s celebrations were really good.
Yeah, Bayern won the whole thing. And I think United have quite a few of the same players plus Lea Schüller, who I think played for Bayern in the winning team as well.
Yeah, Man United will have a strong team.
It’s exciting, I think it’s going to be interesting to see how different teams compare to how they play in 11-a-side compared to 7-a-side.
Are you playing slightly differently as London City in the Sevens than you do normally?
We’ve been exploring different tactics.
We’ve been trying a lot of different things in training, and we’ll probably have discussions before games about which tactics we choose for each game.
So, yeah, it’s definitely different.
We’ve had to adapt some things, but it’s an adjustment. It’s our first time, I’m sure United will be a bit more strategic and knowledgeable on what they’re doing.
Are you all staying near the stadium?
I don’t really know, but that would be funny if we’re all around each other.
You’ve got lots of friends at the other clubs haven’t you?
Yeah, exactly. Just seeing them in the games and playing against them.
I mean, I have a lot of friends I grew up with and academies and stuff, so it would be a throwback.
Will your best friends from Arsenal, Katie [Reid] and Michelle [Agyemang] come along as well?
I know Michelle’s been announced as a host or a commentator.
I was texting her earlier and she said she’s going to be there.
Will your family be there?
Oh yeah, my parents are going to come.
Who should we look out for in London City?
Maria Perez. At the Sevens, she’s going to be the best person there.
She’s going to be the biggest entertainer.
ALSO: LONDON CITY HEAD COACH EDER MAESTRE (above)
I wonder what you expect in the World Sevens; it’s a big prize pot, but there’s probably quite a lot of fun involved as well?
For me it’s going to be a new experience so I’m excited to join and expect to have a lot of fun. It’s a good way to close a season because you can still have the players involved in training process until the last days in the month.
Did you watch the last tournaments, in America and Portugal, and what did you make of them?
Well, I think they are more about having fun, having a good experience, trying to create that competitive, but easy-going mindset as well.
I know that the players enjoy it a lot.
We will try to create fun moments and an easy going, relaxed environment for all the people involved.
LONDON CITY PLAYERS TO WATCH: Freya Godfrey, Delphine Cascarino, Maria Perez
MAN UNITED, MELVINE MALARD
What are you looking forward to about going back to the World Sevens tournament?
[Melvine laughs] Yeah, yes, I’m excited. It’s a very good plan, World Sevens, very good thinking for us because the season can be long sometimes, with a lot of games, with a lot of pressure, with a lot of emotion.
And I played the first time, so now I know for this moment, we need to breathe and don’t think, just enjoy.
Yes, we would like to win but we know everyone is here to enjoy the football, for doing something we can’t do in the season. So, that’s very good.
MAN UNITED PLAYERS TO WATCH: Melvine Malard, Jess Park, Maya Le Tissier
SPURS, MARTIN HO
On this Sevens tournament, it was pretty exciting in the previous two iterations, and I wonder what you expect of it, thinking about the prize pot, the fun, it’s very transitional…
Yeah, I think, yeah, it’s a different format, it’s a different game.
It’s something that maybe catches the eye slightly different.
It’s got more of a kind of fun edge to it that maybe enables the players to be a bit more free, and what it does is definitely draws attention to women’s sport, women’s football, which is good.
On a separate note, it’s a really good thing for people to be involved in and it’s good for us as a club to be involved in.
It helps you definitely from a commercial perspective to build a brand and a profile.
But also enables you to be competitive and I think we’ll go into it with the mindset to enjoy it, to be competitive and allow the players to express themselves.
And I think it has really good pros and cons for it and against it.
But yeah, we’re all in and I think a lot of teams are within this league, so it’s going to be exciting.
This season you’ve been trying to build the fan base and get people excited by the way Spurs play, and I wonder if this tournament is where you can get new eyeballs, maybe new fans?
Yeah, definitely.
It’s a different format. It’s a different way of doing it.
Playing a different format and a different competition against the same teams as in the league probably brings out a different kind of personality and character in the players.
You can have a little bit more flair and you’re a little bit more open.
What it definitely does is attract fans to the game in a different way, but also hopefully we can bring them with us on the journey we’re on now.
Plus the players being able to show a little bit maybe of what they always can’t show in the bigger game format, where it’s a little bit more tactical and a little more structured.
In the seven-a-side, when we play it, that tournament will be interesting because you’re probably going to see totally different characters and personalities with the way they play.
SPURS PLAYERS TO WATCH: Olivia Holdt, Signe Gaupset, Ella Morris
WEST HAM, RITA GUARINO
Something fun is the World Sevens, over three days. You guys signed up quickly. And I wonder, what you expect from it?
To enjoy, for sure, because I went to watch the previous tournament in the United States at Fort Lauderdale in November. I was there.
It’s a fun tournament, is enjoyable for the players, but it’s also competitive.
I think it’s enjoyable also for the fans that come because you can see many goals, many, many, many. Shooting is so fast, many changes during the game.
So it’s exciting to play.
The moment you said you were going to be in the Sevens, did you have players queuing up at your door to say: I want to play?
Yeah, of course, we need to stay on the same page.
So the players that are available will join this because they are happy to enjoy.
Is the Sevens the sort of thing where you can fully relax and just embrace the tournament?
Yeah, for sure. But, you know, when there are competitive games, you can never relax.
Also in the training sessions, you can never relax because it’s exciting when there is competition.
Of course, it has a really big pot of money, considering it’s only three days. So is that quite a nice reward at the end?
Yeah, it’s something that can add more motivation to win, but it’s just one part of the tournament.
I think the most important part of this tournament is that it’s a different kind of football, is enjoyable for everyone, and I think it could be an opportunity to show women’s football.
We can show how women’s football can be successful entertainment.
The beautiful part of this is to stay in the place where you play.
We will be there for the two or three days.
Because it’s the beautiful part of this tournament, that togetherness also with the other teams.
WEST HAM PLAYERS TO WATCH: Leila Wandeler, Kinga Szemik, Oona Siren
World Sevens Groups:
- Group 1: Everton, Leicester City, London City, Chelsea
- Group 2: Aston Villa, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United
World Sevens Schedule, at Brentford Gtech Community Stadium:
THURSDAY, 28 MAY (Group Stage)
- 15:00 BST (10:00am EDT) – Chelsea v Everton
- 16:00 BST (11:00am EDT) – London City v Leicester City
- 17:00 BST (12:00pm EDT) – Manchester United v West Ham United
- 18:00 BST (1:00pm EDT) – Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa
- 19:00 BST (2:00pm EDT) – London City v Everton
- 20:00 BST (3:00pm EDT) – Chelsea v Leicester City
FRIDAY, 29 MAY (Group Stage)
- 15:00 BST (10:00am EDT) – Manchester United v Aston Villa
- 16:00 BST (11:00am EDT) – Manchester United v West Ham United
- 17:00 BST (12:00pm EDT) – Everton v Leicester City
- 18:00 BST (1:00pm EDT) – Chelsea v London City
- 19:00 BST (2:00pm EDT) – Aston Villa v West Ham United
- 20:00 BST (3:00pm EDT) – Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur
SATURDAY, 30 MAY (Championship Matches)
- 11:00 BST (6:00am EDT) – Semi Final 1 (Winner Group 1 v Runner-Up Group 2)
- 12:00 BST (7:00am EDT) – Semi Final 2 (Winner Group 2 v Runner-Up Group 1)
- 14:30 BST (9:30am EDT) – Final (Winner Semi Final 1 v Winner Semi Final 2)
Tickets: https://www.worldsevensfootball.com/
All matches being broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN elsewhere.
Photos: Helen M Jerome
