Michele Kang's largesse for women's football leaves Fifa open to bias claims | Tom Garry

"You can imagine the meltdown across social media, if Stan Kroenke, Todd Boehly or the Glazer family were to enter into a partnership with the Football Association. Well, women's football in the United States already took a similar unusual step in November 2024 when US Soccer announced a historic gift of $30m (22m) from Michele Kang, the owner of one of the country's biggest women's clubs, Washington Spirit, over a five-year period."

"US Soccer labelled the donation as philanthropic the largest women's football in the country had ever had and non-profit. Then, in December 2025, US Soccer unveiled the Kang Women's Institute, a platform designed to accelerate advancements in the women's game through science, innovation, and elevated best practices, and there was surprisingly little public condemnation. Overwhelmingly, the women's game around the world appeared to celebrate the businesswoman's generosity rather than questioning this arrangement, because of Kang's repeatedly stated aim of trying to grow women's football."

"However well intentioned this particular sponsorship may be, the women's game now has a conflict-of-interest issue it cannot ignore. Kang has said she is passionate about creating opportunities for women and that is admirable, but Fifa should see her through one specific lens: she is the owner of three women's clubs, including London City Lionesses, that have aspirations to win silverware."

Michele Kang donated $30m to US Soccer over five years and funded the Kang Women's Institute to advance the women's game through science, innovation, and best practices. The donation was described as philanthropic and non-profit. Global reactions largely celebrated the gift and Kang's stated aim to grow women's football. FIFA later named Kang's Kynisca multi-club organisation as presenting partner of the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup, prompting conflict-of-interest concerns. Kang owns three women's clubs, including London City Lionesses, and one club she influences is OL Lyonnes, raising discomfort about a club-owner pairing with a tournament featuring top teams.

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