March 11, 2025
BY IONA BENNETT
This Saturday, the sound of football filled the air in Shoreditch. Thirty-five teams of female, trans, and non-binary players gathered at Shoreditch Power league for the Girls United International Women’s Day Tournament to compete and celebrate football as a vehicle for empowerment, inclusion, and change.
The tournament has steadily grown in scale and significance in the seven years since its inception. Last year, it made national headlines, with coverage on Sky News and over 150,000 social media views. Yet, for Girls United, this event is just one moment in a much larger movement. Founded in Mexico in 2017 before expanding to London, the organisation is built on a simple but important belief: every girl, regardless of background, should have the opportunity to play football.