In 2014, when Telefónica Vivo became the first sponsor to activate support for the Brazilian Women’s National Team, Mônica Esperidião played a central role in making it happen. Ten years later, she continues to shape the future of women’s football on a global stage as part of the World Football Summit.
Mônica Esperidião Hasenclever is an expert in sports management and marketing, currently serving as ESG and Impact Partnerships Manager at World Football Summit (WFS). She leads initiatives such as the Female Leaders Program, The Most Inclusive Match, and high impact collaborations with federations, leagues, clubs, and global brands.
Before joining WFS, she spent more than eight years at Telefónica Vivo, where she managed sponsorships for the Brazilian men’s and women’s national teams. She played a key role during the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups and successfully led the renewal of the Brazilian national team’s sponsorship after the 7:1 defeat, proving the long term value of well activated partnerships. Since moving to Spain in 2016, she has pursued a purpose driven vision: positioning women’s football as a high value product and advancing gender equality in sport.
Alongside her work at WFS, Mônica is Co Founder of WES and a mentor at the LWF and SIGA programs, helping to inspire and empower the next generation of leaders in sport.
Football can only reach its full potential if it is sustainable, inclusive, and equitable — values that guide every initiative led by Mônica Esperidião.
Our exclusive interview with Mônica Esperidião
Mônica, you lead ESG and Impact Partnerships at WFS. How do sustainability, inclusion, and gender equality shape the way football is presented at the World Football Summit Madrid?
At WFS, we believe that football can only reach its full potential if it is sustainable, inclusive, and equitable. These values are not side conversations, they are at the core of how we design and deliver our events.
From the selection of speakers to the initiatives we promote, we ensure that sustainability, gender equality, and social impact are fully integrated into the football narrative. We do this by partnering with clubs, leagues, federations, institutions, NGOs, and companies that share our mission to inspire the industry to think differently and act responsibly.
The Female Leaders Program and initiatives such as The Most Inclusive Match are milestones at WFS. What is the story behind these projects, and what impact have they had so far?
I clearly remember when WFS cofounders Marian and Jan were surprised by my request to attend the 2018 event simply to interview women. They supported the idea and accredited me as press, and for three years I came to the summit to give visibility to women working in football.
When I officially joined WFS in 2022, those experiences evolved into structured initiatives that today form the Female Leaders Program, which includes:
- Special discounted tickets for women at all WFS events
- A minimum target of 30 percent female speakers
- The Female Leaders Gathering, now one of the most anticipated moments at WFS
- The La Menina WFS Tour, designed to highlight local female leaders and promote sport among children
- A scholarship program with universities to help more women pursue careers in the sports industry
Another project that means a lot to me is The Most Inclusive Match. Our partner, José Soares from Integrated Dreams, opened our eyes to the importance of accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities. In 2023, we organized a record breaking event with the largest number of fans with disabilities attending an official LaLiga match.
Since then, we have completed three editions:
- Betis vs Real Valladolid 2023
- Atlético de Madrid vs Lille 2024
- Real Sociedad vs Rayo Vallecano 2025
We are now preparing the first international edition, which will be announced at WFS Madrid.
“The Most Inclusive Match” shows that football’s true power lies in opening its doors to everyone, regardless of ability.
You bring over 15 years of experience in sponsorships and sports marketing, including two FIFA World Cups. How does this background help you develop partnerships and initiatives at WFS today?
My background in sponsorships, including two FIFA World Cups, two Olympic Games, and multiple professional leagues, taught me how to connect brands, athletes, and fans on a global scale while achieving business results.
At WFS, I apply these insights to build partnerships that go far beyond visibility. The goal is to create purpose driven collaborations that combine commercial value with social impact and legacy. For me, the most successful partnerships are those that drive measurable outcomes for both the business and the community it serves.
Having worked across multiple sports from football to basketball, what insights do you apply to strengthen WFS as a truly global platform?
Each sport has its own ecosystem, culture, and level of professionalization, and every sponsorship requires a different approach. Depending on the project, I had to adapt my leadership style to the maturity of that sport’s management, its financial resources, and the way its fan base engages with it.
That experience taught me flexibility to analyze, listen, and shape strategies that suit each environment. Bringing this cross sport mindset to WFS allows us to position our events not just as football conferences but as platforms for the entire sports industry. Collaboration is always the common thread, it drives innovation, growth, and impact.
You relocated from Brazil to Spain. How do these two very different football cultures influence your perspective on women’s football and the positioning of WFS as a leader in this space?
Brazil taught me the passion and emotion of football, while Spain and Europe gave me structure, strategy, and perspective. These two worlds shaped how I see women’s football, not only as a game but as an ecosystem that needs solid foundations to grow.
Both countries share a similar history of prohibition for women, which created a structural gap but also an incredible opportunity. Today, we see more brands attending WFS to share their women’s football success stories, more companies presenting their expertise, and more professionals using the women’s game as a model of innovation.
The evolution has been extraordinary. Back in 2017, during the first Women’s Football Summit, we did not generate any revenue. Today, we have transformed it into a full week of activities that engage the entire city and attract global attention.
The World Football Summit in Madrid is around the corner. What can participants expect, and which themes or sessions are you most excited about?
At this year’s WFS Madrid, sustainability and equality will once again take center stage. Highlights include:
- The 11th Female Leaders Gathering, with a joint campaign alongside Liga F and the Fundación Tximist by Aintzane Encinas, plus scholarships for three women pursuing Master’s degrees at the Johan Cruyff Institute
- An exhibition on women’s football by photographer Madeleine Penfold
- Volunteers with disabilities working at the event, creating real job opportunities
- The announcement of the 4th edition of The Most Inclusive Match
- ColorADD coded credentials to make navigation easier for attendees with color blindness
- Sustainable water initiatives, with proceeds used to build clean water wells in underserved communities
- WFS Awards trophies made entirely from recycled plastic
Looking ahead, what is your long term vision for WFS and for your own role in shaping the future of women’s football worldwide?
My long term vision for WFS is to consolidate it as the global meeting point where the football industry not only drives business but also creates solutions to its social challenges.
Regarding women’s football, my mission is to continue contributing to unlocking its full potential, strengthening its sustainability, growth, and identity, while ensuring that it remains a space where equality and opportunity are the norm, not the exception.
