Portuguese player union empowering footballers to lead change on and off the pitch

• Portuguese player union SJPF has launched an ambassador project to strengthen the collective voice of women’s footballers
• Six players are championing key issues including education, motherhood, mental health, gender equality, inclusion and entrepreneurship
• The initiative aims to inspire the next generation and support the union’s push for better standards in Portuguese women’s football

As professional opportunities for women’s footballers continue to grow in Portugal, so too does the need for players to shape its future.

That belief sits at the core of Portuguese player union SJPF’s new ambassadors project, an initiative that places women’s footballers at the forefront of conversations around issues that define both their careers and their lives beyond the pitch.

Launched under the slogan Suja a tua camisola por uma causa – ‘Get your jersey dirty for a cause’ – the project sees six players taking on active leadership roles to inspire team-mates and strengthen the collective voice of players across Portugal.

“We believe in the power of the player voice for positive change,” said SJPF’s President Joaquim Evangelista. “That's why we selected a group of players to embrace this project, connecting their public impact and life experiences with some of the key topics selected for the ambassadors programme.”

Six ambassadors, six priorities

Each ambassador represents an issue the union considers fundamental to the overall development of women’s footballers: education, inclusion and diversity, motherhood, mental health, gender equality and entrepreneurship.

The ambassadors are:

•    Catarina Realista: Education
•    Rute Costa: Inclusion and Diversity
•    Beatriz Cameirao: Motherhood
•    Madalena Marau: Mental Health
•    Tatiana Pinto: Gender Equality
•    Rita Fontemanha: Entrepreneurship

Fontemanha, who retired at the end of the 2025/26 season after a career with Boavista, Atletico Madrid and Sporting CP, believes the project is ultimately about helping young players understand that being a footballer extends far beyond what happens on the pitch.

“The goal is to reach more young players and help them understand the importance of the six themes,” said Fontemanha, who also represented the Portuguese national team during her career. 

“How can we make them more involved with the environment, with the community and with everything around them? We want them to have people they can relate to, so we can reach more players and make a positive impact on the next generation.”

Building the next generation of leaders

Former Sporting captain Fontemanha, 32, is now working in the media space as a pundit and analyst. 

For Fontemanha, whose work with SJPF and at FIFPRO’s Women’s Player Summits has focused on player development and leadership, entrepreneurship is about preparing players for success long after their playing careers end.

“Portuguese football is developing a lot, and I have the responsibility to help the young generations and help my team-mates be more prepared for what’s coming,” she said.

“Now, as I prepare to leave the game, I want to leave a good legacy. I want players to understand where we came from so they can value what they’re achieving today.”

Strengthening the collective voice

The initiative comes at an important moment for women’s football in Portugal, with the union continuing to campaign for the country’s first collective bargaining agreement while pushing for stronger minimum standards across the professional game.

According to Evangelista, the ambassadors project is designed to help organise players around shared goals while encouraging more women’s footballers to become active participants in shaping the future of the sport.

“In a moment where we are still fighting for the first collective bargaining agreement in Portugal and to settle minimum standards in different areas of women's football, we need our members to be vocal and inspire all the players in the country to be united and support those causes,” he said.

“Despite the significant development of the game in Portugal, women’s players still have a lack of space to show their concerns and opportunities to act as a collective voice. Our ambassadors will work as role models and help the union organise players around their common objectives, no matter their status or contractual situation.”

The project also serves another long-term objective: strengthening union culture among young footballers.

“It's a way to show our young players that being part of the union is a natural step to protect player rights,” Evangelista said. “We hope to contribute to a culture of collective bargaining, organising the next generations to stand up and push for positive change.

“At the same time, we intend to educate our players and prepare their future involvement in leadership roles in sport, just as we have done for decades with positive impact in the men's game.”

Fontemanha believes the responsibility to improve the game belongs to every generation of players. 

“We fought a lot for what players have now, but there is still a lot of work to do,” she said. “The players who leave the game will continue fighting for them, but it's also the responsibility of the new generations to keep using their voices, to be role models and to build even more for women’s football.”