(Reuters) - An international women's sevens soccer series is set to launch before the Women's Champions League final in May with a $5 million prize pool per edition, organisers said on Thursday.
"World Sevens Football" was co-founded by Jennifer Mackesy, co-owner of the American NWSL club Gotham FC and the WSL's Chelsea. The Guardian reported there is a commitment to invest $100 million in the series over a five-year period.
Along with the short format, the league promises eight world-class professional clubs and top global players.
Speaking of the prize pot, Mackesy said in a statement that it aims to "provide (players) economic opportunity in a way that truly reflects their value."
The sevens games will consist of two 15-minute halves, and extra time for tiebreakers.
Described as a "grand slam series", the first event is scheduled to kick off in Portugal from May 21-23 with future events planned worldwide.
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
