October 3 – The UEFA Women’s Champions League kicks off next week and with it the first-ever Women’s Champions League Fantasy Football game.
The fantasy game, presented by Amazon, enables fans to compete either as individuals in one of three public leagues, as well as in mini-leagues with friends.
The three public leagues are the overall leaderboard, a league with players all from the same country coutry and one with other players who support the same Women’s Champions League team.
Fantasy players pick a 15-player squad (Goalkeepers x 2, Defenders x 5, Midfielders x 5, Forwards x 3) starting with a budget of €100 million that rises to €105 million after the league phase.
There is a maximum of three players per team in the league phase and there are two free transfers every matchday. Substitutions can be made on a match day, while captains score double points with fantasy players allowed to switch captains between matches.
Fantasy football has become a staple of fandom and engagement in the mens game over the past 20 years. With Europe’s top women players now enjoying the highest profiles their game has ever had, picking a fantasy team is no longer the selection pot luck it would have been for most six years ago.
The most expensive players available for selection Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí and Arsenal’s Alessia Russo (both €10.5 million). Barca’s Alexia Putellas costs €10 million while Chelsea’s mercurial Chloe Kelly costs €9 million, the same as Lyon’s Ada Hegerberg.
Chelsea’s Lauren James looks like good value at €8 million, while her Chelsea teammate and breakthrough England stopper Hannah Hamilton costs €6 million. That is €500,000 more than PSG’s Mary Earps who she shut out for the England goalkeeper’s spot.
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