A businesslike performance against AS Far earned Arsenal a place in Sunday’s final of the inaugural Fifa Women’s Champions Cup against Corinthians.
Four goals in the first half – from Stina Blackstenius, Frida Maanum, Mariona Caldentey and Olivia Smith – allowed Renée Slegers to rotate players and rest some legs and the substitute Alessia Russo added two after the break to complete the rout.
“The players dealt so well with the unknown because it’s the first time we played against them,” said the Arsenal manager. “So I’m really happy with that. We are very together at the moment. We’re connected on the pitch. We’re doing things with a lot of discipline.”
Corinthians’ 1-0 defeat of Gotham FC in the first Champions Cup semi-final earlier in the day had provided an upset at Brentford’s Gtech stadium but there was no risk of Africa’s Champions League winners doing the same to their European counterparts – the developmental gulf is just too big.
This was the first time an African women’s club had met a European club in a competitive official match and the Moroccan side were worthy representatives, their qualification for the Champions Cup thanks to a steady development that has led to them winning two Champions League titles in four years.
There was an 83.6% increase in spending on international transfer fees in women’s football in 2025 compared with 2024, according to the latest report released by Fifa.
A total of $28.6m (£20.8m) was spent on international transfers, with a record high 135 women’s clubs paying a transfer fee. Fifa’s data excludes deals between teams from the same country, such as Arsenal’s landmark £1m move to sign Olivia Smith from Liverpool.
The figures continue a trend of rapid inflation in transfer fees across the women’s game. In 2023 Fifa reported a spend on international transfer fees of $6.1m, less than a quarter of that spent two years later.
The vast majority of international transfers – 81.4% – still involve end-of-contract moves, and the average contract length was 16.3 months.
Fifa revealed that London City Lionesses’ purchase of the France midfielder Grace Geyoro from Paris Saint-Germain involved the largest fee of any international deal in 2025 and that the promoted WSL club were the second-biggest spenders on international transfers fees.
Chelsea led that chart, having been involved in two of the five biggest international moves, signing the United States duo Alyssa Thompson and Naomi Girma.
Fifa’s report also drew attention to the relatively low salaries that many players receive: in 2025, the median annual fixed salary for a player making an international transfers was $19,800, although more than a fifth of players involved receive more than $50,000 a year. Tom Garry
“Compliments to the opposition,” said Slegers. “Of course, it was a hard game for them tonight, but I think the way they presented themselves and the way they represented football in Morocco and as the champions of Africa, it was very inspirational.
“What they’re doing is inspiring so many people, hopefully so many young girls see the opportunities to play football and that this is possible.”
This was the next step and, regardless of a run of five wins in a row prior to the meeting with England’s most decorated side, they set up accordingly, a back five and four in the middle with Sanaa Mssoudy their lone target up front.
Despite that defensive shape, they were quickly undone by their opponents, who opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Blackstenius nodded the ball over the line before it was hooked clear by Aziza Rabbah and goalline technology confirmed it had crossed.
Four minutes later Arsenal had a second via Maanum who converted as she spun round to face goal, the club’s much-changed but still potent and experienced starting XI delivering the efficient performance needed before the final on Sunday and then an important Women’s Super League game against the leaders Manchester City next week.
Ultimately, this is a tournament Arsenal could have done without, at this stage of the season at least, with the pressure about to ramp up when Champions League football restarts in two weeks’ time, but a trophy is a trophy and with a chunk of a £1.7m prize pot available the incentive to take it seriously was there.
The third goal arrived courtesy of a Zineb Redouani handball in the box, picked up by the video assistant referee, and Caldentey converted from the spot before Olivia Smith provided the fourth. Russo entered the fray at the hour mark and two goals within 10 minutes followed soon after.
“Now we’ve earned the right to play in the final, that’s one step closer to being history-makers and that’s what we want to be,” said Slegers. “Full respect to Corinthians and what they did against Gotham, that was very impressive, so it’s going to be a tough game.”
