Ted Lasso is back — and this time he’s not coaching Richmond’s men. Season four of the Apple TV phenomenon, which returned to screens this month, hands Coach Lasso a second-division women’s team, the Lady Greyhounds, and a script built entirely around the question the real football world has been asking: how seriously are people taking women’s football?
It’s fiction, but the timing isn’t coincidental. Women’s football has never had this much momentum — record crowds, record investment, and now a World Cup on the way. FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 lands in Brazil next year, and this time the tech behind the scenes won’t be an afterthought. Lenovo, Official Technology Partner of both the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027, is promising the same AI-powered performance tools for the women’s tournament as the men’s — no watered-down version, either.
Lenovo’s Silke Barlow on AI, Beckham & the Women’s Game
As we wrote back in July, when Beckham’s Lenovo campaign launched in time for the men’s tournament, the subtext wasn’t hard to miss: you don’t need to be a “tech person” to benefit from AI. Even Beckham said of AI, Data and sport: “Football will always be defined by talent, instinct, hard work and the unforgettable moments that make the game special. Now AI and data are helping us to understand the sport more deeply — shaping how players and coaches prepare and how fans connect with the game.”
So what about the Women’s World Cup?
Silke Barlow, Country General Manager, Lenovo Australia, talked to Women Love Tech about what that looks like on the ground — for the players heading to Brazil next year.
The tech: a level playing field, literally
Following our time together at last year’s Melbourne Grand Prix when Women Love Tech was shown support provided by Lenovo that motors Formula One and this year’s World Cup of which Lenovo sponsors both, it’s been great to see the brand get behind so much action sport. Silke, can you expand on how the women’s tournament in Brazil will receive AI-driven performance support?
‘The AI-powered performance capabilities we’re introducing at the FIFA World Cup 2026 will also be available at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil — that’s a deliberate part of our partnership with FIFA.’
Silke Barlow, Country Manager, Lenovo Australia
Silke: The AI-powered performance capabilities we’re introducing at the FIFA World Cup 2026 will also be available at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil — that’s a deliberate part of our partnership with FIFA. Through our FIFA AI Pro platform, coaches, players and analysts get advanced performance insights and tactical analysis to prepare for opponents and make more informed decisions. What we’re proud of is that this is available to every participating team, not just the well-funded ones — helping broaden access to elite-level performance analysis and support the continued growth of the women’s game.
The Beckham question
David Beckham is a global icon, but not a traditional tech figure — and he’s also not, on the face of it, the obvious face for a campaign aimed at women founders. Was that a deliberate choice, and how does it land with an audience of women who don’t see themselves as “tech people”?
Silke: David is one of the world’s best-known sporting figures, but he’s also a successful entrepreneur who understands how technology supports productivity, creativity and business growth — that makes him a natural fit for the message. At Lenovo, we believe AI should be intuitive and accessible regardless of industry or technical background. David shows that AI isn’t just for technologists — it’s a tool that can help anyone, including women founders, work smarter.
‘David shows that AI isn’t just for technologists — it’s a tool that can help anyone, including women founders, work smarter.’
Silke Barlow, Country Manager, Lenovo Australia
For his part, Beckham has said the partnership is about more than football — that AI and data are helping people understand the sport more deeply, shaping how players and coaches prepare and how fans connect with the game.
What founders should actually use
The partnership talks about AI helping “anyone operate at their best,” from professionals to small business owners. What should female founders and SMB owners actually be looking at right now?
Silke: For many founders, the challenge isn’t believing in AI — it’s knowing where to start. Personal AI tools like Lenovo AI Now automate routine tasks and cut down time spent on admin. As businesses scale their AI use, Lenovo’s AI Library offers proven use cases and agents to improve productivity and customer experience, while Lenovo’s AI Factory provides the infrastructure to operationalise it securely. Together, they help founders move from idea to execution without having to build AI capability from scratch.
Curious what that looks like in practice? Gallery owner Michael Reid OAM recently walked Women Love Tech through exactly this journey — untangling years of spreadsheets across exhibition lists, stock registers and artist records to build an AI-ready gallery business.
