The AUF Equality Cup is relevant because it marks a before and after in gender equality in football. It is a disruptive and novel idea that promotes values such as equality and human rights, but above all it is the starting point to continue with this initiative in other sports.

It is an idea that seeks to professionalize Women's Football in Uruguay, so that women can be professionals and have the same opportunities as men. It is an idea that allowed Women's Football to gain access to sponsorships, fan support and a place in the mass media like never before.

This action generated a change in the country's society, installing a problem that transcends football, but using its massiveness to make it visible.

Both the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) and McDonald's (sponsor of the Uruguayan National Football Team and sponsor of the AUF Equality Cup) are committed to gender and equality issues.

The AUF has developed the AUF TV streaming platform to give visibility to Women's Football in Uruguay, and has also allocated resources so that all clubs have a Women's Team and a space for training. The work can also be seen in the internal work of the Association, where a gender committee was created.

McDonald's is one of the brands with more women in senior corporate positions, with gender actions that are strongly related to the AUF Equality Cup.

The objective was to give a message of equality and integration within the Uruguayan Football, from that goal was worked strongly in every aspect surrounding the action.

Women's Football in Uruguay is still not 100% professional, it is developing in the shadows of Men's Football, with very little presence in the media and few sponsors, which generates little interest on the part of society.

According to FIFA regulations, all clubs must have a women's team in order to play in the first division; this was only enforced this year in Uruguay.

In addition, only 2 teams out of 15 in the Women's League had professional contracts for their players, which caused us great concern, marking a great inequality.

In this context, the AUF Equality Cup revolutionized Uruguayan football in 2022, as it was an official competition, the first in history, involving both the Women's League and the Men's League together, encouraging clubs, media and sponsors to support the Women's League.

The AUF Equality Cup is the first official competition in the history of sports that adds the score of the Women's Football League and the score of the Men's Football League.

We created a tournament where the scores of the men's team and the women's team of each institution are added together to determine the winning team. All this without affecting the independent development of both competitions.

It is an idea as disruptive as it is simple to execute, we took advantage of the massiveness, visibility and importance of Men's Football in Uruguay to give a message that transcends to the whole society.

The simplicity of execution helped clubs, sponsors, media and fans to quickly focus on Women's Football, thus helping to bridge the gap between the two genders.

Football in Uruguay transcends the whole of society; it is a country that is very passionate about sports, where every action that is done or communicated in this sport has a direct relevance and impact on each and every Uruguayan.

At the same time, the Uruguayan Football Association is working on gender issues, and is a national entity that has a great power of convocation and arrival in its messages.

Based on football as a vehicle for communication and social responsibility, the AUF Equality Cup was planned, an action to end gender inequality in football in Uruguay, but also to send a clear message to society as a whole about the struggle for gender equality.

The implementation of the AUF Equality Cup was simple, based on adding the points of the Women's Football League and the Men's Football League in Uruguay, without affecting the independent development of both competitions.

The process was based on presenting the idea to the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) and McDonald's, sponsor of the Uruguayan National Football Team. Then we developed a set of rules, a unique trophy and an audiovisual presentation of the action at an event with the Vice President of Uruguay, in order to kick off the competition at the beginning of both tournaments.

We included the AUF Equality Cup standings in the media agenda, which generated repercussions throughout society.

At the end of the season, we presented the trophy to the winning team and invited all countries to replicate this initiative.

The AUF Equality Cup achieved the main objective we seek with this action, which is to give more visibility and support to Women's Football in Uruguay.

A commitment was made by the Uruguayan Football Association to continue holding the AUF Equality Cup year after year and the sponsorship of McDonald's to continue with this fight to achieve equality not only in football, but in all sports.

Women's soccer in Uruguay became a model in the region, achieving that for the first time in the history of women's soccer in Uruguay the matches were broadcasted on television, ticket sales also increased, thanks to the diffusion of the media and the name of the tournament was marketed for the first time by a brand.

Society's perception of Women's Football changed, and this could be seen in the constant monitoring of the AUF Equality Cup standings.

Football in Uruguay transcends the whole society, it is a country that is very passionate about sports and everything that is done or communicated in it has relevance.

Another aspect to highlight is that in Uruguay all Men's Football teams also have their Women's Football team, where both championships operate independently and are not related.

It should also be noted that Women's Football in Uruguay is still not 100% professional, but continues to develop, which is why the AUF Equality Cup provided resources for the professionalization of every female football player in the country.