At the World Football Summit, I spoke about how storytelling can help drive social change — and later found space to think about those ideas above the city, at Madrid’s Palacio de los Duques Gran Meliá.
An invitation to speak at the summit isn’t my usual habitat, but the worlds of fashion, media and sport are coming together in interesting ways. Our panel explored how storytelling can help shape a fairer, more connected society — how the same cultural forces that drive creativity are helping sport to challenge imbalance and bring new voices forward. It was a privilege to be part of that conversation, surrounded by people who thought about visibility, access, and representation through a broader cultural lens.
Beyond our session, the summit made clear just how much football is changing. The conversations weren’t only about the game itself but about the business, culture and values around it. You could feel the shift in energy — from the Lionesses’ Euros triumph and the record crowds of the Women’s World Cup, to the rise of domestic leagues attracting global audiences and sponsors investing properly for the first time. Clubs and federations spoke about the long game: building sustainable pathways for girls, rethinking governance models, and ensuring commercial growth doesn’t come at the cost of integrity. There was a real sense that women’s sport is moving from momentum to permanence, supported by brands and media that understand the value of visibility done well.
And what a pleasure it was to be in Madrid for it. I stayed at the Palacio de los Duques Gran Meliá, a 19th-century palace just behind the Royal Theatre, where history and modern design sit easily side by side. The building combines two former residences — one monastic, one aristocratic — and you can still feel traces of both: cool corridors, tiled floors, light falling softly through tall windows. In the mornings, breakfast drifts out into the courtyard among lemon trees and white jasmine; by evening, it’s a place to pause and exhale.
The hotel’s restaurants are excellent, but most evenings I preferred to sit outside with a glass of Rioja, a plate of jamón ibérico and manchego, and the sound of the city softening as the day faded. The rooftop pool is another quiet joy — a calm space to swim above the rooftops and look out across the palace gardens.
