One could say that the history of women’s football is an epic chronicle of resilience and resistance. The first indication of women involved in ball sports date back to the Han Dynasty in China, back in the year 220 A.C.
Furthermore, records point to the existence of women’s football matches in Scotland in 1790, followed by a few occurrences in 1863. However, according to FIFA, the first official women’s football match was registered on March 23rd, 1885, in Crouch End, London, England.
There are also documents that indicate that the category’s most prominent initiative dates back to 1894, when Nettie Honeyball founded the pioneer British sports club aptly named “The British Ladies’ Football Club”.
Bans
During the First World War (1914-1918), with a significant portion of the male population on the battlefield, women started taking prominent roles in the workforce. Due to this, many factories put together their own women’s football teams.
With the war over, male football championships were back in place and women’s football shifted to being seen as a threat. Because of this, on December 5th, 1921, the English Football Association opted to prohibit all football, or any form of it practiced by women, in every stadium in the country.
This measure was revoked in 1969, two years after the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) advised its partners to manage and promote women’s football, which led to its consolidation over the next few years in Europe.
Women’s football in Latin America
The British ban spilled over into other countries around the world, like France, Belgium, Brazil, Germany and Paraguay. When considering the history of the prohibition of women’s football, Brazil stands out as one of the most emblematic examples.
The “country of football” banned women from practicing football and other sports for almost four decades. The regulatory sports institutions claimed that sports with physical contact and combat were not compatible with a woman’s body. This measure was revoked in 1979, without much improvement.
In Paraguay, 1960, a decree also prohibited women from practicing football, alleging this sport countered the “feminine essence” and could have harmful effects on fertility. Only three decades later was the decree revoked, thus, making it possible to hold the first experimental tournament of women’s football, in 1997.
Meanwhile in Argentina, 1971, a group called “Las Pioneras” made history after participating for the first time in a women’s football team at the Women’s World Football Championship (not yet official).
The cultural disparity between Latin-American countries definitely had an impact on the way the sport developed in each country. The bans were a huge set back and to this day women are still trying to make up for lost time.
Today
In present day Latin America, we have been seeing a cultural shift. Interest in women’s football has increased across the continent, so much so that the regulatory sports institutions have begun paying attention.
It’s worth mentioning that in 2019 the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) stated that all men’s teams must have a professional women’s team and a base team. FIFA, the regulatory institution of world football, has been investing in advertising and advocating for women’s football.
This investment has been fruitful: in 2022, Corinthians not only achieved the attendance record for women’s football in Brazil, but also established this most impressive record in all of South America, securing an audience of 41.070 people at the Neo Química Arena for the final of the Brazilian Championship.
The previous record was set at the Colombian Championship in July of the same year, when 37.100 fans were present for a match between América de Cali and Deportivo Cali.
The fans’ action in women’s football caught the eye of major brands, such as Coca-Cola, iFood, Itaú, Latam and McDonalds, which began funding women’s sports clubs and helped bring more visibility to the challenges the athletes face.
