Every global women’s sports competition is more than a mere sporting spectacle. It has often pioneered the creation of a more egalitarian society, seeking to dispel outdated notions of male exceptionalism and spur the world at large to undertake broader social reform. The FIFA Women’s World Cup, which concluded on Sunday after Spain’s narrow 1-0 win over England, is an important part of this movement. Under a dazzling Sydney night sky, 75,784 fans at the Australia Stadium watched Spain lift its first World Cup title to join Germany as one of only two nations to win. both male and female titles. The Guardian reports an average of 30,000 fans attended each match over the course of a month in Australia and New Zealand and nearly two million tickets – a record – were purchased. These are staggering numbers for an indie event for women, the kind of event that has suffered from the indifference of managers and spectators in the past. It’s largely down to excellence on the pitch, with the likes of Spain’s Aitana Bonmati, the tournament’s best player, Olga Carmona, who scored Spain’s winning goal in the semi-final. and finalists, Hinata Miyazawa of Japan, top goal – Top scorer (5), and Mary Earps of England, best goalkeeper, mesmerized the audience.
The World Cup also shows the geographical spread of women’s football. Where countries from Europe and South America were once the dominant force for men, in the women’s event’s short nine-term history, only four times have winners come from these two regions – twice Germany, Norway and now Spain. In 2023, Germany in addition to losing to Colombia was also eliminated from the group stage. Japan, the 2011 world champion, defeated the overall winner Spain 4-0 in the preliminary round. Morocco has made history by making it through to the round of 16 while hosts Australia’s 4th place is its best ever. The four-time champion United States of America, led by retired star Megan Rapinoe, slipped the podium for the first time, but that only proves the overall depth of the league’s quality. As Marta, the Brazilian legend, who attended her sixth and final World Cup, said: “When I started, there were no idols in women’s football. Twenty years later, we have become role models for many women…” To tap into this positive energy, governing body FIFA has a lot of work to do. Addressing the large remuneration gap between men and women — the World Cup prize pool is worth $440 million versus $152 million — could be a good start on the long road towards normalizing excellence in the industry. women’s sport.
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