I don’t like soccer. But here I am, in mid-August, accompanied by four young people, watching and cheering on the women’s soccer team at the World Cup final. Some young people who didn’t give a penny for the participating girls until a few years ago, all players from much worse federation teams. But this summer they followed the entire World Cup, the names of all the players of the Spanish team and many other teams are known. This description alone is the success of these women who, ahead of many other players who have tried to turn their passion for football into a career, today managed to attract the attention of many people, including those outside of the sport, towards the final to steer. A success… even if they lost.
Nowadays, the sports programs of various channels, led by their presenters, extol the many virtues of the Spanish team. They didn’t skimp on criticism of some of their players either. However, I’ve heard little about his controversial coach. In any case, they have become the big spokesmen for the Reds women’s leap to success when they themselves or their teammates have for years made or been complicit in making young women’s football invisible, by citing their lack of technique, Attack discipline, professionalism, etc. They have done little to change this situation by sponsoring these teams on a large scale and with large amounts of money.
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Beyond just football, the women on this team, from previous rosters and from teams from other countries, have a whole range of virtues that we shouldn’t overlook when we see them play. Women in football and other sports face gender stereotypes every day. As it happens with girls in the schoolyard, they hear every day that soccer, good soccer, is a man’s sport, which means that if you play regularly, even professionally, you’re interfering in an area that doesn’t affect you, or you you’re boyish, if not, a machirulo. Despite everything, they keep going, even under the most adverse conditions. Smart, strong, hardworking, beautiful and… brave. We have seen athletes from countries where it is against the law to practice sports. A courage that they show when, for example, they live their homosexuality without complexes. Yes, they are also leading the fight for LGTBI rights without their sexuality becoming a global hashtag. Not to mention how they stand up to racism or ageism without stopping parties or launching campaigns. They have even dared to subject themselves to extreme pressure and sacrifice.
Ladies, thank you and congratulations.
Algeria Queralt Jimenez She is a lawyer and founder of Agenda Pública.
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