Women’s football was born during the First World War, when men went off to fight at the front and women took up positions at the machine tools in the factories. To take their minds off routine, women were allowed to play football during breaks. Soon tournaments were held between factories.
The war ended and women’s football was suppressed by the English Football League as serious competition to men’s football. Now women’s football is gaining popularity and can even be found in new casino without Swedish license. It is no coincidence that our rankings feature so many girls playing for France, the birthplace of women’s football.
Best female players of the past and present
There are several notable figures in the history of women’s football.
Abby Womback
Retired from professional football in 2015. She holds the title of two-time Olympic and world champion. Abby has scored 184 goals in her career, a figure that has not been beaten by anyone else. Wombach is on lists of top footballers and a Barbie doll was even created in her honour.
Alex Morgan
Reigning USA national team forward. She has been named UEFA World Player of the Year every year since 2012. She holds Olympic and World Championship titles. Alex’s distinctive feature is her fast running speed. In her spare time she writes books.
Carly Lloyd
Midfielder for Team USA. Twice winner of UEFA’s World Player of the Year award. This woman stands out for her immense ambition and professionalism. Her motto is “win at all costs”.
Leike Martens.
She plays for the Dutch national team and FC Barcelona. Her innocuous, angelic exterior hides a strong-willed character. Lijke promotes a healthy lifestyle, vegetarianism, love and world peace. In doing so, UEFA voted her the best female footballer of 2017.
Marta Vieira da Silva
Known as Marta, she plays at the forward position for the Brazilian national team. She has been tacitly referred to as “Pele in a skirt”. She has won the world’s best player five years in a row.
The formation and development of women’s football
In 1971, a Mexican business wanted to repeat the success of the previous year and decided to hold an unofficial women’s football championship. The sponsors invited only six countries from around the world, but even that was enough to attract the attention of the public and make money. The success of the women’s championship was not sufficiently covered by the media, and women’s football never gained widespread popularity. The event was particularly neglected in Europe.
In 1999, the most successful FIFA Women’s World Cup took place. During the matches, around 30,000 spectators came to the stadium.
Since then, much has changed in the world of women’s football:
Paying
The highest paid female football player earns 450,000 euros per year, while men of a similar level earn around 350,000 euros per match. However, the difference in salaries between women’s and men’s football players has started to narrow, and this trend cannot but make women’s football fans happy.
Sponsors
Women’s football is increasingly attracting important sponsors and the number of contracts is steadily increasing. The prize money for international women’s football championships is also growing.
Match attendance
In recent years the number of spectators at women’s football matches has started to break unimaginable records.
Comfortable uniforms
Women used to wear baggy shirts and shorts which looked a lot like men’s shirts. But that all changed at the 2019 World Cup. For the first time, female footballers started looking feminine. After all, every female athlete has a different body shape, so Nike designed unique uniforms for each team.
Advertising is the engine of commerce, and competent marketing increases the popularity of women’s football in the world. Today, advertisements for top women’s matches can be found on social media, on major television channels and in other reputable publications. Pictures of women footballers have appeared on the covers of glossy magazines and the feminist movement is fighting for equal pay.
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