WORLD CUP
2026

For most of the twentieth century, women were actively discouraged from playing football. In England the Football Association banned women from using professional grounds all the way from 1921 until 1971, and similar bans existed in many other countries. Despite these obstacles, women kept playing, kept organising their own tournaments, and kept pushing for the right to compete. Their determination eventually paid off. The first official FIFA Women's World Cup was held in China in 1991, and twelve national teams competed for the trophy. From that small beginning the tournament has grown into a massive global event watched by hundreds of millions of people. The heroes of women's football did not just score goals and win trophies. They fought for permission to play, for equal prize money, for proper pitches and professional contracts, and for the right to be taken seriously as athletes. The legends we meet in this topic are giants of sport, and their stories are about far more than football.