Perhaps the best thing about the ongoing football World Cup that comes to an end tomorrow afternoon is that we don’t have to qualify the gender of its participants. Much like its older, more famous counterpart that is played by men not requiring the prefix of being a Men’s Football World Cup. We say ‘perhaps’ because what could actually be the best thing about the World Cup that’ll crown a new champion tomorrow – Spain or England – is the quality of football that has been played in the tournament, especially from the ‘serious’ knock-out stage where the girls were separated from the women. Players like Australia’s Sam Kerr, Spain’s Salma Paralluelo, Holland’s Esmee Brugts and England’s Lauren Hemp have been stand-outs. As have been sides like Nigeria and Jamaica that sent packing ‘stronger’ sides.
This is an arena where we have forgotten during long stretches of play the gender of the players – even while being paradoxically very much aware that these women have been tackling, shooting, saving, heading and even fouling on the field no differently than the ‘other lot’. Quality of play and not treating the tournament any differently from the ‘other World Cup’ are the two real ingredients that have made this World Cup such a winner. Other fields of work and play wishing to push for a gendered level playing field should learn from it.
