Women's association football facts for kids
Alex Morgan and Stefanie van der Gragt battle for the ball during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Final in Lyon, France
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| Highest governing body | FIFA |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | The Women's Game, WoSo |
| First played | 1880s, Great Britain |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | Yes |
| Team members | 11 per side (including goalkeeper) |
| Mixed-sex | No, separate competitions |
| Type | Team sport, ball game |
| Equipment | Football (or soccer ball), football boots, shin guards, kits, and gloves (for goalkeepers) |
| Venue | Football pitch (football field, football ground, soccer field, soccer ground or "pitch") |
| Glossary | Glossary of association football |
| Presence | |
| Country or region | Worldwide |
| Olympic | Since 1996 |
| Paralympic | No |
Women's association football, often called women's football or women's soccer, is the exciting team sport of association football played by girls and women. It is a professional sport in many countries around the world. About 200 national teams compete in international matches. The same rules, known as the Laws of the Game, are used for both women's and men's football.
Women's football has a long and interesting history. In the 1920s, it became very popular in the United Kingdom. One match even drew over 50,000 fans! However, football authorities in England banned women's teams from using their fields from 1921 to 1970. Many other countries also saw similar bans and challenges for female players.
Despite these difficulties, women's football continued to grow. International tournaments became very popular in the 1970s. The AFC Women's Asian Cup, a major continental championship, was founded during this time. The first official FIFA Women's World Cup was held in China in 1991. It has since become a huge television event watched by millions globally.
Contents
- The Story of Women's Football
- The Munitionettes' Cup: A Wartime Tournament
- The FA Ban: A Difficult Time (1921–1970)
- Early Tournaments After the Ban
- The Game's Comeback
- Early Women's World Championships (1970 and 1971)
- The Rise of Professional Women's Football
- Growth in Asia and Oceania
- Women's Football in North America
- Women's Football in the 21st Century
- International Competitions: Playing for Your Country
- Domestic Leagues and Cups
- Youth Tournaments: Future Stars
- College Football in the US and Canada
- See also
The Story of Women's Football
Women might have been playing football for as long as the game has existed! There is evidence that a similar game called cuju was played by women in China during the Han dynasty (25–220 CE). Old paintings show female figures playing tsu chu. Records from the 1790s even mention annual matches played by women in Midlothian, Scotland.
In 1863, football rules were made clearer to prevent violence. This made the sport safer for everyone, including women. The first international women's match happened in 1881 in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was part of a tour by teams from Scotland and England.
The British Ladies' Football Club was started by Nettie Honeyball in England in 1894. They played the first officially recorded women's match in England in March 1895. Honeyball wanted to show the world that women were strong and capable. She helped open the door for women's football. However, the sport was not supported by the main British football associations. Some people think this was because they felt women's football threatened the "masculinity" of the game.
The Munitionettes' Cup: A Wartime Tournament
During the First World War, many women worked in factories making ammunition. These "Munitionettes" formed football teams. In August 1917, a tournament called "The Munitionettes' Cup" began in north-east England. The first winners were Blyth Spartans, who beat Bolckow Vaughan 5–0 in 1918. An amazing crowd of 22,000 people watched the final! The tournament ran for a second year, showing how popular it was.
Teams like Dick, Kerr Ladies F.C. from Preston, England, became very famous. They played in one of the first women's international matches against a French team in 1920. They also played against a Scottish Ladies team, winning 22–0!
The FA Ban: A Difficult Time (1921–1970)
Despite its huge popularity, women's football in England faced a major setback in December 1921. The Football Association (FA) banned women from playing on their member clubs' pitches. The FA claimed that "the game of football is quite unsuitable for females."
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Many players and writers believed this ban was due to jealousy. Women's matches often attracted larger crowds than some men's games. The FA also had no control over the money raised by women's charity matches. Alice Barlow, a player for Dick, Kerr Ladies, said they thought it was "jealousy."
Even with the ban, some women's teams kept playing. The Northern Rugby Union did not follow the FA's ban. So, the short-lived English Ladies Football Association (1921–1922) played some matches on rugby grounds.
Other countries also banned women's football. Germany's Football Association banned it from 1955 to 1970. France had a ban from 1941 to 1970. In Brazil, women and girls were legally stopped from playing football from 1941 to 1979.
Early Tournaments After the Ban
After the FA ban, the English Ladies' Football Association was formed in 1921. It had 58 clubs. A silver cup was donated, and 23 teams entered the first competition in 1922. Stoke Ladies won, beating Doncaster and Bentley Ladies 3–1.
In 1937, the famous Dick, Kerr Ladies F.C. played the Edinburgh City Girls. They competed for the "Championship of Great Britain and the World." Dick, Kerr won with a 5–1 score. In 1939, the Edinburgh City Girls beat Dick, Kerr 5–2 to take the title.
The Game's Comeback
Interest in women's football grew again, especially after the 1966 FIFA World Cup. The English Women's FA was formed in 1969.
The FA's ban in England lasted for almost 50 years, until January 1970. The next year, UEFA (Europe's football governing body) suggested that national associations should manage women's football. In 2002, Lily Parr of Dick Kerr's Ladies became the first woman in the National Football Museum Hall of Fame. The FA finally apologized for banning women's football in 2008, 87 years later.
Early Women's World Championships (1970 and 1971)
In 1970, a group called the Federation of Independent European Female Football (FIEFF) organized the 1970 Women's World Cup in Italy. This event was not officially recognized by FIFA. Denmark won the tournament. A second edition, the 1971 Women's World Cup, was held in Mexico the next year. The final, also won by Denmark, was played at Estadio Azteca. An incredible crowd of over 110,000 people watched the match!
The Rise of Professional Women's Football
In the 1970s, Italy became the first country to have professional women's football players, even if it was part-time. Italy also brought in players from other European countries. This helped make their league more exciting. Players like Susanne Augustesen (Denmark) and Rose Reilly (Scotland) played there. Sweden was the first country to create a fully professional women's league, the Damallsvenskan, in 1988.
Growth in Asia and Oceania
In 1989, Japan started Asia's first semi-professional women's football league, the L. League. In 2020, Japan launched the WE League, Asia's first fully professional women's league, which began in the fall of 2021.
Indonesia saw its first national women's football event, the "Kartini Cup," in 1981. The Pertiwi Cup started in 2006, bringing teams from all over Indonesia. The first professional league, Liga 1 Putri, began in 2019.
In Australia, the W-League, now known as A-League Women, was formed in 2008. China launched the Chinese Women's Super League (CWSL) in 2015. India's top league, the Indian Women's League, started in 2016.
Women's Football in North America
The United States women's national soccer team was formed in 1985. After their amazing win in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, the first professional women's soccer league in the US, the WUSA, was launched. It featured stars like Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain. A second league, Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), started in 2009. Today, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is the top professional league in the US. It began in 2012 with support from the US, Canadian, and Mexican soccer federations.
In 2017, Liga MX Femenil was launched in Mexico. It quickly broke attendance records. This league features women's teams from the same clubs as the men's Liga MX. In March 2024, the NWSL and Liga MX Femenil announced a new international competition, the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, which started in July 2024.
In the United States, men's and women's teams in the same city often have different owners and names. However, some cases exist where a men's and women's team share an owner, like Utah Royals (NWSL) and Real Salt Lake (MLS).
Women's Football in the 21st Century
A 2014 FIFA report showed that women's football was growing rapidly in popularity and participation. More professional leagues were starting worldwide. The number of tickets sold for the 1999 Women's World Cup reached over 1.1 million. This showed a huge increase in support for the sport.
However, challenges remain. Women's pay and opportunities are often different compared to professional male football players. Women's football also generally has less television and media coverage. But the popularity and participation in women's football continue to grow steadily.
Record-breaking crowds have shown this growth. In April 2022, FC Barcelona set a new official attendance record for a women's club match. 91,648 fans watched them play Wolfsburg at Camp Nou. This was the largest crowd for women's football since the 1971 World Cup final. In April 2024, the 2023–24 A-League Women season in Australia set a record for the most attended season of any women's sport in Australian history, with over 312,000 fans.
International Competitions: Playing for Your Country
Global Tournaments
The FIFA Women's World Cup
The first known World Cup tournaments for women were in Italy (1970) and Mexico (1971). These events had huge crowds and were organized by the FIEFF. FIFA officially recognized its first women's international match in 2003, which was France vs. Netherlands in 1971.
The first official FIFA Women's World Cup was held in China in November 1991. The United States won it. Norway became champions in 1995. The United States won again in 1999 in front of over 90,000 fans. Germany won back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2007. Japan won in 2011. The United States claimed the trophy again in 2015 and 2019. Most recently, Spain won the tournament for the first time in 2023.
A new international club competition, the FIFA Women's Club World Cup, is planned to start in early 2028. It will happen every four years. In other years, a smaller annual competition, the FIFA Women's Champions Cup, will take place, starting in early 2026.
Football at the Olympics
Women's Football has been part of the Olympic Games since the 1996 Summer Olympics. Unlike the men's tournament, women's Olympic teams do not have age restrictions. This means professional players of any age can compete. Women's football is not currently a Paralympic event.
North American Competitions
The CONCACAF W Championship is a women's football competition for North, Central American, and Caribbean teams. It often helps teams qualify for the Women's World Cup and the Olympics.
The CONCACAF W Gold Cup had its first tournament in 2024. It featured 12 national teams, and the United States won. The CONCACAF W Champions Cup is an annual club competition to find the best club team in the region.
European Competitions
Early European women's tournaments were held in 1969 and 1979. UEFA, Europe's football body, started the official UEFA Women's Championship in 1984. It is also known as the UEFA Women's Euro.
Sweden won the first tournament in 1984. Norway won in 1987. From 1995 to 2013, Germany dominated, winning six titles in a row. Other winners include the Netherlands (2017) and England (2022). In 2025, England successfully defended their title against Spain.
The UEFA Women's Nations League is another competition for European national teams, held every two years. The UEFA Women's Champions League is an international club competition for the best women's club teams in Europe.
South American Competitions
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The Copa América Femenina is the main competition for national teams in South America, organized by CONMEBOL.
The Copa Libertadores Femenina is the international club competition for women's teams in the CONMEBOL region. It started in 2009 due to growing interest in women's football.
African Competitions
The Women's Africa Cup of Nations is held every two years. It is organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). Nigeria is the most successful nation, with 11 titles. The CAF Women's Champions League is the international club competition for top African women's teams.
Asian Competitions
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The AFC Women's Asian Cup is a competition held every four years for national teams in Asia. It is the oldest women's international football competition in the region.
The SAFF Women's Championship is for national teams in South Asia. India won the first five editions. Bangladesh is the current champion, winning in 2022. The AFC Women's Champions League is the top club competition in Asia.
Oceanian Competitions
The OFC Women's Nations Cup is a tournament for national teams in Oceania. It has been a qualifying tournament for the FIFA Women's World Cup since 1991. The OFC Women's Champions League is the top club competition in Oceania.
Domestic Leagues and Cups
England's Women's FA Cup
The Women's FA Cup Journey
After the FA ban was lifted, the Women's Football Association started its first national knockout tournament, the 1970–71 WFA Cup. Southampton Women's F.C. won the first cup and went on to win it eight times. Doncaster Belles were also very successful, reaching ten finals and winning six between 1983 and 1994. As of 2023, Chelsea are the current champions, and Arsenal holds the record with 14 wins.
Even with sponsorship, the prize money for women's teams has been much lower than for men's teams. In 2015, it was reported that a women's team winning the tournament would receive £8,600. In contrast, the winners of the Men's FA Cup in the same year received £1.8 million. This shows a big difference in financial support.
Youth Tournaments: Future Stars
In 2002, FIFA started a women's youth championship, the FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship. Canada hosted the first event, and the United States won. The age limit was later raised to 20. North Korea won in 2006, showing the game's global reach. Japan won the tournament in 2018.
In 2008, FIFA also created an under-17 world championship. North Korea won the first event in New Zealand. Spain won this tournament in 2018.
College Football in the US and Canada
United States College Soccer
In the United States, college soccer for women began in physical education programs. In the 1970s, club teams started appearing on college campuses. By the 1980s, they gained official "varsity" status. Brown University was the first to give full varsity status to its women's soccer team.
A law called Title IX, passed in 1972, greatly increased the number of female students playing organized sports in American colleges. This law helped boost school budgets and create more scholarships for women. Today, over 700 intercollegiate women's soccer teams exist across different college athletic associations. While the sport has grown, efforts continue to make it accessible and diverse for all players.
Canadian University Soccer
In Canada, university women's soccer is managed by U Sports women's soccer. It was founded in 1987. As of the 2025 season, 52 teams from Canadian universities compete. They are divided into four regional conferences. The season ends with the exciting U Sports women's soccer championship.
Many talented players have come from this level, including Sienna Gibson, Megane Sauve, and Danielle Steer.
See also
In Spanish: Fútbol femenino para niños
- Association football culture
- Geography of women's association football
- International competitions in women's football
- List of women's association football clubs
- Lists of women's association football players
- Women's sports
- Title IX
- Gracie
- Bend It Like Beckham
- She's the Man
- Alex & Me
- Mustangs FC
- FIFA 16
