![]() When women were finally allowed to play, this relationship between femininity and sport had shifted where femininity was once a barrier, it soon became a requirement for women attempting to play in the sport professionally.Īnd Sissi, a Brazilian footballer who played for the women’s national team from 1988 to 2000, certainly felt that pressure. In contrast, there wasn’t a Brazil women’s team until 1979 because women’s football was outlawed by president Getúlio Vargas through a presidential decree in 1941 that stated football was “incompatible with the conditions of the feminine nature.” By the time women were allowed to play football again in 1979, the men’s national team had already won three World Cups and was known as one of the best teams in the world. She scored her 17th goal in a World Cup, beating Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 goals in the same competition.Ī Brief History of Femininity and the Brazilian Women’s Teamīrazil is known for having stellar (male) national football teams, having won five World Cups and exporting players like Pelé and Ronaldinho to Europe and beyond. In her second match of the 2019 World Cup, Marta entered the pitch wearing a purple-toned lipstick that stayed unbothered during the entire match against Italy, despite her sweating and running. While she’s scored more goals than Pelé, she is not given the love, attention, or recognition she deserves. She is 33 years old and FIFA has deemed her the best player in the world - multiple times - but despite her clear talent, the investment necessary to elevate her as a player simply doesn’t exist. Marta, for example, leaves fans consistently in awe of her strength. Yet, thrive they do, and it’s an incredible thing to witness. Such a toxic environment would seem to not allow women to thrive. And any fans of the women’s game must deal with the sneers of men when we speak about women playing. But women’s games are not broadcast often, and their matches are not advertised like the men’s often women players are forced to work part-time jobs on top of their training to make ends meet. It is the women’s fault that women’s football isn’t taken seriously, it is the women’s fault that it receives no investment. We are given these responses when the structure is broken as hell. I’ve been asked, “If you’re so worried about women’s football, why don’t you support it?” When I asked, “Where are the women?”, I’ve been told women aren’t interested, so people don’t invest in women’s teams. “Women only watch the World Cup, it’s so annoying.” “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Following the sport as someone who wasn’t, and did not want to be, a player has been a fraught experience for me. Watching football was always a bonding activity with my dad, but we never watched women play-I just assumed there were no women’s or girls’ teams. While I grew up watching football, I did not grow up seeing myself on the pitch. All while the national team drifts farther from its roots, its squad including only three players active in the domestic league. ![]() More recently, the Brazil jersey has been used as a uniform for Bolsonaro supporters, people who openly defend an oppressive status quo, a white supremacy that is truly dangerous, life-threatening. ![]() It’s problematic, of course, as everything is: FIFA has destroyed communities across the world for its competitions through forced evictions Neymar (previously someone I loved to watch on the pitch) was recently accused of sexual assault and then exposed his accuser across social media platforms the chants in the field are sometimes homophobic, sexist, and/or unwelcoming to those considered to be outside society’s norms clubs are not ashamed to re-hire domestic abusers and convicted rapists. ![]() I can’t explain this effective transfer of football-love that is passed down generation to generation when Brazil plays, we all stop to watch. I was 12, and I didn’t really understand the game, but I was able to follow the ball when the men dressed in yellow zoomed it past the German players, heartbeat speeding up, the adrenaline rushing into my head. At that point, we’d been crowned world champions four times, and it seemed to be the only thing we could claim as ours an innate talent at playing football. I remember still being in my pajamas when it happened, watching TV on the sofa wrapped in a Brazilian flag, my dad pacing back and forth watching the match, nervous as Brazil matches require you to be. One of my fondest memories from growing up is when Brazil won the 2002 World Cup.
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