It is a thrilling time to be a Brazilian journalist covering women’s football in the United Kingdom, and I am enjoying every moment.
I wrote my first article about women’s football as an intern for a local website called Bahia Notcias nearly nine years ago. It was about the difficulties of assembling competitive teams for the second Brazilian Championship of Women’s Soccer. The difficulties were comparable to those that exist today: a lack of investment, low player salaries, and disparities in the structures and support provided to men’s and women’s teams.
Although it may appear that nothing has changed, women’s football in Brazil has advanced significantly. The Brasileiro is becoming increasingly competitive and is supplying the national team with athletes. Pia Sundhage’s squad for Thursday’s Finalissima match against the Lionesses features players from six Brazilian clubs: Corinthians, Ferroviária, Palmeiras, Santos, So Paulo, and Flamengo.
There are also improvements in youth football: the Under-20 national team finished third in the World Cup last year, their highest finish ever, and they are showing promise. Aline Gomes, who is 17 years old, recently became the youngest player to achieve a hat-trick in the Brasileiro Feminino and is expected to make her debut with the senior team shortly.
The fortunate 80,000 spectators who stood in a virtual line for hours to purchase tickets for Thursday’s game at Wembley will witness a Brazil team in transition, with many younger players who may be about to compete in their first World Cup.
Next Tuesday, they will play challenging games against two of the greatest teams in the world, England in London and Germany in Nuremberg.
Of course, there is also Marta. Sundhage asserts that Marta has returned even more powerful after an ACL injury sidelined her for eleven months. Marta is 37 years old but remains a vital member of this team. It is difficult to fathom what women’s football in Brazil would be like without her – her influence on and off the pitch has affected every member of the team.
It is not all roses, however. Formiga returned to Brazilian football in 2021 following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain. She wanted to retire at So Paulo, the team she joined in 1997 and won her first league title. A few weeks ago, however, she accused the club she departed at the end of the previous season of providing inadequate support for injured players, ignoring the squad’s requests for improvements, and even limiting the number of shirts they could wear. Paulo denies Formiga’s shirt claims and says the players receive proper medical care.
Nonetheless, if one of the country’s biggest female football stars believes she has been let down by her club. One must wonder how severe the issue is for lesser-known players at the top and further down the pyramid. Formiga stated, “I have thick skin and I’m used to it, so it didn’t bother me.”
“However, when I saw the girls suffering, I could not fathom that this was still occurring somewhere.”
Every Brazilian woman should be able to appreciate football. They should be able to fantasize about becoming the greatest player in the world. But they should also be able to play for fun. And nowadays they can at least be inspired. They can imagine themselves on the pitch, in the stands, on the radio, or television. Brazil, the country of football, attempted to exclude them from the sport for decades. However, even this is evolving.
This is why I’ve been floating on air this week. Progress is being made. They are not in England’s position, but they do not avoid the problems. The sight of a packed Wembley will be awe-inspiring for the women’s national team. And they will have faith that it will one day occur in their own country as well.
