It is a photograph of a greeting, which is a common human interaction between companions after 90 minutes apart. The photo of Damallsvenskan players Anna Tamminen and Rosa Herreros posted by Football Is Everywhere with the caption “Football is Love, everywhere” is a prime example of a sport renowned for its inclusiveness.
In the third game of the Swedish domestic top-flight season, played on April 15, table-topping Hammarby hosted Vaxjo. Tamminen and Herreros faced each other for the first time on the pitch, a circumstance that was unique for the couple but common in women’s football.
Hammarby won 6-1 with 28-year-old Tamminen in goal, while Herreros was on the visitors’ replacements but did not play. After the final whistle and the completion of all work on the pitch. The couple greeted one another with this straightforward display of affection, which was captured by a waiting photographer.
Overall, the response has been primarily favorable, reflecting the game’s acceptance. Visibility can help, as shown by the rainbow emoticons and “love is love” comments below the message.
As is typical with social media, it has also received some negative feedback. Concerns have been expressed regarding professionalism and the appropriateness of these interactions on the pitch, particularly with opposing teammates.
These posters ignore women’s football’s unique place in sport and society.
Unlike men, many female athletes feel comfortable disclosing their sexuality.
Couples are common and well-known throughout the sport, and while they frequently play for the same team, they are not limited by the harmful and archaic norms held by some supporters of the men’s game. In addition, many of these same couples recognize the power of their platforms to combat the significant discrimination LGBTQIA+ individuals continue to face by speaking openly about their relationships.
On numerous occasions, photographers have documented such interactions between athletes. Sam Kerr’s embrace with Kristie Mewis at the Tokyo Olympics went viral. Mewis consoled her friend in public after the United States won bronze by defeating Kerr’s team in a seven-goal thriller.
The kiss between Pernille Harder and Magdalena Eriksson, which occurred after Sweden eliminated Canada from the 2019 World Cup, was another image that swept the internet. Harder attended the tournament, wearing a Sweden shirt, to cheer on her long-term companion as she pursued a bronze medal. It has become a symbol of the sport, and the two Chelsea players now advocate for equality and their community.
Importantly, none of these should be viewed as anything other than the innately human responses they are. All athletes, regardless of sexual orientation, are filmed in victory and failure.
Whether it’s Jason and Travis Kelce embracing after facing off against each other in this year’s Super Bowl, Alex Morgan’s daughter playing on the pitch after an international, or Julie Ertz kissing husband Zac pitchside after winning the 2019 World Cup, these captured moments bring the joy of sports to life.
A commemoration of the athlete and everyone who has contributed to their success.
The photograph of Tamminen and Herreros was not of this magnitude. In contrast, the situation was intrinsically mundane: a couple returning home after a day of work. But the power of a photograph is significant, and by bringing it to life, it has precisely captured a sport whose foundations and values are based on acceptance.
Despite outside regulation, a game has developed its own place. Despite their inadequacies, comparisons to the men are continuous and frustrating, with that side being seen as the ideal. Women’s football has the potential to define a new vision despite its youth.
Through this prism, one can envision a safer, more inclusive sport that can combine competitiveness and professionalism with inclusivity, empathy, and a sense that football can truly be a place for all. Where you’re rivals for 90 minutes but friends afterward.
