2019; A breakthrough year for women’s soccer

A year in review; 2019 turned out to be a rewarding year for women’s football. Milestone after milestone, the year presented the women’s game with record-breaking achievements both on and off the field and an opportunity in the form of the FIFA World Cup to gain popularity with a wider audience.

The hype around women’s football in 2019 highlighted important facts; the potential that the women’s game has to grow and claim its share of football viewership, and that the quality and appreciation for women’s football is growing. The potential of women’s football is a popular narrative but the World Cup boost made a real impact and because of the buzz that was generated, the game is set to make further leaps in the next coming years.

A viewing revolution

Wendie Renard of France celebrates after scoring her team's first goal during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France group A match between Nigeria and France at Roazhon Park on June 17, 2019 in Rennes, France.

(June 16, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

The year 2019 was a turning point for women’s football in terms of global viewership of a women’s World Cup.  According to the figures, the number of viewers that tuned in to watch approached close to double the number in 2015. Yes, twice as many eyes glued to see the world’s best players in the women’s game making it the most successful instalment of the global showcase to date. The final of France 2019 where USWNT maintained their winner takes all reputation, was watched by 82.18 million live viewers. The average live audience over 52 games was 17.27 million per match, a 106% increase from 2015. The group stages viewership increased by 124%. The spike in the number of people tuning in to watch the tournament is testament that perceptions are changing and the start of something new.

It is a great representation of the capability of women’s football to develop in the future as with each tournament the bar is raised with the viewership ratings and level of competition on a global stage. The women’s World Cup has come a long way since inception from a tournament of just 12 teams in 1998. FIFA announced that the tournament will expand from the 24 team format to a 32 team tournament which will give more football associations an opportunity to qualify and boost their local football. Countries like Jamaica and South Africa’s debut appearances in France 2019 was a sign that women’s football is now a highly competitive arena, and that the growth transcends geographies.

The media attention that the FIFA Women’s World Cup received in 2019 also pushed growing sentiment and drive for players to fair compensation and be on equal footing with men’s football. FIFA answered this need with a 1 billion dollar investment in growing women’s football over the next three years from an initial $500 million dollars that it was set to invest in grassroots initiatives and efforts to increase the commercial appeal of the women’s game.

“The Premier League is also set to take over the operations of the FA run Women’s Super League, a deal that was delayed until 2022. The partnership with the Premier League is set to be a boost to the commercial value of women’s football in England. ”

— Margaret Mandeya, FirstTouch Africa

Lyon Women celebrate with the trophy during the UEFA Womens Champions League Final between VfL Wolfsburg and Olympique Lyonnais on May 24, 2018 in Kiev, Ukraine.

(May 23, 2018 - Source: David Ramos/Getty Images Europe)

Beyond the hype; 2019 was a launching year for professional football leagues

Probably the most important impact that the buzz around women’s football is having at the moment is the spillover into the professional leagues. Club football is growing, from the world’s biggest leagues to small leagues popping up across the globe, ushering a promising future and enhancing the competitive side of the game.

The best leagues in the world including England’s Women’s Super League, Primero Division in Spain, NWSL in the US, took major shifts and deals ahead of the 2020/2021 seasons. One of the most pressing obstacles for the development of the different leagues has been accessing the large financial resources within the world of football, usually poured into men’s leagues. Fortunately, investors are now looking at the women’s game as a sound destination for investments and for future gain. Visa for example put in as much as it did for the men’s World Cup into France 2019.

Moving into the women’s leagues, as the only fully professional league in Europe, the WSL has attracted some attention from major sponsors. Barclays is set to put in £10 million at the start of the season into the Women’s Super League. The Premier League is also set to take over the operations of the FA run Women’s Super League, a deal that was delayed until 2022. The partnership with the Premier League is set to be a boost to the commercial value of women’s football in England.

In the US, the World Cup attendance and the abundant support have finally captured the attention of some of the biggest names in men’s football. For the longest time, there has been a disconnect between the support given to the national team and the attention paid to the NWSL despite being the biggest league in the world where you could find the biggest names in the game. More teams are lining up to join the league and the league body looks set to expand the number of teams in the league from 9 to 12 by the 2021 season. The fact that Budweiser, one of USA’s biggest sponsors has come on indicates this radical shift. The league is one of the best in the world, has been a destination for the world’s best for many years and is finally about to get the recognition as a global leader and a league that other leagues look to for its success.

Furthermore, a new $650,000 salary cap and a raised minimum pay for players are reasons to be more hopeful. The world champions, the USNWT, majority of which play in the NSWL renewed their calls for equal pay with their male counterparts after winning the World Cup and set the tone for many such calls around the world.

Alex Morgan, Ali Krieger and Megan Rapinoe at The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team Victory Parade and City Hall Ceremony on July 10, 2019 in New York City.

(July 9, 2019 - Source: Getty Images North America)

The year 2019 also marked a historic moment when almost 90% of the players in Spain’s Primero Division threatened to strike over working conditions in the League. Their fight for fair pay and benefits made global headlines as one of the most recent scuffles and attempts by players to demand appropriate compensation for their work.

The protest is the first of its kind in Spain and an overwhelming 90% of the players from the 16 clubs represented in the Primeira Division signed up to take part in the strike. The standoff came to an end after the Association of Women's Soccer Clubs moved to reopen negotiations. The strike was in protest over the payment structure in the Primeira Division, with players demanding a salary revision, recognition as soccer professionals and better working conditions.

It was the first time in the Primeira Division that such a protest happened and made global headline showing other leagues that protest could be a viable option when it comes to claiming due wages and benefits for players. Seeing that an agreement was reached by the players and the governing body, it became positive step in making playing in the division attractive and drawing more talent into the league.

European teams will also get an expanded UEFA Champions League in 2020, an announcement that was made by the governing body as they attempt to enhance the European competition. The Women’s Champions League will feature a group stage for the last 16 from 2021-22 season onwards with three teams from the top six leagues qualifying for the group stages. The tournament being expanded to include the last-16 group stage is a step that UEFA believes will boost the quality of the game. The European governing body also added that the development is set to increase competition in the domestic leagues.

The golden generation of players

Alex Morgan attends the unveiling of the POWERADE and U.S. Soccer Foundation Power Pitch on November 05, 2019 in Gardena, California.

(Nov. 4, 2019 - Source: RICH POLK/Getty Images North America)

Every successful generation of football is embodied by the talented players of the day. The level of skill and talent we are currently witnessing is simply astonishing.

The players considered to be the best talent in the world at the moment are diverse in the leagues they play for and their nationalities. When we talk about legends in the game, we think of the Brazilian Marta who happens to hold the record for most goals at a World Cup for both men and women. Also, we can look at the young players that have emerged as global icons of the game which include Ada Hegerberg from Norway and Lyon. The recent move of Australian striker Sam Kerr from Chicago Red Stars has made a culture out of highly sought after signing for players and set a precedent for players receiving the star treatment. Kerr will earn upwards of $400,000 per annum, equaling what Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg earns at Lyon shows and could be the start of more six-figure signings. With this caliber of players on the pitch, we are experiencing a golden generation of talent on the field. Who are the women holding the mantle at the moment? Also, check out FT’s Top 5 female Ballers of 2019

The best is yet to come out of women’s football

There is an electric optimism when it comes to women’s football especially after a successful global tournament. The millions added to the viewership of the FIFA Women’s World in 2019 is the gift that will trickle to the most important places in terms of skills development and professional leagues.

There’s still a long way to go and a lot of money that needs to be invested for women’s football to bring in the crowds and revenue desired. The fact is that we are not anywhere close to that but we are getting closer to creating a clear path to that goal which includes more investment into professional leagues. Increasing investment for women’s football is a point of celebration but we need more investments and more teams to make the game sustainable.

The USA are back to back champs. Even though European nations are making progress, substance must always trump style.

Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and Allie Long celebrate during the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team Victory Parade and City Hall Ceremony on July 10, 2019 in New York City.

(July 9, 2019 - Source: Getty Images North America)

Introduction

Over the past few months leading to the global showpiece that is the FIFA World Cup, the women’s football fraternity has been filled with both inspiration and disappointing news. Some of the issues caused an international uproar while a fair share caused the rest of the world to take a pause, sit back and critically think of the issues that are affecting our societies. We saw Ada Hegerberg refuse to appear in the 2019 World Cup because of a dispute between her and the Norwegian football federation over the amount of resources availed to the national team. Some fans were of the persuasion that the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner feels like she has gotten bigger than the Norwegian national team whereas others did agree that maybe it was time we looked at how our governments prioritize what women do. Even after we went past that wave of the tournament proceeding without Ada on the field, there were still more complaints about it. It was firstly, the fact that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was introduced very close to the world cup which did not give players and coaches enough time to get used to the revolutionary equipment that is meant to improve the quality of refereeing decisions. There was also the general misconception that the FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC) was a counterfeit of the men’s World Cup and its credibility got questioned by some. Cameroon’s “childish” behavior during their match against England in the round-of-16 and the “exaggerated” celebrations in the USWNT’s 13-0 win over Thailand also brought a lot of interesting conversations on the streets. In the midst of all that, nothing could stop the ladies from giving their best and we got to the end of the tournament where we saw the United States Women’s National team win the WWC for the fourth time, which is more than any other national team has won it. We want to analyse what this means for women’s football and think through some of the structures that have been put in place that enable the level of excellence shown by the USWNT.

“ Their win has brought even more attention to this crucial conversation in the society and given the champions and the rest of the world, more evidence to further their cause.”

— Simiso Shabangu, FirstTouch Africa

Lieke Martens, Stefanie van der Gragt, Vivianne Miedema and Anouk Dekker of the Netherlands make a defensive wall during the Final of the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 between Netherlands and Denmark at FC Twente Stadium on August 6, 2017 in Enschede, Netherlands.

(Aug. 5, 2017 - Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Europe)

USWNT winning formula over the years

When you win once, it could easily be discarded as odds being in your favor, but if you do it multiple times, then it means excellence has become part of your DNA. How that excellent character comes to life can only be as a result of intentional and systematic efforts in the form of structures put in place, enabling that kind of behavior. Here’s some of them:

 1.Thriving local soccer leagues and international exposure

The U.S. has generally invested a lot into structures such as the university soccer leagues that do not only enable the identification of talent, but allows this talent to be groomed into the powerhouse that the national team has become. A report by College Choice proves that soccer has become a key part of college life in the US spanning across decades. This places the country far ahead of any other country that they get to meet at the world cup. In essence, preparation for the world cup does not begin a few days before, but begins decades before the ladies get to hit the field.

Lucy Bronze of England celebrates with teammates after scoring her team's third goal during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Quarter Final match between Norway and England at Stade Oceane on June 27, 2019 in Le Havre, France.

(June 26, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

 Beyond the university leagues, there are also thriving local leagues that challenge the players to put on their A-game all the time. Leagues like the Women’s Premier Soccer League and the National Women’s Soccer League have become the breeding ground for talent in the US and even the go to destination for foreign players. Some of their players also get to play in other leagues outside of the country where they are chiseled into legends of excellence. Local leagues have raised stars that include Hope Solo, Alex Morgan and Lindsey Horan. As a national team, they have also always participated in the SheBelieves Cup, and numerous international friendlies. This goes to prove that you cannot build a great team without exposure to opportunities that yield continuous growth.

 2. Deeply inculcated “winning” mindset

The kind of attitude and character that has also been inculcated into the team is that of ruthlessness and unrelenting at all times. Only a team that has been groomed to be like that can polarize opinion by scoring 13 goals against Thailand and still play like they are trailing. This attitude is also supported by prominent voices in the US space that are calling for equal pay in the game and the investment of resources into growing women’s soccer in the US. Equally ingrained in the Stars & Stripes’ drive is the innate desire to want to excel at something they started. As one of the initial pioneers of the WC, it is not a surprise that the US have maintained that level of excellence over the years. They got to learn the winning formula way before anybody else joined the game.

 Setting a precedence and inviting others in

The 2019 world cup victory is actually not just for the USWNT, but extends to women’s soccer in general. Regional competitions like the Total Women Africa Cup of Nations and the UEFA Women’s Euro Cup have also gained prominence in the field. Their contribution to the development of talent in the game can never be overstated. Players who participate in these tournaments become the cornerstones and jewels of their national teams. The bigger wave of women empowerment across the world that advocates for women’s equal inclusion in sports is also something that is contributing to the exponential growth of women’s football. For example, Procter & Gamble donated $529K to further bridge the gender pay gap in U.S soccer. Other countries like France and the Netherlands have heeded the call for inclusion in sports and have made substantial investments in their local leagues.

 The investment in local leagues explains why the USWNT did not cruise through the tournament but faced fierce competition from Spain, England and France. Even Alex Morgan attested to the competitive nature of the 2019 finals by stating that “I think during the tournament it’s more emotionally exhausting. After, we are actually so sleep deprived — like it’s physically exhausting.” That exhaustion was a sign of how hard that win must have come for the US because other teams were equally determined to win the championship too.

Amandine Henry of France celebrates her team's second goal with team mates during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Round Of 16 match between France and Brazil at Stade Oceane on June 23, 2019 in Le Havre, France.

(June 22, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

 Even the progress of the African teams that were at the tournament highlighted the bigger conversation about the growing and maturing nature of the women’s game across the world. For the first time in history, two African teams, namely Cameroon and Nigeria, advanced to the knockout stages. The only team that could understandably not advance were debutants, South Africa. The improvement can also be accorded to the fact that African players are now able to play in other leagues outside of Africa. For example, Thembi Kgatlana plays for Beijing BG Phoenix F.C. in the Chinese Women's Super League while Asisat Oshoala is blessing Barcelona Femmine with her presence. Such exposure gives them a feel of how the game is played on other sides of the world way before they go to international tournaments like the World Cup. In our past article, we gave a detailed analysis of how impressively unbeatable Lyon has become. Since it is an international club with players from diverse nationalities, their spirit, drive and energy is able to spread across to other countries as well.

 The world has also been impressed by players such as Thembi Kgatlana who was named the 2018 CAF’s Footballer of the Year and Hegerberg who has gone to be the first woman to win the Ballon d’Or. More notably, there is also a rise in the quality of coaches who offer technical support to their teams. Some legends have returned through their teams today. For example, former Manchester United legend Phil Neville is now managing England.

Alex Morgan of the USA is challenged by Lucy Bronze, Jade Moore and Nikita Parris of England during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France Semi Final match between England and USA at Stade de Lyon on July 02, 2019 in Lyon, France.

(July 1, 2019 - Source: Getty Images Europe

 Why USWNT’s win is important for women’s football

One thing we have gotten used to is the influence of the U.S. on the affairs of other countries. If the idea of equal attention, pay and investment in sports is successful in the U.S., it can then trickle down to other countries. Their win has brought even more attention to this crucial conversation in society and given the champions and the rest of the world, more evidence to further their cause. Other prominent figures like Megan Rapinoe who got both the Golden Ball award as the World Cup’s best player and the Golden Boot as its leading scorer have grabbed the attention of President Trump who was quoted saying, “the conversation is no longer about should we have equal pay, or should we be supporting women. It’s how do we support not only athletes but women in general.” The involvement of newspapers and cash donations from companies like Secret Deodorant have also given this discourse more positive attention.

 Conclusion

We can never congratulate the USNWT team enough, not just for the win but the consistent excellence. It has helped the rest of us recognize and appreciate the true meaning of commitment and being deliberate about setting ourselves up for success. We have seen that the U.S. win does not begin every 4 years but generations before. Beyond the championship, it is also important to recognize the contribution of such performances to the more crucial conversation about women in sports, inclusion and equal remuneration.