Dylan Bettencourt
Female futsal players have challenged FIFA to change their discriminatory approach to the women’s game by establishing a women’s World Cup.
The world governing body for football sanctions the small-sided format of the game which has a men’s World Cup event but not a female event.
This has forced the women of the game to write a letter to the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, demanding change.
In 2018, FIFA said a female futsal World Cup would be a priority.
But three years later there have been no signs suggesting that would become a reality.
The ninth edition of the men’s futsal World Cup kicked off over the weekend in Lithuania.
“We are being discriminated against. That’s the key. I don’t want to use the word discrimination to be a victim. It’s because it’s the reality,” said Natalia Orive, a Spanish first division player and president of the Spanish Women’s Futsal Association.
The first men’s futsal World Cup was played in 1989 when very few women played the game. But since then, countries like Brazil, Spain, Italy and Iran have made tremendous strides in showcasing the popularity of the game amongst female athletes.
A FIFA spokesperson said it was investigating the landscape of the women’s game, stating: “The priority is to ensure these new competitions will provide an important platform, not only to retain female participation, but also provide more opportunities for women and girls to play football.”
Image source: @TheFutsalIndy
