There’s no doubt that the world of football is mainly manly. Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, Salah… The stars of this sport that shines in every TV and outlet out there. But, today we have an unusual but really interesting story no one talks about.
The story started with one of those men football stars, Lionel Messi, who joined the move to support the Argentine women’s national soccer team, which next Thursday (8th November) will face Panama in Arsenal’s court for the playoff for France’s World Cup.
Two days ago, the footballer from Rosario and star of FC Barcelona published in his Instagram account a story where he expressed his support for the girls directed by Carlos Borrello.
Under the hashtag # YoAmoAMiSelección, Messi posted: “It’s time to encourage them”. A good way to promote that side of the sport among the mainly manly public of football. Perhaps, the message had another meaning. It could also be a way of expressing his desire to return to be the captain and ‘maestro’ of Argentina men’s national team.
Still, the fact that a world class star has joined a movement to promote women’s football, it’s clearly something to applaud. A small step for Messi, but a gigantic step on the repercussion female football is starting to have in the main sport, which continues dominated by men. But with time and things like this, anything can happen.
Only 4 days left and already 15 thousand tickets have been sold to see the game that will be played on the court of Arsenal. A curiosity is that there are two rosarians in the national team: Vanina Correa, archer of Social Lux, and the captain of Rosario Central, Virginia Gómez.
The squad, which has been concentrated in the Ezeiza state for four days, will play the first game against Panama with the arbitration of Czech referee Jana Adamkova. The rematch will be on the 13th November, at Panama City, at the Rommel Fernández stadium.
WOMEN IN FOOTBALL: THE GLASS CEILING 