Global Context and Organisation

Valenti, Maurizio ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8029-9863 and Bancroft, Polly (2025) Global Context and Organisation. In: Women's Football. Routledge, New York, pp. 1-12. ISBN 9781032464855

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Abstract

Football is traditionally the most popular sport among men in many countries and regions of the world, while a minority of women play and follow the game globally (Bridgewater, 2018). Had women and girls not been formally prevented from playing football for about five decades (1921–1971), one may wonder whether the women’s game would not currently be the most attractive and globalised team sport in the world. Before the ban was imposed in 1921, women’s football attracted large crowds to stadia. Following the lifting of the ban, the women’s game has entered a period of gradual development with significant institutional changes between the 1970s and the 1990s. These led women’s football to enter a stage of starting globalisation in the 2000s, with international football-governing bodies progressively supporting the evolution of the women’s game in the last two decades. In this chapter, we trace a brief history of women’s football in the global context. We then critically review actions and strategies of stakeholders that contributed to improving the standards of women’s football globally. Finally, we formulate recommendations for governing bodies and clubs to continue fostering the growth of women’s football in the future.