There can be little doubt that football is hugely popular in Argentina. If more proof were needed, here it is: a newly published survey shows that almost three in ten Argentines play football at least once a month, with 14 percent playing weekly. What has been less clear \u2013 until now \u2013is that women\u2019s football is also becoming increasingly popular across the country. The survey provides clear evidence of that trend.<\/p>\n
The findings come from a recent nationwide opinion study conducted by Voices! Consultancy firm in partnership with the NGO Winn Argentina. While men still play more frequently, the survey found that around 25 percent of women say they have played football at some point in the past year.<\/p>\n
This is, of course, a global phenomenon. One only has to look at recent figures, such as the match a few weeks ago between Barcelona\u2019s women\u2019s team and Real Madrid\u2019s female side at Camp Nou, which drew a record crowd of 60,067 spectators.<\/p>\n
Closer to home, a 2023 friendly match between the Argentine and Venezuelan women\u2019s national sides at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes in C\u00f3rdoba attracted 31,800 fans.<\/p>\n
Despite this, media outlets and sports-related businesses \u2013 such as organisers, sponsors, broadcasters and platforms \u2013 do not yet appear to fully reflect the growing popularity of the women\u2019s game. According to the Voices! study, 65 percent of respondents agreed with the phrase that \u201cwomen\u2019s football currently receives less visibility than it deserves in the media and on social networks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another key finding: three in ten Argentines follow news or content about women\u2019s football at least once a monthy. According to the report\u2019s authors, this suggests established consumption habits rather than merely stated interest.<\/p>\n
Engagement is particularly strong among those who play football regularly: in this group, 57 percent follow women\u2019s football.<\/p>\n
\u201cAcross the world, women\u2019s sport \u2013 and football in particular \u2013is enjoying growing public support. It is a multi-million-dollar industry in Europe and the United States. The difference is that in Latin America, we are still observing it from the outside,\u201d says Gabriela Oliv\u00e1n, the founder of the WINN Argentina NGO.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust look at what has happened with Barcelona Women, who have several players valued in the millions and attract crowds large enough to fill stadiums,\u201d Oliv\u00e1n told Perfil<\/em> in an interview.<\/p>\n According to Oliv\u00e1n, despite a sizeable Argentine audience interested in women\u2019s sport, club executives and decision-makers still tend to view women\u2019s football as primarily \u201csocial\u201d \u2013 and often with a somewhat patronising attitude.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDirectors and federations often say: \u2018It\u2019s good for girls to play so they can stay off the streets and develop healthy habits.\u2019 They frame it largely as a social initiative and fail to recognise its commercial potential. As a result, women\u2019s football is not properly professionalised because it is not seen as economically viable or attractive,\u201d she argues.<\/p>\n In Oliv\u00e1n\u2019s view, the women\u2019s game is treated as something that is given minimal resources out of obligation, rather than as a serious sporting and commercial endeavour.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey don\u2019t invest in top coaches or provide the time and resources needed for a professional team. Nor do they attempt to market the league effectively. Instead, it is treated as a social necessity and given only superficial attention,\u201d said the director of the NGO, a non-profit network of women journalists and communicators.<\/p>\n Oliv\u00e1n insists there is both space and a significant target audience for the sport. \u201cEven companies and brands fail to realise that a large proportion of those interested belong to higher socio-economic groups, which are typically the most sought-after consumers in advertising,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n The campaigner also highlights another key point: acceptance of women\u2019s football is higher across Argentina\u2019s inland provinces than in Greater Buenos Aires and major cities.\u00a0<\/p>\n The survey shows that both engagement and positive perceptions are stronger outside the capital. For example, 57 percent of respondents from the provinces say that when a brand supports women\u2019s football, their perception of that brand improves, compared with 48 percent in Buenos Aires.<\/p>\n The report ultimately leaves a clear question hanging: it is no longer a matter of whether women\u2019s football has a future \u2013 that is already settled. The real question is who will be ready when that future becomes mainstream.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n A long female sporting history<\/strong><\/p>\n The first women\u2019s football club was founded in London in 1894. The earliest recorded women\u2019s football match in Argentina took place in 1923 at Boca Juniors\u2019 old ground, featuring teams named \u201cArgentinas\u201d and \u201cCosmopolitas.\u201d It drew a crowd of around 6,000 spectators.<\/p>\n In 1971, Argentina\u2019s women\u2019s national team competed for the first time at a World Cup \u2013 the second edition, albeit one that was unofficially organised. Seventeen players travelled to Mexico without boots, a doctor, a physio, or a coach, to compete.<\/p>\n In 1986, the Argentine Women\u2019s Football Association (AAFF) was established, organising several tournaments and even competing internationally. In 1991, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) absorbed the AAFF and staged the first official women\u2019s league, featuring eight clubs.<\/p>\n According to a report from the International Football Congress, women\u2019s football was the fastest-growing sport worldwide during the 2010s. The AAFF estimates that around one million women in Argentina now play the game.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n