Women's football: a booming sport

Football and women is a love story that is continuing to intensify, with more and more women following and playing the game. We fill you in on the wonderful world of women's football.

A long history

Women have been trying to score goals for a long time now. The first ever women's football match was played between Scotland and England in 1881. The first game in France was played in 1917 and was contested by two teams from a Parisian sports club.

While men's football has developed at a faster rate since then, women have never stopped playing the game. In 2019, there were nearly 170,000 registered female players in France. Though that figure represents only a small percentage of the 2.2 million registered players in France, it is a significant increase on 2007, when the country had only 60,000 female footballers.

A big event in the offing: the women's world cup in france.

Those figures will no doubt be boosted this summer, when France hosts the Women's World Cup, from 7 June to 7 July. If the France team can fire our imaginations, then there is no question that many young girls will want to want to follow in the footsteps of their heroes. It's also an opportunity for France to become the first nation in football history to be men's and women's world champions at the same time.

Only four nations have won the trophy to date: USA (three times), Germany (twice), Norway and Japan (once each). So why haven't more countries won it? The simple answer to that is because the first Women's World Cup was held as recently as 1991 and the tournament only takes place every four years. USA are the reigning champions.

Growing popularity and better products

More and more women are playing football and more and more of them are following it too. TV rights to national and international competitions are becoming increasingly lucrative. Women's matches are attracting large TV audiences too. In 2011, for example, some 2,325,000 tuned in to watch France's Women's World Cup semi-final.

Our women's football product manager, Zohra, points out that the media coverage that the women's game receives today was non-existent ten years ago. That is a sign of how much women's football has come on. The game needs to continue developing, though, and one way of achieving that is by making it easier for women and girls to play football. “When little girls start playing football and want to get some gear, they shouldn't have to go and buy the same products as their brothers,” said Zohra. So why specific clothing for women? Our product manager has a humorous reply to that question: “Can boys play without underwear? No, they can't, and for a girl it's impossible to play without a bra.”

At Kipsta we have developed a range of clothing and accessories especially for young girls and women so they can be at their best when playing the game they love. Female football players will find boots made just for them at their Decathlon store, boots that are made for more slender feet. Our products have been co-designed with Marinette Pichon, France's leading all-time goalscorer. Her experience, knowledge of the game and desire to help develop women's football cannot be denied. As Marinette says, Kipsta is the “only brand that is doing what needs to be done to develop a range designed for women only".

In conclusion, we've got only one thing to say: long live women's football!

Football. a boy's sport?

THAT'S WHAT SOME PEOPLE STILL THINK.BUT WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU THAT WOMEN'S FOOTBALL MORE THAN DESERVES ITS PLACE ON THE PITCH.

Zohra ayachi

Kipsta women's football ambassador:

I've spent ten seasons as a professional in D1: six years at Montpellier, two at PSG and a season each at Rodez and Nîmes.~

You might also be interested in these tips:

Women's football: The good things about being a substitute

You’re gutted! You're on the bench for the next game or, even worse, you haven't even made the squad. Don't panic! We show you the advantages of being a sub and how to come out stronger.