All The Misogynistic Bullshit I Am Still Mad About From The Women’s World Cup

From the Moroccan team being questioned about their sexuality to non-consensual post-match kisses — sexism was alive and well at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, despite epic strides of progress.

Breaking both records and hearts alike, the FIFA Women’s World Cup concluded on Sunday night after inspiring an enormous amount of adoration for women’s soccer. People packed stadiums, from Gadigal lands to Aotearoa, in record-breaking numbers and fans got a taste for what international support and love for women’s sport could look like… which is why it’s such a shame the spectre of misogyny lingered throughout the series.

Progress has certainly been made in women’s sport over the years. Looking at the Matildas alone, one sees a team that has grown from playing empty stadiums and selling sexy calendars for funding, to being sponsored by VISA and playing sold-out crowds of tens of thousands in just over a decade. Based on the increased viewership, participation, advertising, crowds and love all around for the 2023 FIFA Women’s Cup over the past few weeks, it’s clear women’s sport has come a long way.

That being said, wider systemic discrimination against women in sport affect players in a variety of ways. From lack of funding, to sexual safety, and wages — women are still far worse off than their male counterparts. Before the Cup’s first kick-off, even FIFA’s respect for the women’s game was questioned when the organisation’s own official world commentary feed featured more male commentators than women. One such commentator, David Basheer copped criticism from fans after remarking on Australian player Katrina Gorry. “Certainly, motherhood has not blunted her competitive instincts, that’s for sure,” he said. Last time I checked, men’s parental statuses are rarely so casually discussed as impacting their prowess as players.

But such a moment of ignorance was far from a one-off. Last month, a BBC journalist insisted on asking a potentially dangerous question of Ghizlane Chebbak, the Moroccan team’s captain. “In Morocco it’s illegal to have a gay relationship,” he said. “Do you have any gay players in your squad, and what’s life like for them in Morocco?” Answering the question could have meant prison time for the players on their return home.

A FIFA official requested the journalist stick to questions about the game, rather than something which was “very political” for the players. However, the journalist didn’t back down, insisting that, “it’s not political, it’s about people”. While the BBC apologised for the insensitive questioning, that the question was asked at all of a team with no out players exemplifies the double standard in privacy and respect afforded female players. Would such a question have been asked of the men’s team?

It’s relatively rare for male athletes to have their personal relationships become the lens through which their sportsmanship is viewed. Yet gay players in the Women’s World Cup were regularly subjected to commentary based on their relationships and sexualities. As a gay person myself, I love seeing queer folks succeed and so do many other gays, I am sure. However, it’s disconcerting to see entire L Word-style charts going viral that show which women have dated, and include unconfirmed “tips” and speculation on players’ private lives. To me, that level of invasiveness only exemplifies how women in gay relationships are objectified as a spectacle in male dominated spaces, rather than respected. Professional sport is no place for the incest map in Heartbreak High.

Fast forward to this past weekend’s final and misogynistic entitlement reared its relentless head again when the Spanish football president kissed a player on the mouth without her consent. After Spain’s 1-0 win over England’s Lionesses, Spanish player Jenni Hermoso found herself in lip lock with Luis Rubiales during the trophy presentation ceremony. According to The Guardian, Hermoso said in a post-match Instagram livestream (recorded here) that she, “didn’t like it”, though she later described it as a “natural gesture of affection and gratitude”. Rubiales’ inappropriate actions were condemned by Spain’s Prime Minister, equality minister, the FIFPRO world players’ union and others worldwide.

Rubiales apologized, but in its official statement obtained by sports journalist Colin Millar, the Spanish Football Federation defended his actions, and even included a direct quote from Hermoso in which she allegedly forgives Rubiales’ actions as “a totally spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy.” This statement not only contradicts Hermoso’s own comments in her now deleted Instagram post, but the consensus of fans, politicians and officials around the world was that the kiss was inappropriate. There is also some doubt over the authenticity of Hermoso’s quotes in the statement. Regardless, the Spanish Football Federation has made an effort to minimise the feelings Hermoso expressed on Instagram, as well as the world wide condemnation of Rubiales’ actions. One thought that I, personally, can’t banish from my mind is the doubt that Rubiales would even attempt such an intimate “mutual gesture” with a male player.

It’s easy to dismiss such instances as singular moments of error because it is easier to think of sexism and misogyny as a series of individual actions. But the reason that women’s sport lacks funding, state support and safety is the same reason FIFA’s president felt entitled to physical intimacy from a player: the misogynistic entitlement and systemic male supremacy in sports. All these issues have their origins in the assumptions made by men throughout history that women are less capable athletes and, ultimately, do not belong in sports on equal footing with men. But if the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup showed us anything, it’s that sport belongs to women too. Whether they’re fans, amateurs or at the top of the game, everyone deserves to enjoy and thrive in sport without misogyny.

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Merryana Salem (they/them) is a proud Wonnarua and Lebanese–Australian writer, critic, teacher and podcaster on most social media as @akajustmerry. If you want, check out their podcast, GayV Club where they yarn about LGBTIQ media. Either way, they hope you ate something nice today.