Gender of football (The)

A “bastion of virility” ever since it was codified, football remains a privileged social space for the production of a masculinity consisting of strength and performance. The sport has nevertheless opened up to women. The first women’s football matches took place from the 1910s to the 1920s, although from the 1920s to the 1960s, the directors of national federations opposed the development of women practising the sport. Women’s football experienced a revival from the mid-1960s to the 1990s, and began to receive minimal attention from associative bodies. Finally, women’s football has asserted itself since the early 2000s, with the development of national as well as international competitions.