From 19th-Century Bans to Global Spotlight: The Rise of Women’s Football

Women’s football began with an 1881 match in Edinburgh between English and Scottish sides, followed by the emergence of clubs in the 1890s, notably the British Ladies Football Club led by Lady Florence Dixie, who advocated practical attire. During World War I, factory teams such as the Munitionettes’ Cup participants provided recreation for workers, while the Dick, Kerr & Co team played over 800 games, becoming early professional pioneers.

The Football Association’s 1921 ban declared the sport unsuitable for women, but the English Ladies Football Association formed that December to keep the game alive, staging the sole ELFA Challenge Cup in 1922. After the ban lifted in the 1970s, women’s football grew into a global phenomenon, with tournaments like the UEFA Women’s Nations League and FIFA World Cup drawing massive audiences, especially after England’s Lionesses achieved podium finishes in 2015, 2019 and were runners-up in 2023.