The 2023 Women’s World Cup concludes next Sunday, August 20th, and with it, the most sponsored and broadcasted women’s sports event ever will also end.
I personally don’t know much about soccer (and this article will most definitely not be about matches and skills). Still, I do know a thing or two about marketing, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Every time a saw a new headline talking about the unprecedented investment and sponsoring achievements of this year’s female world cup, I couldn’t help but wonder: why did it take so long?
With this bittersweet feeling of pride over the female teams’ accomplishments and discomfort with brands still taking them for granted, I’d like to expand the discussion on how brands are already using the Women’s World Cup to their advantage and where they’re still missing.
A few points I wish to bring to the table are
It’s rather simple for the media to point out a series of remarkable achievements when the previous scenario is marked by inequalities, as is the case when discussing gender in soccer (and many other sports);
We should certainly acknowledge all accomplishments, but there’s a risk in having such a short memory and narrowing everything down to achievements. This could lead to overlooking the entire structure of inequality that came before;
Lastly, and most importantly, I found myself Algeria Mobile Number List reflecting on how the brands are “missing opportunities in the penalty area” during this FIFA Women’s World Cup. It’s such a promising and exhilarating setting for women in sports. And, naturally, I pondered over how other brands are finally beginning to make a significant impact.
Shall we reflect together?
The Context of the Women’s World Cup 2023
According to FIFA, as of August 4th, 1.7 million game tickets had been sold in 2023 — surpassing the initial target of 1.3 million. Furthermore, 42,137 attended New Zealand’s opener, representing the largest crowd in the nation’s soccer history — for both men’s and women’s matches.
Highlights also emerge when it comes to AOL Email List television and online viewership, and even in the sale of jerseys of certain teams. A prime example is the Matildas, the host team of the championship.
Beyond these records, another context catches my attention: this marks the final World Cup appearance for some of the sport’s finest players. For instance, the Brazilian icon Marta, the all-time leading scorer in World Cups among both men and women, and the American stalwart Megan Rapinoe.
