2019, a defining year for Brazilian women’s football

Welcome back to the Brazil Sports newsletter. This week, we look back at a potentially game-changing year for women’s football in Brazil. Also, with Jair Bolsonaro going to watch Santos, we tell the story of a 1920s football star who defied the Brazilian president of the time. That, and much more. Happy reading!

2019, a defining year for Brazilian women’s football

Corinthians dispatched São Paulo 3-0 to seal their first-ever state championship trophy in the women’s game. Not so long after their Copa Libertadores triumph made them the top women’s team on the continent, Corinthians guaranteed local bragging rights as a fitting way to end their season.

Why it matters. The crowd of 28,862 people in the Arena Corinthians was a Brazilian record for women’s football, and it could have been even more. Some 36,000 tickets were snapped up in advance, but there were reports that many were being sold at exorbitant prices by touts outside the stadium.

Emotion. The entire experience was overwhelming for São Paulo full-back Jajá, who burst into tears before kick-off. “Regardless of being São Paulo, or Corinthians, today I can say that women’s football fills stadiums. It was beautiful, wonderful, overwhelming to see the Corinthians support backing women’s football. It all came together in my head and I couldn’t hold back [the tears].”

Pay gap. Beyond the game itself, the São Paulo football federation (FPF) promoted an initiative highlighting a recent IBGE study concluding that women in Brazil earn 20 percent less than men on average. When Corinthians scored the opening goal, the FPF’s official feed flashed up “Corinthians 0.8 – 0 São Paulo” on the scoreboard.

World Cup fever. Scenes in São Paulo at the weekend have capped off a crucial year for women’s football in Brazil. A brave performance in the Women’s World Cup was made even more special by the significant audience...