The FIFA World Cup, which has just begun, promises to be full of surprises this year. Beyond the pitch in Mexico City, other talents are emerging off the beaten path. In Brazil, Mexico's neighbor, women have improvised a form of street football, transforming their passes into a true demonstration of balance. It's a reminder that this sport has no gender.
Players without cleats who create art with the round ball
The FIFA World Cup , a major sporting event that only occurs once every four years, is dominating the news. It generates a euphoria that knows no bounds. While millions of viewers and fans follow the tournament as if their lives depended on it, the women's version struggles to garner the same attention and goes almost unnoticed. Yet, the female counterparts of Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane are no less impressive on the pitch. And Brazilian players, captured in the heat of the action amidst the electrical cables and corrugated iron buildings of Rio de Janeiro, are a testament to this.
Born in a land that has produced football legends, these women pass the ball from foot to foot in the middle of an abandoned skatepark. In Brazil, football isn't just a sport chosen in PE class or an extracurricular activity; it's an institution. And there, the inhabitants seem to possess an innate gift for kicking a ball. These players are living proof: they have gold between their legs, like Pelé and Ronaldinho.
Completely naked, without shoes and wearing only denim shorts, they take turns tossing the ball to each other and catching it in highly technical poses. They become one with the sphere, usually destined to go into the net. What was meant to be a recreational pastime, a distraction to kill time, quickly became a social media sensation, with the video garnering 1 million likes.
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To give a better image of women's football
Watching these players in action, it almost looks easy, so meticulously executed are their movements. The ball balances on the corner of their collarbone, their ankles, and loops with a flick of the leg. Head, torso, lower back… The ball bounces gracefully off every part of their body, becoming almost an extension of their silhouette. More than just an amateur demonstration, it's a performance that has gone viral. With characteristic modesty, the video's creator, @ rafaellafontes2, titles it "High-Level Women's Team" in the description.
Even though these experienced players aren't playing a match on the pitch, they've won a valuable victory over the prejudices surrounding women's football. The comments are unanimously positive and worth as much as the cheers of roaring stadiums. "They're better than the Brazilian national team," one internet user points out. "Men are going to have their egos bruised," adds another. "It's like football runs in their blood." "They play better than anyone can teach." "I can't even play two short games in a row."
A flurry of compliments that shatter the stereotype that women are less resilient, too sensitive, and not fast enough on the field. While male players earn €200,000 even when committing numerous fouls, their female counterparts earn an average of €16,000. This glaring lack of recognition for women, who are still reduced to outdated stereotypes, is a stark contrast. Thanks to achievements like these, female players are making significant strides in changing public perception.
Behind this viral video is a multi-award-winning gamer.
While some may believe this image is entirely fabricated by artificial intelligence, too emasculated to acknowledge the incredible skills of these women, a real person is behind this video. Her name? Rafinha Fontes, who has posed alongside Neymar and lifted numerous trophies throughout her illustrious career. Her specialty? Footvolley, a two-in-one sport played over a net, not on grass, but on hot sand. This discipline demands dexterity, flexibility, strength, and also a thick skin.
But that's not her only passion. Brazil is undoubtedly a breeding ground for gifted athletes. The athlete, who has an indescribable love for soccer, is also a two-time world champion in teqball, a type of table tennis played with a full-size ball.
What this football performance conveys is powerful. All these players, besides being badass and making the macho fans sweat, freestyle around the ball with disconcerting ease. Brazilian women 1, stereotypes 0.
