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Why this football tournament should be called the men鈥檚 World Cup

By Dr ,

The globalisation of football means it can now be found in most parts of the world. It is celebrated as the national sport in many countries. But, we forget that 鈥渇ootball鈥� actually means 鈥渕en鈥檚 football鈥�. It鈥檚 the same with other popular sports 鈥� our habit is to refer to basketball and women鈥檚 basketball, cricket and women鈥檚 cricket, ice hockey and women鈥檚 ice hockey. This naming places men鈥檚 football as the dominant universal and natural norm, while women鈥檚 football becomes the 鈥渙ther鈥� version.

If we want a level football playing field, then 鈥渇ootball鈥� should be redefined by changing our reference to tournaments, championships and leagues to 鈥渕en鈥檚 football鈥� if that is what is being played. It鈥檚 time we started referring to the men鈥檚 football World Cup, just as we refer to the women鈥檚 football World Cup.

Women and girls have long been treated as second-class citizens in the many worlds of football, including playing, officiating, governing and spectating. And indeed, in the build up to the 2018 men鈥檚 World Cup, there was much discussion about and 鈥� but practically none about football, gender, sexism and misogyny.

The histories of the in most countries around the world show that women and girls have been denied access to pitches, equipment, coaches, training, stadiums and financial support. These material opportunities are important because they enable and validate participation 鈥� and full football citizenship.

Finland takes on Austria in a qualifier for the 2019 Women鈥檚 World Cup. EPA

Media sport pages cover men鈥檚 sport. During the football season, the coverage is dominated by stories of men鈥檚 football. Women footballers seem to not exist. The sport press obliterates them.

But women and girls are playing, officiating, spectating and commentating on the game in ever increasing numbers . The England women鈥檚 team outperforms the men鈥檚 team on the European and world stage. They are currently ranked ten places higher, in . And yet, the gender pay gap in football is .

Ignoring sexism

While Russia, as host of the men鈥檚 football World Cup 2018, has been for its poor record in dealing with homophobic and racist abuse, nothing has been said about gender-based abuse or discrimination.

Instead, ahead of the men鈥檚 World Cup, Russian MPs have been over whether Russian women should or should not have sex with visiting (presumably male) football fans. The UK Foreign Office released advice on , but there鈥檚 nothing on how sexist chanting can make men鈥檚 football a hostile environment for women. You only need to look at the sexism experienced by doctor Eva Carneiro and assistant referee Helen Byrne in the men鈥檚 to see how this plays out.

What鈥檚 more, many of the concerns about homophobia and racism at the men鈥檚 World Cup stem from wider . The same problems are evident with sexism and misogyny, yet they are curiously absent from the discussion when it comes to football. Cultural problems that affect men extend into the sporting arena, but not those that affect women.

In 2017, the Russian parliament passed legislation loosening laws on . Russian women who support the #MeToo movement have come up against draconian assembly laws that say only one person is permitted to make a .

There are no campaigns in international men鈥檚 football that aim to stop sexism, or call for anti-sexism and an end to gender-based violence.

Meanwhile, the women and girls who have fought hard to play football often encounter negative responses from the general public and from the media. Sport sociologists have found that sportswomen are trivialised, sexualised and experience symbolic annihilation 鈥� they simply don鈥檛 exist in images of the sport. A recent depicting Iranian fans is a prime example. Not a single features.

Women鈥檚 and girls鈥� sporting achievements are reduced as a result of ridicule. Their bodies are considered sexual objects rather than for playing sport. Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter鈥檚 that women should play in tighter shorts to attract more fans to the game is a classic example of this. More recently, feminist author challenged FIFA for describing player Alex Morgan as 鈥渆asy on the eye and good looks to match鈥� as well as the FA for about 鈥渓ionesses go back to being mothers, partners and daughters鈥� after playing in the women鈥檚 World Cup.

It鈥檚 easy to imagine that this men鈥檚 World Cup in Russia will continue to disregard gender, sexism and misogyny. And yet, sport, specifically football, has potential to incite change, and reform.

Renaming to men鈥檚 football is an easy and simple step in the direction towards equality. We may as well start with the men鈥檚 World Cup 2018.

, Associate Professor Leisure Cultures,

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