1991 FIFA Women's World Cup

1991 FIFA Women's World Cup

1st FIFA World Championship for Women's Football for the M&M's Cup
Official logo
Tournament details
Host country	China
Dates	16–30 November
Teams	12 (from 6 confederations)
Venue(s)	6 (in 4 host cities)
Final positions
Champions	United States (1st title)
Runners-up	Norway
Third place	Sweden
Fourth place	Germany
Tournament statistics
Matches played	26
Goals scored	99 (3.81 per match)
Attendance	510,000 (19,615 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Michelle Akers-Stahl (10 goals)
Best player(s)	Carin Jennings
Fair play award	Germany
← 1988 Invitational 1995 →

The 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup was the first FIFA Women's World Cup, the world championship for women's national football teams. It took place in Guangdong, China from 16 to 30 November 1991. FIFA, football's international governing body selected China as host nation as Guangdong had hosted a prototype world championship three years earlier, the 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament. Matches were played in the provincial capital, Guangzhou, as well as in Foshan, Jiangmen and Zhongshan. The competition was sponsored by Mars, Incorporated, maker of M&M's candy. With FIFA still reluctant to bestow their "World Cup" brand, the tournament was officially known as the 1st FIFA World Championship for Women's Football for the M&M's Cup. ^[1]

It was won by the United States, ^[2] whose captain April Heinrichs formed a forward line dubbed the "Triple-Edged Sword" with Carin Jennings and Michelle Akers-Stahl. Jennings was named player of the tournament while Akers-Stahl's ten goals won the Golden Boot. ^[3] The United States defeated Norway 2–1 in the final in front of a crowd of 63,000 people at Guangzhou's Tianhe Stadium. ^[4] Total attendance for the tournament was 510,000, an average per match of 19,615. In the opening match at the same stadium, Norway was defeated 4–0 by hosts China. Chinese defender Ma Li scored the first goal in Women's World Cup history, while goalkeeper Zhong Honglian, also of China, posted the first official "clean sheet" in the tournament.

The 12 qualified teams were divided into three groups of four (A to C). The top two teams and the two best third-place finishers from the three groups advanced to the knockout round of eight teams. For only the first edition of the Women's World Cup, all matches lasted only 80 minutes, instead of the typical 90, and two points were awarded for a win (both of which would change in 1995). ^[5]

Venues

Guangzhou
Guangdong Provincial Stadium	Tianhe Stadium	Ying Tung Stadium
Capacity: 25,000	Capacity: 60,000	Capacity: 15,000
Map of Guangdong with 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup venues marked. Guangzhou Foshan Zhongshan Jiangmen
Foshan	Jiangmen	Zhongshan
New Plaza Stadium	Jiangmen Stadium	Zhongshan Stadium
Capacity: 14,000	Capacity: 13,000	Capacity: 12,000

Participating teams and officials

Qualification

Main article: 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification

The 1991 Women's World Cup had twelve participating teams compete in the final tournament. Each of the six FIFA confederations had at least one representative.

Africa (CAF)   Nigeria Asia (AFC)   China   Japan   Chinese Taipei South America (CONMEBOL)   Brazil Oceania (OFC)   New Zealand

Europe (UEFA)   Denmark   Germany   Italy   Norway   Sweden North America, Central America & Caribbean (CONCACAF)   United States

Squads

For a list of the squads that contended for the final tournament, see 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup squads .

Match officials

For the first time in FIFA competition, six female officials were included. All functioned as lineswomen, except for Cláudia Vasconcelos who took charge of the third place play-off; becoming the first woman to referee a match sanctioned by FIFA. ^{[6] [7]}

Confederation	Referee	Appointments [8]
Male officials
AFC	Dai Yuguang (China PR)	4 matches as linesman
	Li Haiseng (China PR)	2 matches as linesman
	Lu Jun (China PR)	2 matches as referee, 1 match as linesman
	Shyam Krishna Shrestha (Nepal)	2 matches as referee, 1 match as linesman
	Xuezhi Wang (China PR)	3 matches as linesman
	Yu Jingyin (China PR)	4 matches as linesman
CAF	Fethi Boucetta (Tunisia)	2 matches as referee, 2 matches as linesman
	Omer Yengo (Congo)	2 matches as referee, 1 match as linesman
CONCACAF	Rafael Rodríguez Medina (El Salvador)	3 matches as referee, 2 matches as linesman
CONMEBOL	Salvador Imperatore (Chile)	3 matches as referee
	John Toro Rendón (Colombia)	3 matches as referee, 1 match as linesman
UEFA	Jim McCluskey (Scotland)	3 matches as referee, 2 matches as linesman
	Vassilios Nikakis (Greece)	2 matches as referee, 1 match as linesman
	Vadim Zhuk (Soviet Union)	3 matches as referee, 1 match as linesman
Female officials
AFC	Zuo Xiudi (China PR)	5 matches as lineswoman
CONCACAF	María Herrera García (Mexico)	3 matches as lineswoman
CONMEBOL	Cláudia Vasconcelos (Brazil)	1 match as referee, 3 matches as lineswoman
OFC	Linda May Black (New Zealand)	5 matches as lineswoman
UEFA	Gertrud Regus (Germany)	6 matches as lineswoman
	Ingrid Jonsson (Sweden)	5 matches as lineswoman

Tournament review

FIFA's technical report demonstrates that, after the tournament, players and officials were undecided whether to persist with 80-minute matches, or to change to 90 minutes in line with men's football. Opinion was also divided about the suitability of using a size five football. Some teams reported difficulty in sourcing good quality equipment in the correct size. ^[9]

The tournament was considered a major success in the quality of play and attendances at the games. FIFA president João Havelange wrote that: ^[10]

"As president of FIFA it was a special pleasure for me to watch these young ladies playing with such flair and such elegance, and according to the reports of the many media representatives present, making the game truly into a celebration ... women's football is now well and truly established."

The perceived success of the tournament was a significant factor in the subsequent inclusion of women's football in the 1996 Summer Olympics. ^[11] Sue Lopez reported that although attendances were very high, many tickets were complimentary. The "novelty factor" of women from foreign lands playing football also encouraged local people to attend. ^[12]

Draw

The draw for the group stage was held on 14 September 1991 at the Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou, China. The draw was part of a televised two-hour live show, featuring songs in both Chinese and English from the female singers Zhang Qiang (Beijing), Lin Ping (Guangzhou), Jenny Tseng (Hong Kong) and Irene Yeh  [ zh ] (Taiwan). ^[13]

Group stage

Tie-breaking criteria for group play

The ranking of teams in the group stage was determined as follows: [14] Points obtained in all group matches (two points for a win, one for a draw, none for a defeat); Goal difference in all group matches; Number of goals scored in all group matches; Points obtained in the matches played between the teams in question; Goal difference in the matches played between the teams in question; Number of goals scored in the matches played between the teams in question; Number of wins in all group matches; Drawing of lots.

Group A

Main article: 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup Group A

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	China (H)	3	2	1	0	10	3	+7	5	Advance to knockout stage
2	Norway	3	2	0	1	6	5	+1	4
3	Denmark	3	1	1	1	6	4	+2	3
4	New Zealand	3	0	0	3	1	11	−10	0

Source: FIFA
(H) Hosts

16 November 1991 (1991-11-16)

20:45

China	4–0	Norway
Ma Li 22' Liu Ailing 45', 50' Sun Qingmei 75'	Report

Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou

Attendance: 65,000 ^[8]

Referee: Salvador Imperatore (Chile)

17 November 1991 (1991-11-17)

19:45

Denmark	3–0	New Zealand
H. Jensen 15', 40' Mackensie 42'	Report

Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou

Attendance: 14,000 ^[8]

Referee: Omer Yengo (Congo)

---

19 November 1991 (1991-11-19)

15:30

Norway	4–0	New Zealand
McCahill 30' (o.g.) Medalen 32', 38' Riise 49'	Report

Guangdong Provincial Stadium, Guangzhou

Attendance: 12,000 ^[8]

Referee: Salvador Imperatore (Chile)

19 November 1991 (1991-11-19)

19:45

China	2–2	Denmark
Sun Wen 37' Wei Haiying 76'	Report	Kolding 24' Nissen 55'

Guangdong Provincial Stadium, Guangzhou

Attendance: 27,000 ^[8]

Referee: Vassilios Nikakis (Greece)

---

21 November 1991 (1991-11-21)

19:45

China	4–1	New Zealand
Zhou Yang 20' Liu Ailing 22', 60' Wu Weiying 24'	Report	Nye 65'

New Plaza Stadium, Foshan

Attendance: 14,000 ^[8]

Referee: Raja Shrestha Gyanu (Nepal)

21 November 1991 (1991-11-21)

19:45

Norway	2–1	Denmark
Svensson 14' (pen.) Medalen 56'	Report	Thychosen 54' (pen.)

Ying Tung Stadium, Guangzhou

Attendance: 15,500 ^[8]

Referee: Vadim Zhuk (Soviet Union)

Group B

Main article: 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup Group B

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	United States	3	3	0	0	11	2	+9	6	Advance to knockout stage
2	Sweden	3	2	0	1	12	3	+9	4
3	Brazil	3	1	0	2	1	7	−6	2
4	Japan	3	0	0	3	0	12	−12	0

Source: FIFA

17 November 1991 (1991-11-17)

19:45

Japan	0–1	Brazil
	Report	Elane 4'

New Plaza Stadium, Foshan

Attendance: 14,000 ^[8]

Referee: Lu Jun (China PR)

17 November 1991 (1991-11-17)

19:45

Sweden	2–3	United States
Videkull 65' I. Johansson 71'	Report	Jennings 40', 49' Hamm 62'

Ying Tung Stadium, Guangzhou

Attendance: 14,000 ^[8]

Referee: John Toro Rendón (Colombia)

---

19 November 1991 (1991-11-19)

19:45

Japan	0–8	Sweden
	Report	Videkull 1', 11' Andelén 15', 60' Lundgren 25' Nilsson 27' Sundhage 34' Yamaguchi 70' (o.g.)

New Plaza Stadium, Foshan

Attendance: 14,000 ^[8]

Referee: Raja Shrestha Gyanu (Nepal)

19 November 1991 (1991-11-19)

19:45

Brazil	0–5	United States
	Report	Heinrichs 23', 35' Jennings 38' Akers-Stahl 39' Hamm 63'

Ying Tung Stadium, Guangzhou

Attendance: 15,500 ^[8]

Referee: Vadim Zhuk (Soviet Union)

---

21 November 1991 (1991-11-21)

15:30

Japan	0–3	United States
	Report	Akers-Stahl 20', 37' Gebauer 39'

New Plaza Stadium, Foshan

Attendance: 14,000 ^[8]

Referee: John Toro Rendón (Colombia)

21 November 1991 (1991-11-21)

15:30

Brazil	0–2	Sweden
	Report	Sundhage 42' (pen.) Hedberg 56'

Ying Tung Stadium, Guangzhou

Attendance: 12,000 ^[8]

Referee: Lu Jun (China PR)

Group C

Main article: 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup Group C

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Germany	3	3	0	0	9	0	+9	6	Advance to knockout stage
2	Italy	3	2	0	1	6	2	+4	4
3	Chinese Taipei	3	1	0	2	2	8	−6	2
4	Nigeria	3	0	0	3	0	7	−7	0

Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers

17 November 1991 (1991-11-17)

15:30

Germany	4–0	Nigeria
Neid 16' Mohr 32', 34' Gottschlich 57'	Report

Jiangmen Stadium, Jiangmen

Attendance: 14,000 ^[8]

Referee: Rafael Rodríguez Medina (El Salvador)

17 November 1991 (1991-11-17)

19:45

Chinese Taipei	0–5	Italy
	Report	Ferraguzzi 15' Marsiletti 29' Morace 37', 52', 66'

Jiangmen Stadium, Jiangmen

Attendance: 11,000 ^[8]

Referee: Fethi Boucetta (Tunisia)

---

19 November 1991 (1991-11-19)

15:30

Italy	1–0	Nigeria
Morace 68'	Report

Zhongshan Stadium, Zhongshan

Attendance: 12,000 ^[8]

Referee: Jim McCluskey (Scotland)

19 November 1991 (1991-11-19)

19:45

Chinese Taipei	0–3	Germany
	Report	Wiegmann 10' (pen.) Mohr 21', 50'

Zhongshan Stadium, Zhongshan

Attendance: 10,000 ^[8]

Referee: Fethi Boucetta (Tunisia)

---

21 November 1991 (1991-11-21)

19:45

Chinese Taipei	2–0	Nigeria
Lin Mei-chun 38' Chou Tai-ying 55'	Report

Jiangmen Stadium, Jiangmen

Attendance: 14,000 ^[8]

Referee: Rafael Rodríguez Medina (El Salvador)

21 November 1991 (1991-11-21)

19:45

Italy	0–2	Germany
	Report	Mohr 67' Unsleber 79'

Zhongshan Stadium, Zhongshan

Attendance: 12,000 ^[8]

Referee: Jim McCluskey (Scotland)

Ranking of third-placed teams

Pos	Grp	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	A	Denmark	3	1	1	1	6	4	+2	3	Advance to knockout stage
2	C	Chinese Taipei	3	1	0	2	2	8	−6	2
3	B	Brazil	3	1	0	2	1	7	−6	2

Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.

Knockout stage

Main article: 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup knockout stage

Bracket

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	24 November – Guangzhou (Tianhe)
	China	0
					27 November – Guangzhou (Ying Tung)
	Sweden	1
					Sweden	1
	24 November – Jiangmen
					Norway	4
	Norway (a.e.t.)	3
									30 November – Guangzhou (Tianhe)
	Italy	2
									Norway	1
	24 November – Zhongshan
									United States	2
	Denmark	1
					27 November – Guangzhou (Provincial)
	Germany (a.e.t.)	2
					Germany	2
	24 November – Foshan
					United States	5			Third place play-off
	United States	7
									29 November – Guangzhou (Provincial)
	Chinese Taipei	0
									Sweden	4
									Germany	0

Quarter-finals

24 November 1991 (1991-11-24)

15:30

Denmark	1–2 (a.e.t.)	Germany
Mackensie 25' (pen.)	Report	Wiegmann 17' (pen.) Mohr 98'

Zhongshan Stadium, Zhongshan

Attendance: 12,000 ^[8]

Referee: Vassilios Nikakis (Greece)

---

24 November 1991 (1991-11-24)

19:45

China	0–1	Sweden
	Report	Sundhage 3'

Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou

Attendance: 55,000 ^[8]

Referee: John Toro Rendón (Colombia)

---

24 November 1991 (1991-11-24)

19:45

Norway	3–2 (a.e.t.)	Italy
Hegstad 22' Carlsen 67' Svensson 96' (pen.)	Report	Salmaso 31' Guarino 80'

Jiangmen Stadium, Jiangmen

Attendance: 13,000 ^[8]

Referee: Rafael Rodríguez Medina (El Salvador)

---

24 November 1991 (1991-11-24)

19:45

United States	7–0	Chinese Taipei
Akers-Stahl 8', 29', 33', 44' (pen.), 48' Foudy 38' Biefeld 79'	Report

New Plaza Stadium, Foshan

Attendance: 12,000 ^[8]

Referee: Omer Yengo (Congo)

Semi-finals

27 November 1991 (1991-11-27)

15:30

Sweden	1–4	Norway
Videkull 6'	Report	Svensson 39' (pen.) Medalen 41', 77' Carlsen 67'

Ying Tung Stadium, Guangzhou

Attendance: 16,000 ^[8]

Referee: Jim McCluskey (Scotland)

---

27 November 1991 (1991-11-27)

19:45

Germany	2–5	United States
Mohr 34' Wiegmann 63'	Report	Jennings 10', 22', 33' Heinrichs 54', 75'

Guangdong Provincial Stadium, Guangzhou

Attendance: 15,000 ^[8]

Referee: Salvador Imperatore (Chile)

Third place play-off

29 November 1991 (1991-11-29)

19:45

Sweden	4–0	Germany
Andelén 7' Sundhage 11' Videkull 29' Nilsson 43'	Report

Guangdong Provincial Stadium, Guangzhou

Attendance: 20,000 ^[8]

Referee: Cláudia Vasconcelos (Brazil)

Final

Main article: 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup final

30 November 1991 (1991-11-30)

19:45

Norway	1–2	United States
Medalen 29'	Report	Akers-Stahl 20', 78'

Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou

Attendance: 63,000 ^[8]

Referee: Vadim Zhuk (Soviet Union)

Awards

See also: FIFA Women's World Cup awards

The following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament: ^[15]

Golden Ball	Silver Ball	Bronze Ball
Carin Jennings	Michelle Akers-Stahl	Linda Medalen
Golden Shoe	Silver Shoe	Bronze Shoe
Michelle Akers-Stahl	Heidi Mohr	Linda Medalen Carin Jennings
10 goals	7 goals	6 goals
FIFA Fair Play Award
Germany

Statistics

Goalscorers

There were 99 goals scored in 26 matches, for an average of 3.81 goals per match. Michelle Akers-Stahl of the United States won the Golden Boot award for scoring ten goals.

10 goals

• Michelle Akers-Stahl

7 goals

• Heidi Mohr

6 goals

• Linda Medalen
• Carin Jennings

5 goals

• Lena Videkull

4 goals

• Liu Ailing
• Carolina Morace
• Pia Sundhage
• April Heinrichs

3 goals

• Bettina Wiegmann
• Tina Svensson
• Anneli Andelén

2 goals

• Helle Jensen
• Susan Mackensie
• Agnete Carlsen
• Helen Nilsson
• Mia Hamm

1 goal

• Elane
• Ma Li
• Sun Qingmei
• Sun Wen
• Wei Haiying
• Wu Weiying
• Zhou Yang
• Chou Tai-ying
• Lin Mei-chun
• Lisbet Kolding
• Hanne Nissen
• Annette Thychosen
• Gudrun Gottschlich
• Silvia Neid
• Britta Unsleber
• Feriana Ferraguzzi
• Rita Guarino
• Adele Marsiletti
• Raffaella Salmaso
• Kim Nye
• Birthe Hegstad
• Hege Riise
• Susanne Hedberg
• Ingrid Johansson
• Malin Lundgren
• Joy Biefeld
• Julie Foudy
• Wendy Gebauer

1 own goal

• Sayuri Yamaguchi (against Sweden)
• Terry McCahill (against Norway)

Assists

4 assists

• Martina Voss
• Helen Johansson

3 assists

• Carin Jennings

2 assists

• Li Xiufu
• Wu Weiying
• Helle Jensen
• Roswitha Bindl
• Adele Marsiletti
• Carolina Morace
• Tone Haugen
• Gunn Nyborg
• Helen Nilsson
• Pia Sundhage
• Julie Foudy
• April Heinrichs
• Shannon Higgins

1 assist

• Cenira
• Shieh Su-jean
• Annie Gam-Pedersen
• Hanne Nissen
• Irene Stelling
• Birgitt Austermühl
• Gudrun Gottschlich
• Beate Wendt
• Bettina Wiegmann
• Anna Mega
• Monique van de Elzen
• Agnete Carlsen
• Margunn Humlestøl
• Hege Riise
• Heidi Støre
• Cathrine Zaborowski
• Anneli Andelén
• Anette Hansson
• Ingrid Johansson
• Michelle Akers-Stahl
• Joy Biefeld
• Linda Hamilton

Source: FIFA Technical Report ^[16]

Tournament ranking

Per statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws.

Pos	Grp	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Final result
1	B	United States	6	6	0	0	25	5	+20	12	Champions
2	A	Norway	6	4	0	2	14	10	+4	8	Runners-up
3	B	Sweden	6	4	0	2	18	7	+11	8	Third place
4	C	Germany	6	4	0	2	13	10	+3	8	Fourth place
5	A	China (H)	4	2	1	1	10	4	+6	5	Eliminated in quarter-finals
6	C	Italy	4	2	0	2	8	5	+3	4
7	A	Denmark	4	1	1	2	7	6	+1	3
8	C	Chinese Taipei	4	1	0	3	2	15	−13	2
9	B	Brazil	3	1	0	2	1	7	−6	2	Eliminated in group stage
10	C	Nigeria	3	0	0	3	0	7	−7	0
11	A	New Zealand	3	0	0	3	1	11	−10	0
12	B	Japan	3	0	0	3	0	12	−12	0

Source: FIFA Technical Report ^[17]
(H) Hosts

See also

• Women's association footballportal

References

1. Mattei, Al. "WUSA opening a feast for the eyes – and ears". TopOfTheCircle.com. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
2. "Since The First FIFA Women's World Cup in 1991, The USWNT Has Had A Wide Impact". www.teamusa.com. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
3. "CNN/SI – Women's World Cup – Women's World Cup History – Thursday February 11, 1999 06:04 PM". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 19 August 2000. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
4. Basler, Barbara (1 December 1991). "U.S. Women Beat Norway To Capture World Cup". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
5. Williams, Jean (1 November 2007). A Beautiful Game: International Perspectives on Women's Football. Berg Publishers. p. 4. ISBN   978-1-84788-345-2. Some of the terms and conditions had been changed this time: 90 minutes of play instead of 80 in China, a full group of 20 players instead of 18, three points for a win, and the experiment with time out.
6. Lopez 1997 , p. 195
7. "FIFA Women's World Cup – China PR 1991". FIFA. Archived from the original on 11 March 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013. In keeping with the true spirit of the celebration, six female referees or assistant referees were appointed among match officials for the first time in FIFA history. Claudia de Vasconcelos of Brazil, the referee for the 3rd-place match, became the first woman to officiate at this level for FIFA.
8. "1st FIFA World Championship for Women's Football for the M&M's Cup China '91 – Technical Report" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2011. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
9. "FIFA Women's World Cup China '91 – Technical Report & Statistics" (PDF). FIFA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
10. Lopez 1997 , p. 173
11. Lopez 1997 , p. 175
12. Lopez 1997 , p. 207
13. "Statistical Kit – The Draw for the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019" (PDF). FIFA. 6 December 2018. p. 39. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
14. Regulations of the 1st FIFA World Championship for Women's Football 1991. FIFA. 1991. p. 16.
15. Awards 1991
16. "FIFA Technical Report" (PDF). FIFA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2011.
17. "FIFA Women's World Cup 1991 – Technical Report, Part 2: Final ranking" (PDF). FIFA. p. 93 (32 of PDF). Retrieved 1 July 2019.

General references

• Lisi, Clemente Angelo (2010). The U.S. Women's Soccer Team: An American Success Story. Plymouth, England: Scarecrow Press. ISBN   978-0-8108-7415-2.
• Lopez, Sue (1997). Women on the Ball: A Guide to Women's Football. London, England: Scarlet Press. ISBN   1-85727-016-9.

External links

• FIFA Women's World Cup China PR 1991, FIFA.com
• FIFA Technical Report (Part 1) and (Part 2)
• "Ellas también gambetean: La histórica, y nada desvirtuada, primera copa mundial de fútbol femenino". La Refundación (in Spanish). 15 May 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2019.