Women's football in Mexico

Last updated
Women's football in Mexico
BelenCruz (40633864822).jpg
Belén Cruz, professional football Midfielder
CountryMexico
Governing body Mexican Football Federation
National team(s) Women's national team
National competitions
International competitions

Women's association football has long been a largely amateur sport in Mexico, given the greater emphasis of the male competitions. [1] [2] However, rapid growth since 2021 has raised its profile enough to compete for sponsors and professional international talent not only within Mexico but also from Europe, Africa, and the United States. [3] [4]

Contents

History

The second Unofficial World Championships with women's national football teams was hosted by Mexico in 1971. [5] Recently, the game has grown in the country with the introduction of a women's professional league. [6] [7] [8] The final was won by Denmark was played at Estadio Azteca, in front of 112,500 attendees. [9]

Domestic league

Liga MX Femenil is the national women's football in Mexico which began in 2016. [10] [11] [12]

In May 2018, Liga MX Femenil set the all-time world attendance record for a women's club match by drawing 51,211 to the second leg of the 2018 Clausura final. [3] [13] In 2022, Tigres UANL signed United States prospect Mia Fishel, who became the league's first foreign golden boot winner in the 2022 Apertura, [14] and Nigerian national team striker Uchenna Kanu, while C.F. Pachuca signed Spanish national team star Jenni Hermoso, [15] and Club América signed Spanish internationals Andrea Pereira and Andrea Falcón. [4]

The 2022 Apertura final between Tigres and Club América set a league record for attendance in the first leg with 52,654, and a Mexican-audience television viewership record with 2.8 million viewers. [4]

In March 2023, Nike, Inc. became a major league sponsor, and its first major sponsor not shared with the men's Liga MX. [16]

Liga Mexicana de Fútbol Femenil was a previous attempt to grow women's soccer in Mexico.

National team

The national team has qualified for the World Cup three times: in 1999, 2011, and 2015. Many of their players have American heritage. [17] [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campeón de Campeones</span> Football tournament

Campeón de Campeones is an annual Mexican football competition established in 1942. It started as a Super Cup match between the Liga MX champions and the Copa MX winners. In its current form, since 2003, the winner of the Apertura season faces the winner of the Clausura season, for both Liga MX and Liga MX Femenil, respectively. The winners of the of Campeón de Campeones qualify for the Campeones Cup, a North American competition, where they face the reigning champion of Major League Soccer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Football in Mexico</span> Mexicos most popular sport

Mexico's most popular sport is football. As of 2020, the top-tier leagues in Mexico are Liga MX for the men and the Liga MX Femenil for women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liga MX Femenil</span> Top level of the Mexican association football league system for women

The Liga MX Femenil, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX Femenil for sponsorship reasons, is the highest division of women's football in Mexico. Supervised by the Mexican Football Federation, this professional league has 18 teams, each coinciding with a Liga MX club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Club América (women)</span> Mexican football club

Club América Femenil, commonly known as América Femenil or just América, is a Mexican professional women's football club based in Mexico City that competes in the Liga MX Femenil. The club has been the women's section of Club América since 2017. The team plays its home games at the Estadio Azteca, and at an alternative field named Cancha Centenario that is located at their training grounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tigres UANL (women)</span> Football club

Tigres UANL Femenil is a Mexican professional women's football club based in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico that competes in the Liga MX Femenil. The club has been the women's section of Tigres UANL since 2017. The team plays its home matches at the Estadio Universitario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C.F. Monterrey (women)</span> Mexican football club

C.F. Monterrey Femenil is a Mexican professional women's football club based in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, that competes in the Liga MX Femenil. The club has been the women's section of C.F. Monterrey since 2017. The team plays its home matches at Estadio BBVA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C.D. Guadalajara (women)</span> Football club

C.D. Guadalajara Femenil is a Mexican professional women's football club based in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico that competes in the Liga MX Femenil. The club has been the women's section of C.D. Guadalajara since 2017. Nicknames for the team are Chivas and the Rebaño Sagrado, the same as the men's team. The team play its home matches at Estadio Akron.

Arlett Tovar Gómez, known as Arlett Tovar, is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a defender for Guadalajara in the Liga MX Femenil, the first professional women's football (soccer) league in Mexico.

Norma Luz Irene Duarte Palafox, known as Norma Duarte or Norma Palafox, is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga MX Femenil club Cruz Azul.

Eva Mariana Espejo Pinzón is a Mexican professional football manager. She is currently the manager of Liga MX Femenil club Monterrey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Luebbert</span> American soccer player

Sarah Jacquelyn Luebbert is an American professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga MX Femenil side Club América.

The 2020–21 season is Guadalajara's fourth competitive season and fourth season in the Liga MX Femenil, the top flight of Mexican women's football.

The 2017–18 season was UANL's first competitive season and first season in the Liga MX Femenil, the top flight of Mexican women's football.

The 2019–20 season was UANL's third competitive season and third season in the Liga MX Femenil, the top flight of Mexican women's football.

The 2020–21 season is UANL's fourth competitive season and fourth season in the Liga MX Femenil, the top flight of Mexican women's football.

The 2017–18 season was América's first competitive season and first season in the Liga MX Femenil, the top flight of Mexican women's football.

The 2021–22 Liga MX Femenil season was the fifth season of the premier women's football league in Mexico. The season began on 16 July 2021 and finished on 30 May 2022.

The 2022–23 Liga MX Femenil season is the sixth season of the premier women's football league in Mexico. The season began on 8 July 2022 and will finish in June 2023.

Mia Renee Fishel is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Tigres UANL of Liga MX Femenil.

Miah Alexia Zuazua Martínez is a professional footballer who plays as a Midfielder for Liga MX Femenil club FC Juárez. Born in the United States, Zuazua represents the Mexico women's national team.

References

  1. ↑ Jones, Grahame L. (27 June 2004). "Women's Soccer in Mexico Gets a Cross-Border Kick". LA Times . Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  2. ↑ "Marbella Ibarra murder - the legacy of Mexican women's football pioneer". 19 October 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018– via www.bbc.co.uk.
  3. 1 2 Hernandez, Cesar (15 April 2022). "Mexico's Liga MX Femenil has boosted women's soccer with stars and big crowds, but challenges remain". ESPN . Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Castro, Melissa (25 January 2023). "Liga MX Femenil already competes with the best". Cabra Sports. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  5. ↑ "SOCCER GOES SEXY SOUTH OF BORDER". June 27, 1971 – via NYTimes.com.
  6. ↑ Wilson, Bill (7 December 2018). "When women's football hit the big time" . Retrieved 17 June 2019– via www.bbc.co.uk.
  7. ↑ Doyle, Paul (13 June 2019). "Women's World Cup game-changing moments No 2: Denmark in 1971" . Retrieved 14 June 2019– via www.theguardian.com.
  8. ↑ "The lost lionesses". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  9. ↑ "Da Danmark blev verdensmestre i fodbold - DRTV" . Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  10. ↑ "Femenil final shows women's football is thriving in Mexico". ESPN . Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  11. ↑ FIFA.com (28 April 2017). "New women's cup primed to make waves in Mexico". fifa.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  12. ↑ Rangel, Jonathan. "The rise of women's football in Mexico – The creation of LIGA MX Femenil" . Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  13. ↑ Baxter, Kevin (19 March 2019). "Soccer! Money makes the soccer world turn (except for you, France)". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  14. ↑ "Mia Fishel claims Liga MX Femenil Apertura scoring crown". Pro Soccer Wire. USA Today. 25 October 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  15. ↑ "Jenni Hermoso leaves Barcelona for Liga MX Femenil's Pachuca". Pro Soccer Wire. USA Today. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  16. ↑ Reidy, Paul (31 March 2023). "Nike set to sponsor Mexico's Liga MX Femenil". Diario AS . Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  17. ↑ "The Mexican Women's National Team Needs to Stop Depending on U.S. Based Players". Vice. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  18. ↑ Baxter, Kevin. "Women's soccer in Mexico growing with help from U.S. players - Los Angeles Times". latimes.com. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
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