Women's football in Spain

Women's football in Spain is not one of the traditional powers of women's football since the sport has a small following. Although football in the most popular sport in Spain, Men's football usually gets the biggest following.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Currently there are two national competitions, the League and the Copa de la Reina (English: Queen's Cup), in the semi-professional club involved structure.

For more in depth, albeit general information see Football in Spain.
Women's football in Spain
CountrySpain
Governing bodyRoyal Spanish Football Federation
National team(s)Women's national team
National competitions
Club competitions
International competitions
Champions League
FIFA Women's World Cup (National Team)
European Championship(National Team)
Olympics(National Team)
Audience records
Single match60,739[1][2]

History

Women's football was recorded as being played as early as the 1910s.[11] Between the 1930s and 1975, women were forbidden from playing football.[12][13] The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RSFF) did not recognize women's football until 1980. Women did not have a national league until 1988. In 2019 the Spanish FA committed to spending $20 million in the area of women's football.[14]

National competition

The first teams and the first informal women's football competitions in Spain emerged in the 1970s, although they were not officially recognized by the Royal Spanish Football Federation until 1980, with the founding of the National Women's Football Committee. The first official national competition was the Copa de la Reina, established in 1983. The women's national league began to dispute the 1988-89 season.

Primera División is the national competition for female football players in Spain.[15]

Below the Primera División, there is a second tier called Segunda División, where its teams are divided into seven groups.

The lower tiers are administered by the regional federations.[16]

National team

The Spain women's national football team has qualified twice to the FIFA Women's World Cup, and thrice in the UEFA Women's Championship. Its youth divisions have had success in recent times.[17] The women's national U-20 team were runner-ups at the 2018 U-20 World Cup. The U-19 national team won the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship in 2004, 2017, and 2018. The national U-17 team also won the U-17 European Championship in 2010, 2011, 2015and 2018, as well as becoming the champion at the 2018 U-17 World Cup and finalists in the 2014 U-17 World Cup.

See also

References
  1. Fitzpatrick, Richard. "Why Women's Football in Spain Is so Popular and Packing Out Stadiums". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  2. Gómez, Daniel (18 March 2019). "Women's soccer game in Spain smashes turnout world record". Elpais.com. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  3. "Why Spain is absent from the World Cup". Fox Soccer. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
  4. "Spain's women add to La Roja euphoria". FIFA. Retrieved 2012-12-07.
  5. "Women's football finding its feet in Spain". FIFA. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
  6. "Women's Football in Spain: towards a New Era conference, a resounding success". Laliga.es. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  7. Haisley, Billy. "Spain's Women's Team Is A Catastrophe, And It Doesn't Need To Be". Deadspin.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  8. Ashton, Timothy J. (12 September 2013). "Soccer in Spain: Politics, Literature, and Film". Scarecrow Press. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  9. DOYLE, JOHN (12 June 2015). "Doyle: Respect Brazil, Spain and their fight for promotion of women's soccer". Theglobeandmail.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  10. "Football: Spain's women footballers keen to realise potential - The Star Online". Thestar.com.my. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  11. Giovio, Eleonora (30 May 2019). "Women's World Cup 2019 team guide No 7: Spain". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  12. "The reinassance of women's football in Italy - Detail: 160588". Nssmag.com. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  13. O'Riordan, Joanne. "How a 17-year-old girl fought for women's football in Barcelona". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  14. "Spanish FA to invest 20 million euros in women's football". Marca.com. 21 June 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  15. "Offside in Spain". ESPN. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
  16. Parrish, Charles; Nauright, John (21 April 2014). "Soccer around the World: A Cultural Guide to the World's Favorite Sport". ABC-CLIO. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  17. "Women's soccer on the rise in Spain". Sefutbol.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017.


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