FIFA hit by sexism row as female players barred from referee training sessions

14 July 2023 , 10:37

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FIFA hit by sexism row as female players barred from referee training sessions

FIFA have found themselves entangled in a potential sexism row less than a week until the start of the Women’s World Cup after female footballers were apparently barred from participating in a pre-tournament training camp for the competition’s officials.

According to Mail Sport , emails from FIFA’s Refereeing Division in Sydney requested “male players aged 15 plus” to attend a series of training sessions for World Cup match officials at Sydney’s Olympic Park.

And at least one Sydney-based club sent their women’s team to aid in the training, only to be told to wait among the substitutes.

Players from the women’s team reportedly waited for two hours before departing, feeling they'd been "virtually ignored" by FIFA officials as they were excluded from participating.

In an email sent to clubs in Sydney, FIFA asked for around 50 players to participate in daily two-and-a-half sessions, which began last Sunday and are due to continue until the tournament’s end on 20 August.

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Players were allegedly offered around £25 each in payment.

The email states that: “FIFA requires male players who are 15+ years and of a good football skill level to be used for daily training activities."

No reason was provided for the apparent gender discrimination.

It is not the first time the Women's World Cup, which has been billed to be the most watched and competitive version of the tournament yet, has threatened to be overshadowed by controversy.

In the build-up to the tournament, FIFA president Gianni Infantino threatened a TV blackout in Europe before doing a late deal with five broadcasters last month.

The world governing body also found itself in the crosshairs after it banned players from wearing the preferred OneLove or rainbow armbands to promote LGBTQ+ rights, a decision in keeping with FIFA's stance during last year's Qatar World Cup.

Off the back of the decision, FIFA unveiled eight alternative armbands with each highlighting a different social cause, though the backlash from players and fans has been fierce due to women's football's historic embrace of the LGBTQ+ community.

Megan Feringa