Women soccer

The 2019 Women's World Cup in France has brought a new audience to women's soccer in France. But, it's a popularity that Australia's Matildas no longer have to earn.

Let's start at the beginning: France. France has one of the most competitive women's championships in the world. Indeed, every year, two teams fight each day for the final victory. Olympique Lyonnais is ahead of Paris-Saint-Germain at the 38th day. The cabinet of trophies of the Lyonnaises remains bigger than the one of the Parisians since it contains 13 French Championship.

But if there is one place where the Olympique Lyonnais women's team has made French soccer shine, it is in the Champions League. The Rhone club won its seventh Champions League in 2020, its fifth in a row.

Despite the constant performances on the highest steps of Europe of the French women's soccer teams, the popularity of this sport does not seem to change. Indeed, it is only visible for Canal + subscribers and other media do not seem to talk about it anymore. A controversy exploded in France when the women's OL won, since they did not make the front page of L'Equipe, since the French rider Alaphilippe had won the yellow jersey after a stage of the Tour de France. A front page that the Lyonnais would have amply deserved.

Front pages that the Matildas often make. The Australian women's national team has a very high popularity rating in the country. They are consistently ranked among the most popular sports teams in the country. When Australia was awarded the hosting of the 2023 Women's World Cup, every media made a special edition to give the result to the population. But, this sympathy translates into competitive results on a regular basis. At the World Cup 2019, they reached the 8th final. Results that continue to improve and bring popularity to women's soccer among young Australians. To consider this, the Australian federation has decided to equalize the salaries of the men's national team and the women's team. A step followed by many federations, one of the most important being the Brazilian federation.

Certainly the place of soccer as we know it is greater in France, women's soccer does not seem to climb in the scale of popularity of the sport. In Australia, the last World Cup showed the importance of this sport to the point of obtaining the organization of the next World Cup.