Women’s Football in Brazil: Memories of the National Team’s Athletes

Abstract

Women’s football has historically faced difficulties and lacked effective management in Brazil. Oral histories of leading Brazilian female footballers reveal their perspectives on these issues. How do athletes who have played for the Brazil women’s national football team deal with this sport’s problematic organization in Brazil? This investigation stemmed from the collection of oral history narratives from six athletes who played on the Brazilian women’s national team in the 2000s. Their experiences reveal that their participation on the Brazil national team represents moments of pride and that the structure offered by the Brazilian Football Confederation seems to be an exception to the generally chaotic universe of women’s football in Brazil. Nevertheless, their narratives divulge a completely distinct situation has emerged in Brazil as compared to the European scene in regards to women’s football.