Brazilian players at Women’s World Cup urge fans back home to skip work to watch their matches
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Brazil’s players urged their fans back in South America to stay home from work and watch them begin their Women’s World Cup campaign on Monday morning against Panama.
The fact that their fans even have that option marks a step forward in the players’ ongoing fight for equality with their male counterparts.
Brazil president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva recently announced that civil servants could arrive at work up to two hours after the final whistle of Brazil’s games in the the tournament. He encouraged private businesses to do the same.
The Brazil-Panama match starts at 8:30 pm Monday in Adelaide, Australia. There is a roughly 12-hour time difference between the countries.
“I hope people really follow (the games) and don’t use it just to skip work,” Brazilian defender Antonia said. “I hope people really follow us.”
Taking time off work to watch important soccer matches is nothing new for fans of Brazil’s men’s team, but this is a first for the women’s team
“It’s an important step for women’s football,” Antonia said. “I believe that it is a little behind, but it happened and we have to value that.”
While it’s a step toward equality, it brings added pressure. The team is aiming for its first World Cup title to prove themselves to their country and the world as a top team in women’s soccer.
“It’s already a very big movement,” midfielder Angelina said of the team’s support in Brazil, “and the expectation is only increasing.”
Brazil has competed in every Women’s World Cup with their best result in 2007 finishing runners-up to Germany. They have won two silver medals in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. Marta, one of the world’s most well-known and accomplished players, will be playing in her last World Cup. Marta holds the record for most World Cup goals scored by men or women with 17 and the most international goals scored for Brazil with 115.
In March, Lula endorsed Brazil’s bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup alongside Brazil’s sports minister, Ana Moser, and the president of the Brazilian Soccer Confederation, Ednaldo Rodrigues.
