Showing the mirror

The U-17 World Cup exposed the chinks in India’s armour. If the AIFF pays heed, it could serve as a stepping stone to a thriving women’s game in the country.

The 2022 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup came to a rather exciting end at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Spain retained its title in dramatic fashion, beating Colombia in the final with the help of a late own goal. A taste of the high standards of U-17 football and the buzz generated by the event were gains for the Blue Tigresses from the global event.

“Though we could not get the results we wanted, we are very happy for the support we got on and off the field,” India’s defender Kajal told Sportstar after the campaign.

“I want to play more international matches. I hope more girls will take up the sport and more parents will allow their daughters to play football,” she added.

Over 1,85,000 turned up to watch the matches, making it the third most-watched U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Launchpad for stars

The tournament was first held in 2008 and has seen the rise of several superstars of women’s football, including Ballon D’or winner Alexia Putellas. Dzenifer Marozsan, the Golden Ball winner in 2009, went on to become a five-time Champions League winner and a three-time women’s footballer of the year in Germany.

Some of the participants this year are already one the cusp of greatness.

Colombia captain Linda Caicedo had already played the U-20 Women’s World Cup before leading her country to its first-ever FIFA final (men or women) in the U-17 World Cup. She scored four goals, winning the bronze boot and the silver ball. Agudelo — the youngest member of the Colombia U-17 team — made the final save in sudden death to help her team make it to the final.

Spain’s Vicky Lopez made four key contributions for her team and won the Golden Ball. The midfielder, who honed her skills at Madrid CFF and joined Barcelona this summer, saw club football helping her succeed at the international level.

Another standout performer was Germany’s Mara Alber. The Hoffenheim player turned out to be the architect in attack behind Loreen Bender (of Eintracht Frankfurt). The two contributed to 11 of their team’s 16 goals in the tournament.

Club football had groomed these players and its value hadn’t gone unnoticed. “I hope the [Indian] girls get into good football clubs,” stated head coach Thomas Dennerby after India’s run in the tournament ended.

Just the right time?

The World Cup came at just the right for India and for women’s football globally.

It was a great first event to kick off the new All India Football Federation (AIFF) regime’s journey under president Kalyan Chaubey. The near-term future of Indian football seems promising: the AIFF has announced the National U-17 Women’s League and discussed the possibility of hosting more Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA events.

Women’s football globally is going through a purple patch: England played Germany in front of a sold-out Wembley Stadium in July this year during the European Championship, and as many as 91,000 people watched the semifinal of the Women’s Champions League between Barcelona and Real Madrid. There was so much interest in that game that tickets had been

PTI Goals galore: The Indian team let in 16 goals in the World Cup, the highest in the tournament. In this match against Brazil at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India lost 5-0.

AFP Happy denouement: FIFA president Gianni Infantino (left) presents the winners’ trophy to Marina Artero after Spain’s 1-0 win in the final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Infantino praised India for hosting the competition well.