A Brief History
Once upon a time, in the land of flamenco and paella, women’s football was as rare as a snowflake in the Sahara. But let’s rewind to the 1970s, when Rafael Muga, a visionary, decided to form a national football team1. This was a bold move, considering football was deemed an “unsuitable sport for women” by the Royal Spanish Football Federation21.
Fast forward to 1980, the Federation finally recognized women’s football3. It took another eight years for a national league to be established4. From then on, it was a rollercoaster ride of victories and challenges, with the team breaking into the top 10 of the FIFA World Rankings in the early 2020s2.
Ten Hilarious Facts
- Nickname: They’re known as “La Roja” (The Red), but don’t mistake them for tomatoes on the field2.
- First International Match: Their first official match was against Portugal in 1983, and they lost 1-02. Talk about a rough start!
- Biggest Win: They once trounced Slovenia 17-02. That’s more goals than my local pub team has scored in their entire existence.
- World Cup Champions: They won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 20232. Who needs the men’s team, anyway?
- UEFA Women’s Championship: They’ve qualified four times, reaching the semi-finals in 19972. So close, yet so far!
- FIFA Ranking: They reached their highest FIFA ranking (2nd) in August 20232. That’s higher than my FIFA video game ranking will ever be.
- Top Scorer: Jennifer Hermoso has scored 52 goals2. That’s more than I’ve scored in my dreams!
- Most Caps: Alexia Putellas has made 113 appearances2. That’s a lot of laundry for the kit manager.
- Head Coach: Montserrat Tomé is the head coach2. She’s the mastermind behind their tiki-taka.
- World Champions: They’re the current world champions in all three female categories (U-17, U-20, and senior level)2. They’re basically the Avengers of football.
Spanish Women’s Football Team’s winning stats (as of Saturday, December 9, 2023)
| Format | Played | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 309 | 135 | 116 | 2 | 56 | 44.06% |
| Friendly | 182 | 92 | 75 | 3 | 36 | 50.91% |
| UEFA Women’s Championship Qualifying | 66 | 31 | 27 | 2 | 18 | 47.74% |
| FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifying | 25 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 44.00% |
| UEFA Women’s Championship | 16 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 25.00% |
| FIFA Women’s World Cup | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 20.00% |
| Algarve Cup | 23 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 26.09% |
So there you have it, a brief history and ten hilarious facts about the Spanish Women’s Football Team. They’ve come a long way from being considered “unsuitable” for football to becoming world champions. Now, that’s what I call a Cinderella story!
