Millions of people around the world have shown their support for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, but there are still some missing the mark in getting behind the women’s game.
The tournament wrapped up on Sunday night with Spain defeating England 1-0 in the final.
Although more than 75,000 of fans packed into Stadium Australia to witness the record-breaking match, there were notable faces missing from the crowd.
Prince William has been called out for not attending the final in show of support for the Lionesses, despite his role as president of the Football Association in England.
The senior royal posted a video on Twitter on Saturday with his daughter Princess Charlotte to wish the national team luck for the grand final.
“We’re sorry we can’t be there in person, but we’re so proud of everything you’ve achieved and the millions you’ve inspired here and around the world,” the Prince of Wales said in the video.
Former goalkeeper for the Lionesses Pauline Cope spoke on Times Radio expressing her disappointment over Prince William’s absence to England’s first appearance in a FIFA World Cup since 1966.
“Let’s be honest, if it was the men’s World Cup, they would all be here,” she said.
Prince William and the British Royal Family are currently on their annual summer break.
Prince William did not attend the men’s World Cup in Qatar last October due to prior commitments. However, after the Lions made the quarter finals in the tournament, there were reports the royal’s staff were going to make arrangements to fly him to Qatar if they were to qualify for the final.
Some speculate Prince William’s absence at the women’s World Cup final between England and Spain could have been an environmental decision. Since the Prince of Wales is the founder of the Earthshot prize, the long-haul flight from London to Sydney could have received significant backlash from environmentalists.
Other reasons include the diplomatic issues of Prince William travelling to Australia before the head of the monarchy, King Charles III, as well as the question of whether Australian taxpayers would cover the security costs of Prince William’s attendance to the match and his stay in Australia.
Queen Letizia, the Queen of Spain, and her 16-year-old daughter flew to Sydney to watch their national team take out the tournament. It is understood the monarch, King Felipe, could not attend due to a busy schedule.
‘Left nothing behind.’
Prince William wasn’t the only face missing from the game. Rishi Sunak, prime minister of the UK, also copped criticism for not attending the match in Sydney.
His tweet, attempting to show support for the Lionesses, caused a stir online.
“You left absolutely nothing out there @Lionesses,” he wrote.
The comment was a confusion between the common phrases delivered by coaches and sportspeople: “leave everything out there”, “leave nothing in the locker room” and, as previously said by tennis player Andy Murray, “give it everything you’ve got, leave nothing out there.”
People online were confused with Sunak’s remark: “You mean ‘everything’, surely?” one person wrote.
‘Men still own the house.’
On Friday the head of FIFA Gianni Infantino delivered yet another speech that sparked backlash over his leadership of the international football federation.
Speaking on the pay parity between the women’s and men’s tournaments, his words were deemed “patronising” by a number of female players and sports reporters.
“And I say to all the women, and you know I have four daughters, so I have a few at home, I say to all the women that you have the power to change,” he said.
“Pick the right battles. Pick the right fights. You have the power to change.
“You have the power to convince us men what we have to do and what we don’t have to do. You do it. Just do it.
“With men, with FIFA, you will find open doors. Just push the doors. They are open.”
Many people, reminded of his ‘I feel gay’ speech at the start of the men’s FIFA World Cup last year, called the FIFA head out for his “misogyny”.
Australian sports journalist Samantha Lewis said women have been “banging on the door of football for over a century” and it’s not as easy as Infantino describes as “just opening the door”.
“It’s not women who lack the initiative or the knowledge or the ideas, it’s because men still own the house and haven’t let us in!” she wrote.
In the presentation at the end of the women’s World Cup final, English defender Lucy Bronze accepted her medal from Infantino, but declined to shake his hand.
Infantino has been under the spotlight for his absence throughout a large portion of the women’s World Cup. Whilst he was present every match day during the men’s World Cup in Qatar last year, he was reportedly in Tahiti for several days during the women’s tournament.
‘As self-indulgent as it gets.’
Support for the Matilda’s in Australia has been unwavering, but far from perfect.
Last week, before Australia’s semi-final match against the English Lionesses, Socceroo veteran Tim Cahill reposted a highlights reel video from the official Instagram account for the FIFA World Cup, showcasing some of his finest moments.
“Happy Matildas Day,” he captioned the post.
The post was not well received by many soccer fans.
“Tim Cahill posting his own highlights in support of the Matildas was on my semi final Bingo board,” sports journalist Josh Wye wrote.
“This is as self indulgent as it gets,” commented one person on the Instagram post.