The Increased Marketability of Women's Soccer

The Increased Marketability of Women’s Soccer 

And how the USWNT made it happen in America

Image depicts young United States Women’s Soccer fans holding signs cheering on the team and specific players following the USWNT’s World Cup win.

Introduction

Obsessive, hyper-competitive, prideful, loud. These are just a few adjectives that describe Americans, especially when it comes to international competition of any type. Boasting the strongest or fastest athletes, the most technical players, the greatest coaching methods; the United States has long been proud of the men’s soccer teams that are sent to perform on the international stage. However, women’s soccer has a much more recent history.

Women’s soccer has only been permitted at the highest level of international competition—namely the World Cup and the Olympics–since 1991 and 1996 respectively. Despite the practically cult-like fanaticism of soccer (futbol)  fans world-wide, the United States has not been nearly so quick on the uptaking in this reverence even for the men’s side of the sport, let alone the women’s side. The casual dismissal of women’s athletics in the United States, specifically women’s soccer, began to see a change the summer of 1991 with the first FIFA sanctioned Women’s World Cup held in China.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup

Summer 1991, after years of female athletes demanding better promotion of women’s athletics by soccer’s governing bodies, the first FIFA Women’s World Cup was set to be hosted. This follows years of countries being urged by players to lift their bans on women’s participation in soccer and various other sports at the international level.

The Finals

With players like Michelle Akers (Adidas Golden Boot & Adidas Silver Ball), Carin Jennings (Adidas Golden Ball & Adidas Bronze Shoe), April Heinrichs, Mia Hamm, and Brandi Chastain at the helm, the United States Women's National Team were the winners of the first sanctioned FIFA Women's World Cup, defeating Norway 2-1 in the Finals. The total attendance for this historic event was approximately 510,000--or just under 20,000 attendees per match--and featured teams from each of the 6 continental federations.

The Results

You may be wondering, "what came next?" to which I would answer that this first major international victory for US women's athletics was met with near obscurity...that is until two World Cups later in 1999. The infamous 99ers. A group of formidable women like Chastain, Hamm, and Akers who had already tasted victory in 1991 and wanted to put their names back on top after their 3rd place finish in the '95 World Cup. The '99 USWNT squad had a chip on their shoulder and were ready to make history once more.

Heralded in by a penalty kick in the final and THE shirt moment (both by Chastain), the United States Women's National team had once again won the World Cup. After that, momentum for women's soccer began to roll in earnest.

Out of the 9 sanctioned FIFA Women's World Cups held after that historic 1991 debut, the United States has finished in the top 3 for all but one of the tournaments. Of the 8 top 3 finishes, 4 of those were victories for the United States--the most of any international team.

The Marketability

Brand deals, press releases, parades, uniform kit sales... Pandora's box had been blown wide open by these women who had a captive audience in little girls nationwide. Suddenly, grassroots efforts to bring competitive soccer to young girls were not just a pipe-dream, they were in relatively high demand.

Now, we are in the era of Morgan, Dunn, Lavelle, and other footie phenoms that looked up to players like the 99ers and said, "it's our turn to carry on that torch". The United States now has the NWSL (successor to the WUSA and WPS leagues) to complement the men's MLS, multiple semi-Pro leagues, and players playing internationally under the mantles of soccer superpowers such as Manchester United, Arsenal, etc.

What's Next?

The demand for women's sports grows by the year. Compare the 510,000 attendees in 1991 to the nearly 2 million attendees in 2023. Progress is slow, but money speaks and it has told the governing bodies of athletics that women's sports want a seat at the table. Television viewership continues to rise, brand deals have shifted from the sexualization of female athletes to the celebration of their accomplishments, and international sales of merchandise--particularly those of the 1999 legends--continue to show how the United States Women's National Team have shaped international soccer into a verified marketing success.