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The other national team

Stories of the women's national teams from countries competing at the men's World Cup.

48 stories published

The Brazilian national team during a meeting at the Alvorada Palace before leaving for the 2023 World Cup.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Brazil play too: they have never missed a World Cup and now the World Cup is coming to them

The men’s national team bowed out in the round of 16. The women have already qualified for the World Cup that Brazil will host in 2027, the first to be staged in South America. They began competing after women had been banned from playing for almost four decades, have appeared in all nine editions, won the Copa América nine times and reached one final, but are still searching for the first star of their own.

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The Spanish national team poses at Riazor before the qualification match against Belgium in 2024.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Spain play too: they were denied the crest and ended up putting a star above it

THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Cape Verde also play: they built another national team in eight years

THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Germany play too: barred from football, the women ended up dominating Europe

Diego Maradona in 1986, pioneer Elba Selva, and Lionel Messi in 2022.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Argentina play too: before Maradona and Messi, Elba Selva scored four against England

France women's national football team starting eleven at the UEFA Women's Euro 2017.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

France play too: they had to invent women’s football twice

Ghana women's national team (the Black Queens) during preparations for an international match.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Ghana play too: they reached the World Cup first, now they are trying to return

Algerian women watching a football match in 2013.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Algeria also play: they learned how not to lose, now they chase their first World Cup

Colombia's women's national team at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Colombia play too: already champions before the World Cup began

Oslo's Ullevaal Stadion, the home of Norwegian football.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Norway play too: world champions before Haaland

Croatian flag flying on a ferry with the town of Makarska in the background.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Croatia play too: the structure that started decades later

The Netherlands starting lineup during the 2019 World Cup in France.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

The Netherlands also play: the generation that opened a door and now looks to Brazil 2027

Cho So-hyun competes for the ball during a South Korea national team match.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

South Korea also play: the team still looking for its next generation

THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Egypt play too: Sahar El Hawary built a national team out of her own pocket

The United States women’s national team line up before a friendly against China in Cleveland on 12 June 2018, wearing rainbow-coloured numbers.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

The United States play too: when soccer surpassed football

The Switzerland women’s national team before a friendly against Sweden on 5 April 2015.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Switzerland play too: the first licence was a mistake

Portuguese fans in Cologne during the 2006 World Cup.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Portugal play too: Kika Nazareth took a World Cup record from Cristiano Ronaldo

Belgium's starting lineup at the Riazor stadium before a match against Spain.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Belgium play too: Tessa Wullaert reached 100 before Lukaku

A tram in the colours of Bosnia and Herzegovina travels through Sarajevo, one of the host cities of the Women’s Under-19 European Championship.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Bosnia play too: a European Championship built to grow the game from 91 girls to 200

THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Sweden play too: Europe’s first champions face a narrow road to the World Cup

THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Paraguay plays too: a century of history and the door that still refuses to open

Editorial illustration of the Jordan women's national football team.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Jordan play too: the women who made the world come to them

THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

New Zealand plays too: the team that was born a champion

THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Panama play too: the team that came back until it found the door open

A young girl observes the surroundings in Iraq.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Iraq also play: from 20-0 to a place on the map

Uruguay women's national football team.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Uruguay also play: the Celeste who took a stand before making history

The Ergilio Hato stadium in Willemstad, one of Curaçao's home grounds.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Curaçao also play: promotion to a division they never got to play

Ecuador's players celebrate with their fans after reaching the play-off for the 2015 World Cup in Canada.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Ecuador also play: twelve years on, the play-off again

THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Tunisia also play: seventeen seconds to exist again

Turkey huddle before facing Germany in UEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying (April 2016).
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Turkey also play: a team that learned to climb

The Czech Republic women's national team before an international match against Germany.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Czechia also play: the World Cup they were not allowed to play

Scotland's women's national team before their friendly at the San Siro stadium in Milan, 25 September 1974. Back row, far right: Elsie Cook, the secretary who had borrowed money two years earlier to buy the shirts. Front row, second from right: Mary Carr, who opened the scoring at Ravenscraig.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Scotland also play: the only European country that voted against them

Qatar's women's national team, lined up before a friendly against Kuwait in Doha. May 2012. Their last official match would come two years later.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Qatar also play: the team that disappeared from the fixture list

THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

DR Congo also play: the football nobody waited for

THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Uzbekistan also play: they got there first

The Austria national team posing before an international match.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Austria also play: the summer of 2017 still owes them a promise

Saudi Arabia women's national team posing on the pitch before a match against Moldova in 2024.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Saudi Arabia plays too: before the country decided to look

THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Ivory Coast still play too: the 10–0 that could never be the end

The Australian women's national team, the Matildas, celebrating on the pitch.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Australia play too: 74,397 people, a home final and a ticket to Brazil

Suncorp Stadium (Lang Park) in Brisbane during Haiti's historic World Cup debut against England in 2023.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Haiti also play: the Grenadières who learned to be home when far from home

South Africa also play: Banyana Banyana, a team built on resilience
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

South Africa also play: Banyana Banyana, a team built on resilience

England's players during their UEFA Euro 2025 victory parade in London.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

England also play: a wounded lioness is the most dangerous of all

The Lionesses of Teranga seek to make their mark on the African continental stage.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Senegal also play: they don't roar yet, but they've stopped asking permission

The Iranian women's national football team.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Iran also play: where simply taking the field is already political

Nadeshiko celebrate their return to the top of Asia after winning the Asian Cup.
THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Japan also play: Nadeshiko are already waiting in Brazil

THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Morocco also play: the Atlas Lionesses chase their ticket to Brazil at home

THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Canada play too: the country where the gold was won by the other team

THE OTHER NATIONAL TEAM

Mexico play too: the women's side chasing a World Cup return after twelve years