When anyone thinks of a winner, or a ‘winning’ football team, they think of one thing only: the number one spot. The equation is fairly simple. The team that wins the final match, wins the number one spot. The team that loses, however, is either forgotten entirely or simply seen as the team that did not play well enough. But for this FIFA Women’s World Cup, the real winner is a whole other story. This story is one of inspiration, of hard work, and most importantly, of defending women’s diversity. Winning in sport is being redefined because the story of women in sports, and the way they are obliterating the West’s athletic ideals, is being redefined. To achieve that number one spot is to capture the true message of sports and what it can teach us about being human: to feel a sense of belonging, to feel the thrills of teamwork and team passion, and most importantly, to play and collaborate with anyone – regardless of who they are and where they are from. For this Women’s World Cup, the winner is the one that, at heart, fosters social belonging…
