The biggest controversies and dramas of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup
It’s been hailed as a ground-breaking and historic event but Piers Morgan isn’t a fan of Canadian football star Quinn, the first ever transgender and non-binary athlete at the World Cup.
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The Women’s World Cup has been hailed a ground-breaking and historic event after the first ever transgender and non-binary athlete took to the field.
Canadian star Quinn, who came out in September 2020, played a full 90 minutes in their side’s opening clash with Nigeria which ended 0-0.
Quinn dropped their full name three years ago asking to be known only by a mononym and the pronouns they/them.
“Being a transgender athlete, it was difficult to see my place in sports and see that I belong,” Quinn said before travelling to the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
“And the same goes for cisgender girls who are navigating their experience; we have a male-dominated sports culture in North America and they deserve to see they have a place in this sport.
“It’s so important for young soccer players to have role models in sport. Seeing the women’s national team and fortunately being able to interact with some of them was hugely important for me in understanding that there was a pathway for me.”
Quinn also made history at the Tokyo Olympics where they became the first ever openly trans athlete not only to compete but to also win a medal.
Quinn was born female and called Rebecca Quinn.
After coming out they were allowed to continue playing the women’s game on the basis of their sex assigned at birth.
According to the BBC, they have no plans to medically transition or increase their testosterone intake while playing professionally.
Har Johal, a Canadian freelance journalist that has covered Quinn’s entire career.
“There will always be rubbish, people with closed minds who want to change laws,” Johal told the BBC.
“I hope that when they see an athlete like Quinn, they are a regular and normal person.”
Not everyone has celebrated Quinn’s arrival with controversial British media personality Piers Morgan saying: “How can you be transgender and non binary?..
“You both know this is such crap!
"How can you be transgender and non binary?..
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) July 25, 2023
"You both know this is such crap!"
Piers Morgan gets heated with tonight's panel discussing the gender identity of Canadian footballer Quinn.@piersmorgan | @FamilyLawGuruUK | @AvaSantina | @ThatAlexWomanpic.twitter.com/qoXZBcq9hd
“She’s a biological woman playing against other biological women. If she doesn’t identify as a woman, why is she playing in the FIFA Women’s World Cup?
“They don’t qualify for the Women’s World Cup because they used to be a woman. Now they don’t want to be a woman so now we have to call them they for being a transgender even though they are non binary and they’re playing in the Women’s World Cup and we’re all supposed to go, ‘Well done Quinn. What a moment’.”
Canada will play Ireland and Australia in their remaining group stage matches.
‘GAY PLAYERS PROBE’ FORCES EMBARRASSING APOLOGY’
The BBC has issued an apology after one of its journalist sparked outcry at the World Cup when they asked Morocco’s captain about gay players within the squad.
Ahead of the side’s opening clash with Germany on Monday, Ghizlane Chebbak was asked: “In Morocco, it’s illegal to have a gay relationship. Do you have any gay players in your squad and what’s life like for them in Morocco?”
The line of questioning was immediately shut down by FIFA owing to its political nature and moreover the risk it posed to player safety, but the reporters didn’t stop there.
“Sorry, this is a very political question, so we’ll just stick to questions relating to football.”
“No, it’s not political,” the journalist replied.
“It’s about people, it’s got nothing to do with politics. Please let her answer the question.”
Video of the exchange has gone viral forcing the BBC to respond.
“We recognise that the question was inappropriate. We had no intention to cause any harm or distress,” the broadcast house said in a statement.
Shireen Ahmed, a reporter for CBC Sports that was in the room, said the incident was “out of line”.
“Asking a player about her teammates and whether they are gay and how it affects them when you know it is not permissible is bizarre and out of line.
“The captain cannot out players nor comment on policy bc [because] it could be dangerous for them, too,” Ahmed wrote.
“If reporting harms someone, it is not only unethical but dangerous.”
RAINBOW NAILS, HAIR AND LIGHTS – DEFYING FIFA
Another women’s player has cheekily protested against FIFA’s controversial banning of the rainbow armband at the World Cup.
FIFA prohibited the WWC teams from displaying the rainbow-coloured armbands after the same band was boycotted in the men’s World Cup in Qatar last year
Thembi Kgatlana, who plays as a forward for the South African side, showed off a rainbow streak through her hair as her side prepared to take on Sweden in Wellington on Sunday.
This was not the first instance of such a statement, with American-born New Zealand player Ali Riley painting her fingernails in the pride colours for their opener against Norway.
Football Australia CEO James Johnson admitted Australia would have liked a rainbow armband option to be available for captains at the Women’s World Cup, with Aussie skipper Sam Kerr also voicing her support.
Obviously, we would love to wear it … like most of the teams in the whole world, everyone has voiced that they would love to wear it,” she said.
Thembi Kgatlana bringing the rainbow to FIFA Women's World Cup™ 🌈
— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) July 23, 2023
Stepping out on the pitch in style for South Africa
And she's a baller too.#FIFAWWC#OptusSportpic.twitter.com/86hh1Xph0K
This came after rainbow lights were seen displayed prior to England’s clash with Haiti in Brisbane on Thursday night.
Players are the Men’s World Cup were warned they would face on-field sanctions for wearing the One Love armband, with FIFA providing their own alternatives to wear around messages of peace and inclusion.
Suncorp Stadium come through 🌈 https://t.co/3y5itYkhO0
— Pride Football Australia (@PrideFootballOz) July 22, 2023
WORLD CUP CHEAT STORM ERUPTS
Defender Stefanie van der Gragt scored the only goal as the Dutch began their campaign with victory under a closed roof in Dunedin against the World Cup debutants.
lmao you cant make this shit up 😠pic.twitter.com/0nkxo9AVBa
— hirushi 🦷🫀 (@cowb0yinthealps) July 23, 2023
It was not an entirely convincing performance but it sets the Netherlands up for a mouth-watering Group E showdown on Thursday with the USA, who began their bid for a third straight title with a 3-0 win over Vietnam.
Video posted to social media shows what appears to be Joner instructing Daniëlle van de Donk to “sit down” on the field despite being up on her feet.
After a short protest with Donk saying it “Daphne could do it: (we assume Daphne van Domselaar), the midfielder duly sits down on the field and waits for the ref to come over.
During this break in play, Jonker is surrounded by his players working through set pieces and barking out instructions.
Not to sound too Ashes-like but, not really in the spirit of the game is it?
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