Teenage girls 1, 'old men' 0
How Copa 71, the first women’s World Cup, took on football’s 'old men'. We hear from two Danish footballers who played in the most watched women's sporting event in history.
If FIFA, football’s governing body, had had its way Copa 71 - the first women’s World Cup - would never have taken place. FIFA's attempts to ban the tournament backfired spectacularly and the matches were seen by huge numbers of fans. Copa 71 became the most watched women's sporting event in history. Ann Stengard and Birte Kjems, midfielder and goalkeeper from the victorious Danish team, give us their accounts of this extraordinary event: from playing on homemade pitches in the Danish forests to Mexico City’s Azteca stadium with crowds of over 100,000 and yet more watching on television.
The story of the competition has been made into a documentary film called Copa 71.
This programme was first broadcast in 2024.
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707
Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Julian Siddle
(Photo: Ann Stengard and Birte Kjems. Credit: Birte Kjems)
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- Thu 30 Jul 2026 11:06GMTBBC World Service
- Thu 30 Jul 2026 17:06GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Thu 30 Jul 2026 21:06GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Fri 31 Jul 2026 02:06GMTBBC World Service
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