Women’s football is on a well-documented rise. At elite level, the sport continues to professionalise while increased visibility has increased its reach like never before. Its sustainability, however, relies on the development of a strong grassroots network with girls continuing to gain access to and being empowered by a sport from which, globally, they have traditionally been excluded.
It is in this space that Girls United, founded in 2017 by Romina Calatayud, exists. Romina’s interest in football came from playing from a young age. “It’s been an important part of my upbringing and a personal passion,” she says. “As many girls and women of my generation have, I grew up playing on pitches where I was often the only girl.”