Why sex differences matter in football

FOR half a century, between 1921 and 1971, the Football Association, which governs the sport in England, forbade women from playing on FA-affiliated pitches. “The game”, it opined, “is quite unsuitable for females.”

Tell that to the fans. The women’s World Cup, held this year in Australia and New Zealand, is gearing up for a final on Aug 20 between Spain and England, the reigning European champions.

So far, more than 1.8 million tickets have been sold, breaking the previous record of 1.3 million in Canada in 2015. The television audience is likely to be double the previous record of one billion. The level of play is higher across the board.