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Reporter s Notebook: Finding World Cup Joy Through Women’s Soccer Passion
In this Reporter s Notebook edition, we explore the vibrant world of female soccer supporters during the 2026 World Cup. While traveling across multiple cities for our tournament coverage, NPR producer Liz Baker noticed something I had completely overlooked. Many female spectators displayed stunning, detailed nail art featuring soccer motifs. This observation prompted us to request that our photographers document these beautiful hands alongside the tournament’s fashion highlights. During a break between matches in Houston, we stopped by several nail salons. There, customers discussed football passionately, ranked their favorite athletes, and received intricate flag and trophy designs on their fingernails—processes that required hours of careful work.
When you listen to World Cup broadcasts, you typically picture crowds of loud, perspiring male supporters. However, one of the greatest pleasures of covering this championship has been connecting with female fans who genuinely adore the beautiful game. This Reporter s Notebook journey has been particularly rewarding as we’ve met women from diverse backgrounds united by their love for soccer.
A Personal Connection to the Sport
My own relationship with football runs deep. I spent my childhood in Argentina within a household dominated by men completely devoted to fútbol. My grandfather held membership in one of the major leagues, while a cousin competed professionally in a lower division. Like countless Argentine children, my father harbored dreams of becoming a professional athlete himself. This aspiration is so widespread in our culture that it carries a specific name: “el sueño del pibe.” Our everyday language even absorbed football terminology. To tell someone to focus on you, you say “hey, pass me the ball.” When something wonderful occurs, it is described as a “golazo.”
During my youth, weekends were dedicated either to playing or watching matches. I participated in both activities, though only as a child. I played with intense dedication, typically being the sole girl among neighborhood boys—excluding a frightened girlfriend who frequently served as goalkeeper since nobody else wanted that position. My father would participate in our games, providing commentary as if we were competing in the World Cup finals. He possessed remarkable knowledge about players, having observed legends such as Argentina’s Diego Maradona and Brazil’s Pelé during their playing days.
I realized early on that football represented one of the few bridges between myself and my father. Yet I learned to conceal my passion when, at sixteen, I secretly attempted to join one of the nation’s premier football clubs. My father, a remarkably strict parent, discovered my secret and made his position crystal clear: football was not suitable for girls, and I should never return to the field again.
Looking back at those years, I often wonder whether being permitted to play freely might have altered my path significantly. I became somewhat rebellious during my teenage years, spending more time in trouble than avoiding it.
New Generations Finding Their Way
Eventually, I discovered a method to return to the game through writing. I created a podcast examining the emergence of Argentine sensation Lionel Messi, and subsequently covered the World Cup. Coach Zhraa Hamidy followed a similar trajectory. Currently, she manages the Michigan FC girls team, describing it as her ultimate career aspiration. The squad welcomes young women of various ages, though it predominantly consists of Muslim girls. One of her standout athletes, sixteen-year-old Fatima Alzahraa Yazdchi from Kuwait, amazed us with her powerful dribbling abilities. She hopes to secure a football scholarship within the coming years to pursue higher education.
One of the first women I encountered during this journey was twenty-two-year-old Zhraa Hamidy. We met in Dearborn, Michigan, where I was developing a story exploring what it meant for the Iraqi-American community to witness Iraq compete in the World Cup for the first time in four decades. This Reporter s Notebook feature has allowed us to capture these remarkable stories of determination and passion.
During our conversation, Hamidy shared that she developed a love for football at a young age and continued playing through high school. She earned a scholarship to attend college, but that opportunity ended when her father expressed his belief that football was not intended for women. She declined the scholarship, and as she recounted this story, sadness was evident on her face.
I asked her the question I have been posing to fans throughout my travels: What remains your most cherished goal ever?
“I was standing from the 40-yard line,” she smiled, “and there was a bunch of people in front of the net, because it was a foul kick. And I had gotten up straight after being slide tackled, and I was in pain. Got up, kicked the ball, it went straight in the net, above the goalie’s hand.”
The 2026 World Cup has delivered considerable happiness, yet it has also faced various controversies and allegations. Through all of this, the Reporter s Notebook has been privileged to document the unwavering spirit of women who continue to love and play soccer despite obstacles. Their stories remind us that football transcends gender, culture, and generation—uniting us all under the beautiful game’s banner.
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