5 Things You Totally Need to Know About OL Féminin

December 16, 2020
By Johanna Haas

Olympique Lyonnais Féminin are one of (if not THE) best professional women’s soccer teams in the world. They’re based in Lyon, France, so though American audiences may have heard of them, they might not have had the luxury of witnessing their greatness firsthand. When they lost to PSG (0-1) in 2020, it was a huge shock. This is not a team that loses often, but there’s more to them than just their winning ways. Here are five things Socceristas should know about OL Féminin.

OL Féminin is possibly the best team in the world

OL Féminin is the most successful team in the history of French Division 1 soccer, winning the title 14 times straight. Division 1 is the top professional league in France. However, they’re not just great in the league. They’ve also won the French Cup nine times (open to all women’s soccer teams in France) and the Champions League seven times. With a record like that, the Lionesses may be the best team in the entire world, not just in women’s soccer. To put that into perspective, they’ve got a better record than any men’s team and have won more Champions Leagues than the Patriots have won Super Bowls.

Women’s soccer in France almost disappeared forever

Women’s soccer was actually banned in France from 1941 t0 1970 . However, the women’s professional league, Division 1, had been founded in 1919. Then, during World War II, France was taken over by Germany, who banned the women’s game because they feared soccer would make women “more masculine.”

In the 60s, though, women’s sports started to become more accepted and there was even an unofficial Women’s World Cup in Mexico in 1971. OL Féminin was formed in 1970 out of this rebirth of women’s sports. It was taken on by the OL organization in 2004, and started rising to dominance in 2006.

OL Féminin is where the best players go to get better

The team is packed with superstars who want to play with the best players in the world. Ada Hegerberg, Norwegian forward and Ballon d’Or winner, is on the team. Captains of the German and Japanese teams, Dzsenifer Marozsán and Suki Kumagi respectively, also play for OL. Past American OL players include Hope Solo, Megan Rapinoe, and Alex Morgan. French stars Amandine Henry, Eugénie Le Sommer, and Wendie Renard also call Lyon home.

Equal pay and equal respect

OL Féminin treats its players like the international stars they are. OL made it a rule to treat its two teams the same, stating that if men who are treated well will play better, the same is true for women. And it is – they even outperform the club’s men team.

USA has its own OL team now

The OL Reign was purchased by the OL group with the goal of owning the two best teams in the world. This team was formerly the Seattle Reign and Reign FC. Time will only tell if OL Reign live up to that goal.

Featured image via @OL on Instagram