The Story Behind Copa ’71: The Unofficial First Women’s World Cup

October 7, 2023
By Rachel Gonzalez

We’ve seen a swell in support for women’s sports lately. But what if we told you this is nothing compared to what happened one summer over 50 years ago? We know that the USWNT is known to sell out stadiums and that the NWSL is growing daily, but what about the biggest Women’s World Cup? Before FIFA gave women a chance to take the stage, there was the Copa ’71.

Copa ’71 took place in Guadalajara, Mexico, in August of 1971. Five teams showed up to compete in the event, organized by the Federation of Independent European Female Football (FIEFF). The teams were Argentina, England, Italy, France, Denmark, and Mexico.

Even before this historic tournament, there was one tournament labeled as a World Cup in Italy the year before. While it was the first and had more teams, it paled compared to Copa ’71.

The teams participating in Copa ’71 played in front of crowds of over 100,000 spectators each match. The highest attended match of the tournament was the final between Denmark and the host nation Mexico, with a whopping 112,500 fans in the stands.

What is even more amazing about this tournament is that it was basically a rebellion. It’s not that women’s sports were unpopular at the time–in some cases, it was illegal. Bans on organized women’s soccer were only starting to be lifted in some parts of the world, allowing for something like this and, eventually, the sport as we know it.

The squads of Copa ’71 were, of course, some of the best around. Unfortunately, many of their names have been forgotten, much like the tournament itself.

But one team that has recently received some attention is England, now dubbed the “lost lionesses.” Their team was actually banned from playing after returning from Copa ’71 by their own government. England had an incredibly young team. Their captain, Carol Wilson, was only 19 years old. Their youngest player was 13-year-old Leah Caleb. In 2019, 12 of the original 14-woman team reunited and reflected on their time and how far the sport has come.

A recent documentary, “Copa ’71,” with executive producers Venus and Serena Williams, essentially brought this tournament back from the brink of being completely forgotten. This documentary and the footage used of the actual tournament showcase the incredible talent that all of these nations brought to the pitch.

It was scrappy. There was drama and even an actual brawl during one of the semifinal matches. And most of all, there was passion from both the players and the audience.