Abstract

The participation of Chilean women in competitive sports has increased in recent years, which has materialised with the presence and good results of the country’s women’s national teams in international events in various sports, including football. Yet, the impact of this sport and the cultural conditions of this women’s practice are unknown. This chapter intents to describe the historical development, characteristics, and context of Chilean women’s football, focusing on the period that began with the organisation of the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s Football World Cup in Chile. The methods used were based on documentary review and analysis of information sources. The results indicated that both participation and success in women’s football over the last two decades has generated greater cultural recognition and visibility of this discipline in Chile; an increase in players; and the attainment of international achievements. Nevertheless, this process has been difficult because of the sexist barriers prevailing in Chilean society, and women in football in particular.