How Brazil’s election result could shape women’s football in the country

Brazilian women footballers Carlinha and Tayla Carolina have spoken publicly about the presidential election, warning that its outcome could affect women’s rights and the future of the sport. Their comments come as Brazil prepares to host the Women’s World Cup next year, when players say the game needs stronger public support.

Carlinha urged voters to reject a return to Bolsonaro rule, recalling her grandmother’s death during the Covid pandemic, which claimed more than 700,000 lives in Brazil. Tayla described growing up in a poor Black family and said public services and policies had mattered to her relatives; she links persistent inequality to the need for government incentives for women’s football. A Fifpro study of 800 professional players found nearly half had considered retiring early because of psychological and financial pressures.