F4GMag-Eleven-Digital[1230]

Two years prior, Hegerberg had decided to abdicate from international playing duties after what she called a “lack of respect” for women’s football. Consequently, she hasn’t featured for Norway since and wasn’t present at this summer’s world cup, all of which despite being officially recognised as the world’s best player. The question was posed in the wake of Hegerberg receiving the award of BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year and was the second time in under a year that her footballing acclamation was tainted by controversy surrounding gender inequity in football. The first, saw her awarded the first ever Ballon d’Or Féminin only to be asked on stage if she knew how to “twerk”. The nature of the faux pas embodied an impertinence towards women’s football, less so the irreverence of a single individual but more so the attitudes of the “men in suits” Hegerberg is adamant to change. And yet, ironically within the misdemeanour, lay a watershed moment: at last such questions were being asked to those whose voices truly matter. Never more did Hegerberg’s decision to be sat in front of a film crew in her living room in Oslo, instead of alongside her Norwegian teammates, seemmore justified.  IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE BBC PRIOR TO THIS SUMMER’ S FIFA WOMEN’ S WORLD CUP, ADA HEGERBERG RECALLED A QUESTION RECENTLY POSED TO HER BY A JOURNALIST, ASKING “DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A FOOTBALLER OR SOMEONE WHO FIGHTS FOR EQUALITY? ”. ROLLING HER EYES, WHILE LETTING OUT A LONG AND DEEP SIGH, THERE WAS NO MISTAKING HER FRUSTRATION. THROUGH INCREDULOUS LAUGHTER, SHE THEN ANSWERED: “ IT ’ S IMPOSSIBLE TO BE IN FOOTBALL AND NOT FIGHT FOR EQUALITY.” AN EQUAL GAME: THE PLAYERS TURNING A MIRROR ON THE SPORT THEY LOVE FOR A FAIRER GAME AND A BETTER WORLD. BY SAM COOK