Celebrating Women's Football: The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and a look into the FIFA Museum’s digital efforts

This Women’s History Month, we turn our attention to the FIFA Museum, the home of football heritage and culture. Patrick Tobler talks about the significant strides in supporting women's football the FIFA Museum has taken, with a recent focus on the landmark 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup™.

A digital revolution in football heritage

We at the FIFA Museum have made an unwavering commitment to celebrate and highlight women's football within our collection and our various exhibitions around the world. Women’s football is an integral part of football, and we aim to celebrate it without making comparisons to the men’s game. There is so much to discover in women’s football history, from humble beginnings more than a century ago to the more recent professionalisation that is still very much ongoing. Our goal is to shine a spotlight on the extraordinary achievements of female players both on and off the pitch – both on the game’s trailblazers and its contemporary heroes.

We’re seeing a revolution in a shift in audiences from a purely physical experience to an increasingly digital one. We see our audience as global and need to find ways to reach them with our content without them having the possibility to visit us. We want to share the magic of football with as many people as possible, wherever they may be.

This commitment is actualised through the permanent and special exhibitions that not only captivate visitors at the museum itself in Zurich but also resonate globally. We employ digital technologies to scale and present our content worldwide. These technologies are utilised on dedicated platforms, as well as in temporary exhibitions like ‘Origins: Pre-histories of football’, and through a deepened focus on storytelling on social media that makes physical content available online through the use of video. This ensures expanded accessibility to our content for a wide audience regardless of location.

The special exhibition around the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup and its digital experience

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand proved to be a pinnacle moment for women’s football and an important stage for the FIFA Museum to showcase its commitment and excellence in football heritage. Through our special exhibition ‘Calling the Shots: Faces of Women’s Football’ in Sydney, we were able to tell more stories around women’s football than ever, some of which might even have surprised our visitors. Big household names had their place in the exhibition, but there were also grassroot stories. One such story centred on the fan group The Croissants who follow the Matildas, Australia’s women’s national team. Another was on the still relatively unknown story of the first international women’s football championship in 1970, won by Denmark.

We also took significant steps in using technology to enhance the visitor experience. The digital experience specifically created around this exhibition exemplifies the important intersection of sports, culture, and innovation.

This digital experience allowed the museum to transcend physical boundaries, offering an immersive experience to a global audience. It went beyond conventional exhibitions, utilising a dedicated platform to bring the rich legacy of women’s football to life. Through virtual space, visitors could explore inspiring stories, meet legendary stars, and relive iconic moments that have shaped the FIFA Women’s World Cup since its inauguration in 1991.

Acquisition and showcasing of historical objects

Adding to its commitment to preserving the legacy of women's football, the FIFA Museum, with a dedicated team on site, acquired hundreds of objects from the tournament. A wide range of objects were collected from boots, match balls and jerseys to tactical notes and even a water bottle, all of which were added to the FIFA Museum’s substantial collection on women’s football. Our Exhibition and Heritage Teams then meticulously curated these artefacts, identifying key objects that tell the story of this landmark tournament.

On 12 December 2023, the museum unveiled a dedicated showcase - FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Showcase -, allowing the public to witness a selection of these historic objects. This showcase not only serves as a testament to the museum’s dedication to women's football but also as an educational resource for future generations.

A glimpse into the future

Women’s Football is on the rise and the FIFA Museum will happily answer this demand with more stories in more exhibitions, be it in Zurich or elsewhere. Through technology we will be able to reach more people directly all around the globe. The digital experience around last year’s Women’s World Cup gave us great insights on how we can digitalise contents from our exhibitions. Next steps are already planned, such as the ongoing work on our Virtual Reality offers (currently accessible only in Zurich: The first FIFA World CupTM). This will give football fans new ways to interact with the FIFA Museum and experience football history in ways never seen before.

As part of our commitment to women’s football, we are also redeveloping the World Cup Gallery exhibition space in Zurich this year to host even more showcases and historical objects on the history of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

If you wish to know more about the FIFA Museum and get regular updates, please visit our website or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.