Use of fake grass said to be sexist in World Cup spat

The push to get Canada to stage the Women’s World Cup on grass instead of artificial turf is now a legal matter, with American star Abby Wambach and a group of players “fully prepared to go forward zealously and aggressively in court” to force a change, their lawyer said on Thursday. The players, who have no plans to boycott next year’s tournament, allege gender discrimination because the men’s World Cup is always staged on grass. A lawsuit was filed Wednesday at the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, naming FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association as defendants.

It totally changes the game. It’s not fair why our game should be changed.

Germany’s Nadine Angerer, FIFA’s reigning world player of the year

They have been complaining about the issue for years—since Canada’s proposal to play on artificial turf was accepted—and they sent a letter to FIFA and the CSA in July that said they were prepared to take the legal action. Since then, there has been growing support for the women on social media, with celebrities such as actor Tom Hanks and NBA star Kobe Bryant joining the cause. Tim Howard, the goalkeeper for the U.S. men’s team, also voiced his support on Twitter.

This isn’t right and we deserve to be treated equally as the men.

Abby Wambach, the sport’s all-time goal-scoring leader

Sports Women's World Cup