English

Beyond the final tournament, there is a long journey that often goes unseen: qualification matches, playoff battles, and moments of pressure where entire nations fight for their place on the world stage. It is football in its purest form: hope under pressure, dreams on the line, and countries carrying more than just a team.

Imagine this: You’re eight years old. They dress you in a two-piece swimsuit, style your hair like an adult’s, and put you on a platform in front of thousands of people. Across the river, people are drinking beer and applauding. Nobody asked you if you wanted to be there like that. It just… happened. And for twenty years, nobody thought anything of it.

While sexual harassment can happen in person, it is increasingly occuring online through social media, messaging platforms, videogames and other online spaces. Children and young people are particularly vulnerable, as they may not always recognise harmful behaviour or know where to seek help.

Today, catcalling, or acoso callejero, presents a considerable challenge throughout Latin America. In Cali, for instance, one in four women has been victim of catcalling, which encompasses anything from persistent staring and whistling to calling out obscene comments, in ways that usually express unwanted sexual attention.