When one thinks of the word ‘invincible’ in football, the popular name that comes to mind is Arsenal.
The Gunners went through the entire 2003-04 Premier League season unbeaten, going on to win the league 11 points clear of London rivals Chelsea.
Since, then, only Juventus during the 2011-12 Serie A season have been able to go an entire league season unbeaten. The likes of FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have tried to replicate that feat but have done so to no avail.
One team, however, has taken invincibility to an unbelievable level, and that is Barcelona Femeni.
The female football team of the Catalan sports outfit was established in 1970 but was not affiliated with the men’s football team until 2002 and did not become a professional team until 2015.
Since 2012, Barcelona women have won a record seven league titles, all happening in consecutive seasons between 2012 and 2015 and also between 2020 and 2022. They are also record-holders of the Copa de la Reina (9) and Supercopa de Espana (3). The Spanish heavyweights have also stamped their authority in Europe, lifting the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2021 in dominant fashion.
Away from all these titles over the last decade, the 2021-22 season stood out as the most remarkable season of all as the Barcelona ladies went through the entire league campaign without dropping a single point. It sounds too good to be true but that was the reality as they won every single game, claiming a maximum of 90 points from 30 games, scoring 159 goals and conceding 11 goals. That form has continued into the current season where they won all 24 top-flight games so far and scored a mammoth 101 goals and conceded only five goals. If things remain that way, Jonatan Giraldez’s team look poised to go the entire season with a 100% record for the second time in a row and that would be an unprecedented feat in football be it in the men’s or women’s game.
It might be argued in some quarters that such an achievement is possible because the Spanish women’s top flight is not competitive enough. Such an argument might be subjective but it does not change the fact that going an entire season without dropping a point is very difficult to do because it will require a high level of focus, determination and talent as well. Indeed, the Barcelona ladies have been able to achieve this with the likes of Asisat Oshoala, one of Africa’s greatest players in both the men’s and women’s game. Other top and experienced talents in the team include Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas, English right-back Lucy Bronze and Swedish forward Fridolina Rolfo.
Barcelona Femeni’s record is proof of the immense growth and development that has been experienced in women’s football in recent times. From garnering very little attention in the past, the women’s game is receiving a lot of attention thanks to increased media coverage and social media engagement, and it is because of the kind of form the Barca ladies are enjoying.
Indeed, they have been able to break attendance records in women’s football. The 91,648 spectators during their Champions League semi-final clash against Wolfsburg at Camp Nou last season is the largest attendance in a European women’s football game and the biggest globally in five decades.
Such numbers will certainly increase and get better should the team continue to be in phenomenal form.
In a world where inclusion and diversity are of prime importance after decades of discrimination, neglect and stereotypes against women beyond the walls of sports, Barcelona Femini are flying the flag of excellence very high.
