Sunday's fever pitched football final was watched by more women than any previous World Cup final.

That's the finding of McCann Pulse, the global consumer insight network of McCann-Erickson WorldGroup, which found that female World Cup fans are reaching critical mass in some markets. Nowhere, says the agency, is this more apparent than in Brazil.

While Brazilian women are less enthralled with the statistical details of the matches, their patriotic enthusiasm is often greater than that of the male fans, and they thrive on the festive social aspects of the event. Many young Brazilian women are taking up soccer as players as well as spectators, deepening their connection to the sport, says a company release.

Global media exposure and prospering players have all contributed to the increasing popularity of the game. Gossip by the paparazzi has further helped attract female fans. The glamour quotient has widened the attraction of male soccer to a growing female fan base, says the study. Also working in soccer's favour is a universal appreciation for the general soccer physique, and the absence of bulky uniforms and padding common in sports like ice hockey and American football, it adds.

However the study also notes that the World Cup's appeal to women around the world runs deeper than the glitz of celebrity sex appeal. Female fans greatly connect with the heightened sense of patriotism and the local social festivities which creates a larger-than-sports cultural phenomenon. For women possessing less than average knowledge about the game, the world cup functions as just a mega social event where one can catch up with family and friends, the release adds.

In Germany, for example, women were found to be attracted to the World Cup because they thought it a useful subject to converse with their boyfriends, brothers and fathers while the tournament was in progress.


Click here for Archives