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1991 FIFA Women's World Cup

FieldValue
tourney_nameFIFA Women's World Cup
other_titles1st FIFA World Championship for Women's Football for the M&M's Cup
year1991
countryChina
dates16–30 November
image1991 FIFA Women's World Cup.png
size160px
captionOfficial logo
num_teams12
confederations6
venues6
cities4
champion_other
count1
second_other
third_other
fourth_other
matches26
goals99
attendance
top_scorerMichelle Akers-Stahl (10 goals)
playerCarin Jennings
fair_play
prevseason[1988 Invitational](1988-fifa-women-s-invitation-tournament)
nextseason[1995](1995-fifa-women-s-world-cup)

The 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup was the first FIFA Women's World Cup, the world championship for women's national football teams. It took place in Guangdong, China from 16 to 30 November 1991. FIFA, football's international governing body selected China as host nation as Guangdong had hosted a prototype world championship three years earlier, the 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament. Matches were played in the provincial capital, Guangzhou, as well as in Foshan, Jiangmen and Zhongshan. The competition was sponsored by Mars, Incorporated, maker of M&M's candy. With FIFA still reluctant to bestow their "World Cup" brand, the tournament was officially known as the 1st FIFA World Championship for Women's Football for the M&M's Cup.

It was won by the United States, whose captain April Heinrichs formed a forward line dubbed the "Triple-Edged Sword" with Carin Jennings and Michelle Akers. Jennings was named player of the tournament while Akers's ten goals won the Golden Boot. The United States defeated Norway 2–1 in the final in front of a crowd of 63,000 people at Guangzhou's Tianhe Stadium. Total attendance for the tournament was 510,000, an average per match of 19,615. In the opening match at the same stadium, Norway was defeated 4–0 by hosts China. Chinese defender Ma Li scored the first goal in Women's World Cup history, while goalkeeper Zhong Honglian, also of China, posted the first official clean sheet in the tournament.

The 12 qualified teams were divided into three groups of four (A to C). The top two teams and the two best third-place finishers from the three groups advanced to the knockout round of eight teams. For only this first edition of the Women's World Cup, all matches lasted only 80 minutes, instead of the typical 90, and two points were awarded for a win (both of which would change in 1995).

Venues

GuangzhouFoshanJiangmenZhongshan
Guangdong Provincial StadiumTianhe StadiumYing Tung Stadium
Capacity: **25,000**Capacity: **60,000**Capacity: **15,000**
[[File:Guangdong Provincial People's Stadium.jpg200px]][[File:Tianhe Stadium.jpg180px]]
New Plaza StadiumJiangmen StadiumZhongshan Stadium
Capacity: **14,000**Capacity: **13,000**Capacity: **12,000**
[[File:Zhongshan Sports Center Stadium -02.jpg180px]]

Participating teams and officials

Qualification

Main article: 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification

The 1991 Women's World Cup had twelve participating teams compete in the final tournament. Each of the six FIFA confederations had at least one representative.

Squads

For a list of the squads that contended for the final tournament, see 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup squads.

Match officials

For the first time in FIFA competition, six female officials were included. All functioned as lineswomen, except for Cláudia Vasconcelos who took charge of the third place play-off; becoming the first woman to referee a match sanctioned by FIFA.

ConfederationRefereeAppointments
**Male officials**
AFCDai Yuguang (China PR)4 matches as linesman
Li Haiseng (China PR)2 matches as linesman
Lu Jun (China PR)2 matches as referee, 1 match as linesman
Shyam Krishna Shrestha (Nepal)2 matches as referee, 1 match as linesman
Xuezhi Wang (China PR)3 matches as linesman
Yu Jingyin (China PR)4 matches as linesman
CAFFethi Boucetta (Tunisia)2 matches as referee, 2 matches as linesman
Omer Yengo (Congo)2 matches as referee, 1 match as linesman
CONCACAFRafael Rodríguez Medina (El Salvador)3 matches as referee, 2 matches as linesman
CONMEBOLSalvador Imperatore (Chile)3 matches as referee
John Toro Rendón (Colombia)3 matches as referee, 1 match as linesman
UEFAJim McCluskey (Scotland)3 matches as referee, 2 matches as linesman
Vassilios Nikakis (Greece)2 matches as referee, 1 match as linesman
Vadim Zhuk (Soviet Union)3 matches as referee, 1 match as linesman
**Female officials**
AFCZuo Xiudi (China PR)5 matches as lineswoman
CONCACAFMaría Herrera García (Mexico)3 matches as lineswoman
CONMEBOLCláudia Vasconcelos (Brazil)1 match as referee, 3 matches as lineswoman
OFCLinda May Black (New Zealand)5 matches as lineswoman
UEFAGertrud Regus (Germany)6 matches as lineswoman
Ingrid Jonsson (Sweden)5 matches as lineswoman

Tournament review

FIFA's technical report demonstrates that, after the tournament, players and officials were undecided whether to persist with 80-minute matches, or to change to 90 minutes in line with men's football. Opinion was also divided about the suitability of using a size five football. Some teams reported difficulty in sourcing good quality equipment in the correct size.

The tournament was considered a major success in the quality of play and attendances at the games. FIFA president João Havelange wrote that:

The perceived success of the tournament was a significant factor in the subsequent inclusion of women's football in the 1996 Summer Olympics. Sue Lopez reported that although attendances were very high, many tickets were complimentary. The "novelty factor" of women from foreign lands playing football also encouraged local people to attend.

Draw

The draw for the group stage was held on 14 September 1991 at the Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou, China. The draw was part of a televised two-hour live show, featuring songs in both Chinese and English from the female singers Zhang Qiang (Beijing), Lin Ping (Guangzhou), Jenny Tseng (Hong Kong) and (Taiwan).

Group stage

Tiebreakers Tie-breaking criteria for group play
The ranking of teams in the group stage was determined as follows:

Group A

Main article: 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup Group A

Group B

Main article: 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup Group B

Group C

Main article: 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup Group C

Ranking of third-placed teams

Knockout stage

Main article: 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup knockout stage

Bracket

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Third place play-off

Final

Main article: 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup final

Awards

The following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament:

Golden BallSilver BallBronze BallGolden ShoeSilver ShoeBronze ShoeFIFA Fair Play Award
Carin JenningsMichelle AkersLinda Medalen
Michelle Akers-StahlHeidi MohrLinda Medalen
Carin Jennings
10 goals7 goals6 goals

Statistics

Goalscorers

  • Michelle Akers-Stahl

  • Heidi Mohr

  • Linda Medalen

  • Carin Jennings

  • Lena Videkull

  • Liu Ailing

  • Carolina Morace

  • Pia Sundhage

  • April Heinrichs

  • Bettina Wiegmann

  • Tina Svensson

  • Anneli Andelén

  • Helle Jensen

  • Susan Mackensie

  • Agnete Carlsen

  • Helen Nilsson

  • Mia Hamm

  • Elane

  • Ma Li

  • Sun Qingmei

  • Sun Wen

  • Wei Haiying

  • Wu Weiying

  • Zhou Yang

  • Chou Tai-ying

  • Lin Mei-chun

  • Lisbet Kolding

  • Hanne Nissen

  • Annette Thychosen

  • Gudrun Gottschlich

  • Silvia Neid

  • Britta Unsleber

  • Feriana Ferraguzzi

  • Rita Guarino

  • Adele Marsiletti

  • Raffaella Salmaso

  • Kim Nye

  • Birthe Hegstad

  • Hege Riise

  • Susanne Hedberg

  • Ingrid Johansson

  • Malin Lundgren

  • Joy Biefeld

  • Julie Foudy

  • Wendy Gebauer

  • Sayuri Yamaguchi (against Sweden)

  • Terry McCahill (against Norway)

Assists

  • Martina Voss

  • Helen Johansson

  • Carin Jennings

  • Li Xiufu

  • Wu Weiying

  • Helle Jensen

  • Roswitha Bindl

  • Adele Marsiletti

  • Carolina Morace

  • Tone Haugen

  • Gunn Nyborg

  • Helen Nilsson

  • Pia Sundhage

  • Julie Foudy

  • April Heinrichs

  • Shannon Higgins

  • Cenira

  • Shieh Su-jean

  • Annie Gam-Pedersen

  • Hanne Nissen

  • Irene Stelling

  • Birgitt Austermühl

  • Gudrun Gottschlich

  • Beate Wendt

  • Bettina Wiegmann

  • Anna Mega

  • Monique van de Elzen

  • Agnete Carlsen

  • Margunn Humlestøl

  • Hege Riise

  • Heidi Støre

  • Cathrine Zaborowski

  • Anneli Andelén

  • Anette Hansson

  • Ingrid Johansson

  • Michelle Akers-Stahl

  • Joy Biefeld

  • Linda Hamilton

Tournament ranking

Per statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws.

quarter-finals group stage

References

;General references

References

  1. Mattei, Al. "WUSA opening a feast for the eyes – and ears". TopOfTheCircle.com.
  2. (2022-08-05). "Since The First FIFA Women's World Cup in 1991, The USWNT Has Had A Wide Impact".
  3. "CNN/SI – Women's World Cup – Women's World Cup History – Thursday February 11, 1999 06:04 PM".
  4. Basler, Barbara. (1 December 1991). "U.S. Women Beat Norway To Capture World Cup". The New York Times.
  5. Williams, Jean. (1 November 2007). "A Beautiful Game: International Perspectives on Women's Football". [[Berg Publishers]].
  6. {{harvnb. Lopez. 1997
  7. "FIFA Women's World Cup – China PR 1991". [[FIFA]].
  8. "FIFA Women's World Cup China '91 – Technical Report & Statistics". [[FIFA]].
  9. {{harvnb. Lopez. 1997
  10. {{harvnb. Lopez. 1997
  11. {{harvnb. Lopez. 1997
  12. (6 December 2018). "Statistical Kit – The Draw for the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019". FIFA.
  13. (1991). "Regulations of the 1st FIFA World Championship for Women's Football 1991". FIFA.
  14. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150616002606/http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/archive/chinapr1991/awards/index.html Awards 1991]
  15. "FIFA Technical Report". FIFA.
  16. "FIFA Women's World Cup 1991 – Technical Report, Part 2: Final ranking". FIFA.
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