| 1st FIFA World Championship for Women's Football for the M&M's Cup | |
|---|---|
 Official logo | |
| Tournament details | |
| Host country | China |
| Dates | 16–30 November |
| Teams | 12 (from 6 confederations) |
| Venue | 6 (in 4 host cities) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  United States (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  Norway |
| Third place |  Sweden |
| Fourth place |  Germany |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 26 |
| Goals scored | 99 (3.81 per match) |
| Attendance | 510,000 (19,615 per match) |
| Top scorer | Michelle Akers-Stahl(10 goals) |
| Best player | Carin Jennings |
| Fair play award | Germany |
1995 → | |
The1991 FIFA Women's World Cup was the firstFIFA Women's World Cup, the world championship forwomen's national football teams. It took place inGuangdong, China from 16 to 30 November 1991.FIFA, football's internationalgoverning body selected China as host nation as Guangdong had hosted aprototype world championship three years earlier, the1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament. Matches were played in the provincial capital,Guangzhou, as well as inFoshan,Jiangmen andZhongshan. The competition was sponsored byMars, Incorporated, maker ofM&M's candy. With FIFA still reluctant to bestow their "World Cup" brand, the tournament was officially known as the1st FIFA World Championship for Women's Football for the M&M's Cup.[1]
It was won by theUnited States,[2] whosecaptainApril Heinrichs formed a forward line dubbed the "Triple-Edged Sword" withCarin Jennings andMichelle Akers-Stahl. Jennings was named player of the tournament while Akers-Stahl's ten goals won theGolden Boot.[3] The United States defeatedNorway 2–1 in the final in front of a crowd of 63,000 people at Guangzhou'sTianhe Stadium.[4] 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 hostsChina. Chinese defenderMa Li scored the first goal in Women's World Cup history, while goalkeeperZhong 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 the 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 in1995).[5]
| Guangzhou | ||
|---|---|---|
| Guangdong Provincial Stadium | Tianhe Stadium | Ying Tung Stadium |
| Capacity:25,000 | Capacity:60,000 | Capacity:15,000 |
 |  | |
| Foshan | Jiangmen | Zhongshan |
| New Plaza Stadium | Jiangmen Stadium | Zhongshan Stadium |
| Capacity:14,000 | Capacity:13,000 | Capacity:12,000 |
 | ||
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.
For a list of the squads that contended for the final tournament, see1991 FIFA Women's World Cup squads.
For the first time in FIFA competition, six female officials were included. All functioned aslineswomen, except forCláudia Vasconcelos who took charge of the third place play-off; becoming the first woman to referee a match sanctioned by FIFA.[6][7]
| Confederation | Referee | Appointments[8] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male officials | |||
| AFC | Dai 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 | ||
| CAF | Fethi Boucetta (Tunisia) | 2 matches as referee, 2 matches as linesman | |
| Omer Yengo (Congo) | 2 matches as referee, 1 match as linesman | ||
| CONCACAF | Rafael Rodríguez Medina (El Salvador) | 3 matches as referee, 2 matches as linesman | |
| CONMEBOL | Salvador Imperatore (Chile) | 3 matches as referee | |
| John Toro Rendón (Colombia) | 3 matches as referee, 1 match as linesman | ||
| UEFA | Jim 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 | |||
| AFC | Zuo Xiudi (China PR) | 5 matches as lineswoman | |
| CONCACAF | María Herrera García (Mexico) | 3 matches as lineswoman | |
| CONMEBOL | Cláudia Vasconcelos (Brazil) | 1 match as referee, 3 matches as lineswoman | |
| OFC | Linda May Black (New Zealand) | 5 matches as lineswoman | |
| UEFA | Gertrud Regus (Germany) | 6 matches as lineswoman | |
| Ingrid Jonsson (Sweden) | 5 matches as lineswoman | ||
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 fivefootball. Some teams reported difficulty in sourcing good quality equipment in the correct size.[9]
The tournament was considered a major success in the quality of play and attendances at the games. FIFA presidentJoão Havelange wrote that:[10]
"As president of FIFA it was a special pleasure for me to watch these young ladies playing with such flair and such elegance, and according to the reports of the many media representatives present, making the game truly into a celebration ... women's football is now well and truly established."
The perceived success of the tournament was a significant factor in the subsequent inclusion of women's football in the1996 Summer Olympics.[11]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.[12]
The draw for the group stage was held on 14 September 1991 at theTianhe Stadium inGuangzhou, China. The draw was part of a televised two-hour live show, featuring songs in both Chinese and English from the female singersZhang Qiang (Beijing),Lin Ping (Guangzhou),Jenny Tseng (Hong Kong) andIrene Yeh [zh] (Taiwan).[13]
| Tie-breaking criteria for group play |
|---|
The ranking of teams in the group stage was determined as follows:[14]
|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  China(H) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | +7 | 5 | Advance toknockout stage |
| 2 | Norway | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 4 | |
| 3 |  Denmark | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 3 | |
| 4 |  New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 | −10 | 0 |
| China | 4–0 | Norway |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| China | 4–1 | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | +9 | 6 | Advance toknockout stage |
| 2 | Sweden | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 3 | +9 | 4 | |
| 3 |  Brazil | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 2 | |
| 4 |  Japan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | −12 | 0 |
| Brazil | 0–5 | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Japan | 0–3 | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | +9 | 6 | Advance toknockout stage |
| 2 |  Italy | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 4 | |
| 3 |  Chinese Taipei | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 2 | |
| 4 |  Nigeria | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 0 |
| Chinese Taipei | 0–5 | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | Denmark | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 3 | Advance toknockout stage |
| 2 | C | Chinese Taipei | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 2 | |
| 3 | B | Brazil | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 2 |
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 24 November –Guangzhou (Tianhe) | ||||||||||
| China | 0 | |||||||||
| 27 November –Guangzhou (Ying Tung) | ||||||||||
| Sweden | 1 | |||||||||
| Sweden | 1 | |||||||||
| 24 November –Jiangmen | ||||||||||
| Norway | 4 | |||||||||
| Norway(a.e.t.) | 3 | |||||||||
| 30 November –Guangzhou (Tianhe) | ||||||||||
| Italy | 2 | |||||||||
| Norway | 1 | |||||||||
| 24 November –Zhongshan | ||||||||||
| United States | 2 | |||||||||
| Denmark | 1 | |||||||||
| 27 November –Guangzhou (Provincial) | ||||||||||
| Germany(a.e.t.) | 2 | |||||||||
| Germany | 2 | |||||||||
| 24 November –Foshan | ||||||||||
| United States | 5 | Third place play-off | ||||||||
| United States | 7 | |||||||||
| 29 November –Guangzhou (Provincial) | ||||||||||
| Chinese Taipei | 0 | |||||||||
| Sweden | 4 | |||||||||
| Germany | 0 | |||||||||
| United States | 7–0 | Chinese Taipei |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Norway | 1–2 | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
The following awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament:[15]
| Golden Ball | Silver Ball | Bronze Ball |
|---|---|---|
| Carin Jennings | Michelle Akers-Stahl | Linda Medalen |
| Golden Shoe | Silver Shoe | Bronze Shoe |
| Michelle Akers-Stahl | Heidi Mohr | Linda MedalenCarin Jennings |
| 10 goals | 7 goals | 6 goals |
| FIFA Fair Play Award | ||
| Germany | ||
There were 99 goals scored in 26 matches, for an average of 3.81 goals per match.Michelle Akers-Stahl of the United States won theGolden Boot award for scoring ten goals.
10 goals
7 goals
6 goals
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
ElaneMa LiSun QingmeiSun WenWei HaiyingWu WeiyingZhou YangChou Tai-yingLin Mei-chunLisbet KoldingHanne NissenAnnette ThychosenGudrun GottschlichSilvia NeidBritta UnsleberFeriana FerraguzziRita GuarinoAdele MarsilettiRaffaella SalmasoKim NyeBirthe HegstadHege RiiseSusanne HedbergIngrid JohanssonMalin LundgrenJoy BiefeldJulie FoudyWendy Gebauer1 own goal
Sayuri Yamaguchi (against Sweden)Terry McCahill (against Norway)4 assists
3 assists
2 assists
1 assist
CeniraShieh Su-jeanAnnie Gam-PedersenHanne NissenIrene StellingBirgitt AustermühlGudrun GottschlichBeate WendtBettina WiegmannAnna MegaMonique van de ElzenAgnete CarlsenMargunn HumlestølHege RiiseHeidi StøreCathrine ZaborowskiAnneli AndelénAnette HanssonIngrid JohanssonMichelle Akers-StahlJoy BiefeldLinda HamiltonSource: FIFA Technical Report[16]
Per statistical convention in football, matches decided inextra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided bypenalty shoot-outs are counted as draws.
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Final result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | United States | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 5 | +20 | 12 | Champions |
| 2 | A | Norway | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 10 | +4 | 8 | Runners-up |
| 3 | B | Sweden | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 7 | +11 | 8 | Third place |
| 4 | C | Germany | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 8 | Fourth place |
| 5 | A | China(H) | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 5 | Eliminated in quarter-finals |
| 6 | C | Italy | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 4 | |
| 7 | A | Denmark | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 3 | |
| 8 | C | Chinese Taipei | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 15 | −13 | 2 | |
| 9 | B | Brazil | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 2 | Eliminated in group stage |
| 10 | C | Nigeria | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 0 | |
| 11 | A | New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 | −10 | 0 | |
| 12 | B | Japan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | −12 | 0 |
Some of the terms and conditions had been changed this time: 90 minutes of play instead of 80 in China, a full group of 20 players instead of 18, three points for a win, and the experiment with time out.
In keeping with the true spirit of the celebration, six female referees or assistant referees were appointed among match officials for the first time in FIFA history. Claudia de Vasconcelos of Brazil, the referee for the 3rd-place match, became the first woman to officiate at this level for FIFA.
1991 FIFA Women's World Cup finalists | |
|---|---|
| Champions | |
| Runner-up | |
| Third place | |
| Fourth place | |
| Quarter-finals | |
| Group stage | |
Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA) | |
| Tournaments | |
| Qualification | |
| Finals | |
| Squads | |
| Broadcasters | |
| Bids | |
| Officials | |
| Overall records |
|
| Miscellaneous | |
| Predecessors | |
