'Si nos permiten jugar' : constructing a feminist football in Latin America

Football carries a deeply embedded paradox. On the one hand, it was a cultural element of oppression that was imposed on dominated cultures during the colonial period in South and Central America. On the other hand, by using elements of their own cultures to transform the game, the colonised regained their voices and built a different football culture. This chapter explores the idea of a feminist decolonisation of football. The authors ask whether such a commodified game can still be a feminist tool for inclusion and social justice, rather than another asset of the neoliberal entertainment industry. Using a philosophical metaphor that traces parallels with the oral language of the colonisers, and the body language of football, we investigate whether it is still possible to consider football a revolutionary tool that can create new and more equitable ways to live a feminist life in South America. The chapter concludes that a feminist football must be continuously crafted in support of the Latin America’s freedom venture.