A group of courageous Vila-real locals defied the times and created one of the first women’s football teams back in 1970

Villarreal CF has shed light on the story of the first Villarreal Women’s team. To mark International Women’s Day, the Yellow club has paid a heartfelt tribute to this group of pioneers who dared to break stereotypes, discover their passion, and proudly defend the name of their hometown team.

At a time when football was still seen in black and white, a group of brave Vila-real girls with Yellow hearts decided to take a step filled with courage and determination: to create a women’s football team and play under the name Villarreal CF.

The year was 1970. A time when football was still considered a sport exclusively for men, a group of teenage students from the IES Francesc Tàrrega high school in Vila-real was about to change the history of local football—without even realising it.

Their names were Suni García, Lola Personat, María Carmen García, María José Ferrer, Fina Ramos, María Pilar Font, Merche Font, Maria Gràcia Molés, Ana Serrano, María Arrufat, and Rosana Mollar.

What began as a simple idea to raise money for an end-of-year school trip ended up turning into a sporting project as disruptive as it was inspiring. With determination and a touch of boldness, this group of teenagers asked the then president of Villarreal CF, Pascual Font de Mora, for permission to use the Villarreal CF name and play at El Madrigal.

After receiving Font de Mora’s approval, this new team—born from the desire to break the mould and enjoy football—officially became the first Villarreal Women’s team in history.

To prepare themselves, the girls trained in the school gym for over three months before playing their first match. It was a major event for the town. In the days leading up to the match, Vila-real woke up covered in posters announcing a women’s football game between Villarreal CF and the Burriana Selection.

The highly anticipated match was played on Sunday, 7 March 1971, at the imposing El Madrigal, where that same year the club’s historic first team competed in the Second Division for the first time.

The match was a real spectacle, and the result left no room for doubt. A resounding 5-0 win for Villarreal CF over the neighbouring town’s team. Attendance was a huge success, and the team raised a total of 70,000 pesetas.

Their sporting adventure continued for months. This Villarreal Women’s side played several matches against other amateur teams from the province of Castellón. In the end, they raised enough money to go on their dream end-of-year school trip. Mission accomplished, they thought at the time. What they didn’t know was that their courage would inspire future generations of women, who would go on to make football what it is today.

More than fifty years later, Villarreal CF now has seven women’s teams across different age groups and more than 150 young players who proudly and passionately defend the club’s colours every weekend while enjoying the game. Just like those brave players from the 1970s who dared to dream and paved the way for football to become a sport for all who love it.