{"id":624492,"date":"2026-03-06T11:40:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T10:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/el-primer-villarreal-femenino-el-equipo-de-precursoras-que-se-atrevio-a-sonar\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T11:15:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T10:15:04","slug":"the-first-villarreal-womens-team-the-group-of-pioneers-who-dared-to-dream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/en\/the-first-villarreal-womens-team-the-group-of-pioneers-who-dared-to-dream\/","title":{"rendered":"The first Villarreal Women\u2019s team: the group of pioneers who dared to dream"},"content":{"protected":false,"blocks":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"A group of courageous Vila-real locals defied the times and created one of the first women\u2019s football teams back in 1970"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Villarreal CF has shed light on the story of the first Villarreal Women\u2019s team. To mark International Women\u2019s 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."},{"type":"video","kind":"iframe","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e6L8tiILMLM?feature=oembed","poster":""},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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\u2019s football team and play under the name Villarreal CF."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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 T\u00e0rrega high school in Vila-real was about to change the history of local football\u2014without even realising it."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Their names were Suni Garc\u00eda, Lola Personat, Mar\u00eda Carmen Garc\u00eda, Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9 Ferrer, Fina Ramos, Mar\u00eda Pilar Font, Merche Font, Maria Gr\u00e0cia Mol\u00e9s, Ana Serrano, Mar\u00eda Arrufat, and Rosana Mollar."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"After receiving Font de Mora\u2019s approval, this new team\u2014born from the desire to break the mould and enjoy football\u2014officially became the first Villarreal Women\u2019s team in history."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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\u2019s football game between Villarreal CF and the Burriana Selection."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The highly anticipated match was played on Sunday, 7 March 1971, at the imposing El Madrigal, where that same year the club\u2019s historic first team competed in the Second Division for the first time."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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\u2019s team. Attendance was a huge success, and the team raised a total of 70,000 pesetas."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Their sporting adventure continued for months. This Villarreal Women\u2019s side played several matches against other amateur teams from the province of Castell\u00f3n. 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\u2019t know was that their courage would inspire future generations of women, who would go on to make football what it is today."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"More than fifty years later, Villarreal CF now has seven women\u2019s teams across different age groups and more than 150 young players who proudly and passionately defend the club\u2019s 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."}],"structured":{"summary":{"text":"A group of courageous Vila-real locals defied the times and created one of the first women\u2019s football teams back in 1970 Villarreal CF has shed light on the story of the first Villarreal Women\u2019s team. To mark International Women\u2019s 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\u2019s 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 T\u00e0rrega high school in Vila-real was about to change the history of local football\u2014without even realising it. Their names were Suni Garc\u00eda, Lola Personat, Mar\u00eda Carmen Garc\u00eda, Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9 Ferrer, Fina Ramos, Mar\u00eda Pilar Font, Merche Font, Maria Gr\u00e0cia Mol\u00e9s, Ana Serrano, Mar\u00eda 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\u2019s approval, this new team\u2014born from the desire to break the mould and enjoy football\u2014officially became the first Villarreal Women\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s side played several matches against other amateur teams from the province of Castell\u00f3n. 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\u2019t 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\u2019s teams across different age groups and more than 150 young players who proudly and passionately defend the club\u2019s 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.","headings":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"A group of courageous Vila-real locals defied the times and created one of the first women\u2019s football teams back in 1970"}],"buttons":[],"images":[],"counts":{"blocks":13,"headings":1,"texts":11,"buttons":0,"images":0}},"sections":[{"id":"section-1","title":"A group of courageous Vila-real locals defied the times and created one of the first women\u2019s football teams back in 1970","text":"A group of courageous Vila-real locals defied the times and created one of the first women\u2019s football teams back in 1970 Villarreal CF has shed light on the story of the first Villarreal Women\u2019s team. To mark International Women\u2019s 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\u2019s 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 T\u00e0rrega high school in Vila-real was about to change the history of local football\u2014without even realising it. Their names were Suni Garc\u00eda, Lola Personat, Mar\u00eda Carmen Garc\u00eda, Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9 Ferrer, Fina Ramos, Mar\u00eda Pilar Font, Merche Font, Maria Gr\u00e0cia Mol\u00e9s, Ana Serrano, Mar\u00eda 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\u2019s approval, this new team\u2014born from the desire to break the mould and enjoy football\u2014officially became the first Villarreal Women\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s side played several matches against other amateur teams from the province of Castell\u00f3n. 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\u2019t 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\u2019s teams across different age groups and more than 150 young players who proudly and passionately defend the club\u2019s 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.","headings":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"A group of courageous Vila-real locals defied the times and created one of the first women\u2019s football teams back in 1970"}],"texts":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Villarreal CF has shed light on the story of the first Villarreal Women\u2019s team. To mark International Women\u2019s 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."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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\u2019s football team and play under the name Villarreal CF."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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 T\u00e0rrega high school in Vila-real was about to change the history of local football\u2014without even realising it."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Their names were Suni Garc\u00eda, Lola Personat, Mar\u00eda Carmen Garc\u00eda, Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9 Ferrer, Fina Ramos, Mar\u00eda Pilar Font, Merche Font, Maria Gr\u00e0cia Mol\u00e9s, Ana Serrano, Mar\u00eda Arrufat, and Rosana Mollar."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"After receiving Font de Mora\u2019s approval, this new team\u2014born from the desire to break the mould and enjoy football\u2014officially became the first Villarreal Women\u2019s team in history."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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\u2019s football game between Villarreal CF and the Burriana Selection."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The highly anticipated match was played on Sunday, 7 March 1971, at the imposing El Madrigal, where that same year the club\u2019s historic first team competed in the Second Division for the first time."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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\u2019s team. Attendance was a huge success, and the team raised a total of 70,000 pesetas."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Their sporting adventure continued for months. This Villarreal Women\u2019s side played several matches against other amateur teams from the province of Castell\u00f3n. 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\u2019t know was that their courage would inspire future generations of women, who would go on to make football what it is today."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"More than fifty years later, Villarreal CF now has seven women\u2019s teams across different age groups and more than 150 young players who proudly and passionately defend the club\u2019s 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."}],"buttons":[],"images":[],"widgets":[],"blocks":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"A group of courageous Vila-real locals defied the times and created one of the first women\u2019s football teams back in 1970"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Villarreal CF has shed light on the story of the first Villarreal Women\u2019s team. To mark International Women\u2019s 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."},{"type":"video","kind":"iframe","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e6L8tiILMLM?feature=oembed","poster":""},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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\u2019s football team and play under the name Villarreal CF."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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 T\u00e0rrega high school in Vila-real was about to change the history of local football\u2014without even realising it."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Their names were Suni Garc\u00eda, Lola Personat, Mar\u00eda Carmen Garc\u00eda, Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9 Ferrer, Fina Ramos, Mar\u00eda Pilar Font, Merche Font, Maria Gr\u00e0cia Mol\u00e9s, Ana Serrano, Mar\u00eda Arrufat, and Rosana Mollar."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"After receiving Font de Mora\u2019s approval, this new team\u2014born from the desire to break the mould and enjoy football\u2014officially became the first Villarreal Women\u2019s team in history."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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\u2019s football game between Villarreal CF and the Burriana Selection."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The highly anticipated match was played on Sunday, 7 March 1971, at the imposing El Madrigal, where that same year the club\u2019s historic first team competed in the Second Division for the first time."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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\u2019s team. Attendance was a huge success, and the team raised a total of 70,000 pesetas."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Their sporting adventure continued for months. This Villarreal Women\u2019s side played several matches against other amateur teams from the province of Castell\u00f3n. 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\u2019t know was that their courage would inspire future generations of women, who would go on to make football what it is today."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"More than fifty years later, Villarreal CF now has seven women\u2019s teams across different age groups and more than 150 young players who proudly and passionately defend the club\u2019s 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."}]}],"hero":{"id":"section-1","title":"A group of courageous Vila-real locals defied the times and created one of the first women\u2019s football teams back in 1970","text":"A group of courageous Vila-real locals defied the times and created one of the first women\u2019s football teams back in 1970 Villarreal CF has shed light on the story of the first Villarreal Women\u2019s team. To mark International Women\u2019s 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\u2019s 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 T\u00e0rrega high school in Vila-real was about to change the history of local football\u2014without even realising it. Their names were Suni Garc\u00eda, Lola Personat, Mar\u00eda Carmen Garc\u00eda, Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9 Ferrer, Fina Ramos, Mar\u00eda Pilar Font, Merche Font, Maria Gr\u00e0cia Mol\u00e9s, Ana Serrano, Mar\u00eda 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\u2019s approval, this new team\u2014born from the desire to break the mould and enjoy football\u2014officially became the first Villarreal Women\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s side played several matches against other amateur teams from the province of Castell\u00f3n. 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\u2019t 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\u2019s teams across different age groups and more than 150 young players who proudly and passionately defend the club\u2019s 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.","headings":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"A group of courageous Vila-real locals defied the times and created one of the first women\u2019s football teams back in 1970"}],"texts":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Villarreal CF has shed light on the story of the first Villarreal Women\u2019s team. To mark International Women\u2019s 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."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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\u2019s football team and play under the name Villarreal CF."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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 T\u00e0rrega high school in Vila-real was about to change the history of local football\u2014without even realising it."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Their names were Suni Garc\u00eda, Lola Personat, Mar\u00eda Carmen Garc\u00eda, Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9 Ferrer, Fina Ramos, Mar\u00eda Pilar Font, Merche Font, Maria Gr\u00e0cia Mol\u00e9s, Ana Serrano, Mar\u00eda Arrufat, and Rosana Mollar."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"After receiving Font de Mora\u2019s approval, this new team\u2014born from the desire to break the mould and enjoy football\u2014officially became the first Villarreal Women\u2019s team in history."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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\u2019s football game between Villarreal CF and the Burriana Selection."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The highly anticipated match was played on Sunday, 7 March 1971, at the imposing El Madrigal, where that same year the club\u2019s historic first team competed in the Second Division for the first time."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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\u2019s team. Attendance was a huge success, and the team raised a total of 70,000 pesetas."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Their sporting adventure continued for months. This Villarreal Women\u2019s side played several matches against other amateur teams from the province of Castell\u00f3n. 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\u2019t know was that their courage would inspire future generations of women, who would go on to make football what it is today."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"More than fifty years later, Villarreal CF now has seven women\u2019s teams across different age groups and more than 150 young players who proudly and passionately defend the club\u2019s 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."}],"buttons":[],"images":[],"widgets":[],"blocks":[{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"A group of courageous Vila-real locals defied the times and created one of the first women\u2019s football teams back in 1970"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Villarreal CF has shed light on the story of the first Villarreal Women\u2019s team. To mark International Women\u2019s 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."},{"type":"video","kind":"iframe","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e6L8tiILMLM?feature=oembed","poster":""},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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\u2019s football team and play under the name Villarreal CF."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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 T\u00e0rrega high school in Vila-real was about to change the history of local football\u2014without even realising it."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Their names were Suni Garc\u00eda, Lola Personat, Mar\u00eda Carmen Garc\u00eda, Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9 Ferrer, Fina Ramos, Mar\u00eda Pilar Font, Merche Font, Maria Gr\u00e0cia Mol\u00e9s, Ana Serrano, Mar\u00eda Arrufat, and Rosana Mollar."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"After receiving Font de Mora\u2019s approval, this new team\u2014born from the desire to break the mould and enjoy football\u2014officially became the first Villarreal Women\u2019s team in history."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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\u2019s football game between Villarreal CF and the Burriana Selection."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The highly anticipated match was played on Sunday, 7 March 1971, at the imposing El Madrigal, where that same year the club\u2019s historic first team competed in the Second Division for the first time."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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\u2019s team. Attendance was a huge success, and the team raised a total of 70,000 pesetas."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Their sporting adventure continued for months. This Villarreal Women\u2019s side played several matches against other amateur teams from the province of Castell\u00f3n. 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\u2019t know was that their courage would inspire future generations of women, who would go on to make football what it is today."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"More than fifty years later, Villarreal CF now has seven women\u2019s teams across different age groups and more than 150 young players who proudly and passionately defend the club\u2019s 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."}]}},"sections":[{"id":"section-1","title":"A group of courageous Vila-real locals defied the times and created one of the first women\u2019s football teams back in 1970","text":"A group of courageous Vila-real locals defied the times and created one of the first women\u2019s football teams back in 1970 Villarreal CF has shed light on the story of the first Villarreal Women\u2019s team. To mark International Women\u2019s 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\u2019s 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 T\u00e0rrega high school in Vila-real was about to change the history of local football\u2014without even realising it. Their names were Suni Garc\u00eda, Lola Personat, Mar\u00eda Carmen Garc\u00eda, Mar\u00eda Jos\u00e9 Ferrer, Fina Ramos, Mar\u00eda Pilar Font, Merche Font, Maria Gr\u00e0cia Mol\u00e9s, Ana Serrano, Mar\u00eda 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\u2019s approval, this new team\u2014born from the desire to break the mould and enjoy football\u2014officially became the first Villarreal Women\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s side played several matches against other amateur teams from the province of Castell\u00f3n. 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\u2019t 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\u2019s teams across different age groups and more than 150 young players who proudly and passionately defend the club\u2019s 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.","url":"","background_image":"","images":[],"videos":[{"type":"video","kind":"iframe","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/e6L8tiILMLM?feature=oembed","poster":""}],"links":[]}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A group of courageous Vila-real locals defied the times and created one of the first women\u2019s football teams back in 1970","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":624488,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13833,13792],"tags":[14258,13478,9201,13463,9199,13482,13798],"acf":null,"lang":"en","formatted_date":"March 6, 2026","modified_date":"March 9, 2026","permalink":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/en\/the-first-villarreal-womens-team-the-group-of-pioneers-who-dared-to-dream\/","reading_time":3,"featured_media_data":{"id":624488,"title":"Primer equipo femenino","caption":"","alt_text":"","description":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","source_url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino.jpg","sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino-768x432.jpg","width":768,"height":432},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino.jpg","width":788,"height":443},"1536x1536":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino-1536x864.jpg","width":1536,"height":864},"2048x2048":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080},"tp-image-grid":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino-700x700.jpg","width":700,"height":700},"size-bunyad-medium":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080},"sportspress-crop-medium":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino-300x300.jpg","width":300,"height":300},"sportspress-fit-medium":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino-300x169.jpg","width":300,"height":169},"sportspress-fit-icon":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino-128x72.jpg","width":128,"height":72},"sportspress-fit-mini":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino-32x18.jpg","width":32,"height":18},"bunyad-small":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino-150x84.jpg","width":150,"height":84},"bunyad-medium":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino-450x253.jpg","width":450,"height":253},"bunyad-full":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino-1200x675.jpg","width":1200,"height":675},"bunyad-viewport":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080},"bunyad-768":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino-768x432.jpg","width":768,"height":432},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/villarrealcf.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Primer-equipo-femenino.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080}}},"author_data":{"id":"25","name":"Javier Ayuso","first_name":"Javier","last_name":"Ayuso","description":"","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fcf8894be45988fcce5bbff0efe1790d2a7f4ba57e2c7c898f5068154e696495?s=96&d=mm&r=g","acf":null},"taxonomies_data":{"category":[{"id":13833,"name":"History","slug":"historia-en","acf":null},{"id":13792,"name":"Villarreal Women","slug":"villarreal-women-2","acf":null}],"post_tag":[{"id":14258,"name":"8M","slug":"8m-en","acf":null},{"id":13478,"name":"Football","slug":"football-eng","acf":null},{"id":9201,"name":"Football","slug":"football-d34-en","acf":null},{"id":13463,"name":"Sin categorizar","slug":"sin-categorizar","acf":null},{"id":9199,"name":"Soccer","slug":"soccer-d105-en","acf":null},{"id":13482,"name":"Submarine","slug":"submarine-en","acf":null},{"id":13798,"name":"Villarreal Femenino","slug":"villarreal-femenino-2-en","acf":null}],"translation_priority":[{"id":734,"name":"Optional","slug":"optional-en","acf":null}]},"seo_full":{"native":{"title":"The first Villarreal Women\u2019s team: the group of pioneers who dared to dream - 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