Yesterday the world’s most dominant football club returned to square-off against its biggest rival in a grinding match, delayed by a power outage but finally won at the nail-biting end on penalties. The footballeuses of Olympique Lyonnais (OL) Féminin clenched their ninth Coupe de France title, eeking past Paris Saint-Germain Féminine as the rain streamed down in Auxerre, and earning their 30th championship trophy, according to L’Équipe’s statisticians. But has the pandemic pause negatively impacted women’s football in France, stunting the momentum of last summer’s FIFA World Cup?
The Top Stories for 2020
There’s a lot to be excited for as we kickoff the new decade. I’m looking to 2020 as I continue to build out two key basketball stories of my own, but I also see 2020 as a break out year where many of the trends and movements in the global sports sphere finally bear fruit. Primarily, these are stories where cross-sport and cross-cultural influences—often influenced by different types of sports diplomacy—make all the difference.