With just six months to go until the tournament’s opening game in Paris, anticipation is growing ahead of the 2019 women’s World Cup as the French capital prepares to host the draw for the finals on Saturday. The spotlight on the women’s game continues to grow, and next year’s competition in France – which runs from June 7 to July 7 – will be the most lucrative yet. There remains a chasm, though, compared to the men’s World Cup that will take some years yet to close, in financial terms and in terms of the media spotlight. However, there are some advantages to that – twelve months ago, President Vladimir Putin took the stage in the Kremlin at a politicised draw for the World Cup in Russia, but this time at least the football can be the sole focus.
