How blind football is helping women overcome barriers in Mexico

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Mexico will send its first women’s blind football team to an international tournament next month, marking a milestone for a sport that has grown slowly worldwide and remains outside the Paralympic programme for women. The team, Chilangas FC, is based in Mexico City and was founded by coach Wendy del Rio to give women with visual impairments a place to train and compete.

The article focuses on Paulina Hernandez, a 31-year-old Mexico City player who lost her sight after developing retinitis pigmentosa, and on other teammates who have found a new outlet in blind football. The game is played five-a-side with a rattling ball, a sighted goalkeeper and strong reliance on sound, communication and trust. Because the sport requires an enclosed, quiet pitch, access to suitable facilities is a practical obstacle.

Del Rio said she created the club in 2020 after women kept asking where they could play. Although the team eventually formed, it has faced limited funding, no dedicated field and few organized opportunities. Al Jazeera also notes that Mexico has only a small number of women’s blind football teams overall. The story places this development in a broader context of disability access and gender barriers in sport, including social expectations that can discourage women from participating. For the players, reaching the Copa America in Brazil is both a competitive step and a sign of visibility for others who may want to join the sport.