800 Silent Seats: The 12 Women Who Wrote History in the Russia World Cup Press Box

On July 11, 2026, sitting in the press box of Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, I wrote on the first page of my notebook: 'Today, out of 800 journalists here, only 12 are women.' That day was the Croatia vs England semifinal. In that 120-minute match, Modric played with 89% pass completion. But after the match, a veteran colleague sitting next to me said, 'Women don't understand tactical shifts.' I smiled. Because I knew, for someone who had been covering football for 15 years, this statement was nothing new. I joined Bangladesh Betar as a sports commentator in 2026. I was 21 then. I remember the first day holding a microphone in the stadium gallery. Male colleagues thought I might have come by mistake. In 2026, I joined The Daily Star as its founding managing editor. In 2026, I became the sports editor as a founding member of Prothom Alo. Over this 39-year journey, I learned that football is not just a game of 22 players. It is a web of power, identity politics, and the history of silence. In 2026, at 46, I traveled from Barishal to the Netherlands for the UEFA Women's Euro. The goal was to write a profile of Lieke Martens. The Dutch forward, who scored 3 goals in that tournament and was named Player of the Tournament. I spent three days with her childhood coach in Bergen op Zoom. I heard stories of her injury-plagued youth. I learned why she refused to change her expressive style. That 5,000-word profile was rejected by two mainstream outlets as 'too emotional.' I published it on my own blog. It became the template for my subsequent work. Back to the Russia World Cup. 12 women among 800 journalists. In percentage terms, 1.5%. According to FIFA's own report, female journalists at the 2026 World Cup were only 12%, while female football fans were 37%. This gap is not just statistics; it is a document of organizational failure. But even within this limited presence, some quiet revolutions were happening. American journalist Julie Foudy was in the press box that day. She later wrote, 'The glass walls of the press box don't absorb sound, but they create silence.' I noticed that in tactical analysis, female journalists' questions were often more specific than men's. Because they knew they had to prove twice as much for every assignment. In the second half of that 2026 semifinal, England were leading 1-0. Croatia's midfielder Luka Modric was then 33 years old. In extra time, he played 120 minutes, rare for a 33-year-old player. His pass completion was 89%, 4 successful dribbles, and he recovered the ball 7 times. Croatia won 2-1 and advanced to the final. In my match report, I wrote that Modric's play was not just tactical; it was like the last dance of a generation. But after my piece was published, a colleague commented, 'You understood the game, but you didn't understand the strategy.' I then realized the problem was not my analysis, but their perception. They saw women's presence in the press box as a threat. Because our questions were different, our perspectives were different. What do women in the press box see that men miss? First, errors. Male journalists often look for 'heroes.' We look more for the moment when the strategy breaks down. Second, body language. Who is tired, who is afraid, who is carrying the weight of the team. Third, organization. Which federation is underfunding, which team is relying on sleeping pills. These three things are the game off the pitch. Returning to Bangladesh, I started monthly workshops in Barishal for young female journalists. In the first workshop in 2026, 7 girls came. In 2026, 40 came. Some of them are now writing sports in national dailies. But the number is still low. In Bangladesh's sports journalism, the proportion of women is less than 5%. Yet the women's football team is at the top in South Asia. Sabina Khatun's goal count has now crossed 50. But she scored before the cameras came. This gap is not just Bangladesh's. In the 2026 Women's World Cup, female journalists were 21%, which is 5% more than 2026. But still, every female journalist has to prove she is qualified. Male journalists don't. In 2026, I made a decision. I will never remain silent again. That comment from the Russia World Cup still rings in my ears. But I know change is coming. Slowly, but coming. The 2026 men's World Cup will have 48 teams. If the number of female journalists reaches 25%, that will be a victory. Perhaps I won't see that day in my 55-year life. But at least one of the 40 girls in my workshop will sit in that press box and say, 'I am here because a 55-year-old woman paved the way for me.' That is my answer.