Yet in Afghanistan, where Nadim was born and raised until the age of 11, the contrast is stark and women continue to be marginalized.
“In an event like the Euros, we fight for equality, to see these incredible athletes, female athletes performing at the highest level and respected”, explains Nadim, “and then on the other hand, I have the feel like what’s going on in Afghanistan where women aren’t even allowed to go to school or work — it’s so weird and it’s so hard to understand.”
After a year of government in Afghanistan, the Taliban have still not been recognized by a single country in the world, with international funding still largely frozen.
One of the main problems for Western countries has been the new government’s attitude towards minorities and women, including a de facto ban on secondary education for girls, while repeated Taliban promises to allow girls to return to school have not yet been honoured.
Uncertain future
Alongside his mother and four sisters, Nadim fled Afghanistan more than two decades ago after his father was assassinated by the Taliban.
They eventually settled in Denmark, and Nadim, 34, who currently plays club football for Racing Louisville in the United States, has represented the Danish national team since 2009.
But between her life as a footballer and a skilled reconstructive surgeon – she graduated from medical school earlier this year – Afghanistan is never far from her thoughts.
“It’s been a year and people really recognize that this is the reality and it will be the next five, 10 years.
“It feels like a phase where you don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring and you wait for something to happen, but no one really knows what it is.”
There, the players were given the necessary facilities and access to coaches to continue their development as footballers at Melbourne Victory FC, although the club stressed the scheme was primarily humanitarian for now.
When it comes to what the future of the Afghan people might look like, Nadim calls himself an “optimistic person”.
“I always feel like there’s hope, there’s always light, and that’s something I’ll never lose,” she adds.
“For me, it may seem very, very difficult right now. But I hope for a better future. I hope that at some point, girls in Afghanistan can have the same rights as everywhere else.
“I hope you have football players who attend the World Cup and can celebrate great goalscoring moments. That’s what I hope for the future.”
Full stadiums
Nadim’s long footballing career included spells at Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, where she helped the team win their first league title, breaking Lyon’s 14-year reign of dominance.
Nadim made his 100th appearance for Denmark earlier this year, shortly before taking to the pitch at Euro 2022. And although Denmark failed to progress beyond the group stages after defeats against Spain and Germany, she could reflect on the wider success of the women’s game. the course of the tournament.
“Usually when you play the host country gets a lot of attention and their games are sold out,” says Nadim. “But I think this time even the group stages with other teams had sold out stadiums, which was an amazing experience.
“Being part of that and feeling that vibe that women’s football had created in England was quite amazing; I really hope that expands and continues.”
