Spanish women football pioneers honored in Toledo

Carmen Arce ‘Kubalita’, María Ángeles ‘Quilla’, and Isabel Fuentes were awarded the Alice Guy Prize at the CiBRA Film and Word Festival in Toledo. The honor recognizes their roles as pioneers of women's football in Spain and their inspiration for the film ‘Pioneras. Solo querían jugar’.

The honorees reflected on the challenges faced during the 1970s, a period when women faced social norms and prohibitions regarding the sport. Carmen Arce recalled facing insults and prejudice, noting that “everything was forbidden to us.”

While celebrating the significant progress made in women's football, the women noted that more work remains to be done. They expressed that they did not realize their historical significance at the time, stating they simply wanted to play the sport they loved.