It’s just a game. It offers no solutions to many of the struggles of everyday life. It does not cure illnesses or solve major geopolitical issues. And yet, football has broken through barriers, it has nurtured friendships, challenged outdated ideologies and even offered brief respites from war. No matter your cultural background, gender or belief-system, football gives you the chance to express yourself and connect with others through the universal language of human movement accompanied by a few basic elements - the ball, a pitch, two teams.

The Kingdom of Jordan, like all of FIFA’s 211 member associations, believes in this power of football, which is why the Middle East nation rallied, invested and laboured for years to deliver the biggest sports event of their history and the first ever FIFA women’s football tournament in the region – the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Jordan 2016.

On 30 September, as fans filled the 17,351 available seats at Amman International Stadium for the tournament’s opening ceremony, 250 unassuming girls shuffled excitedly into their seats among the crowd. On the pitch in front of them, 11 young women wearing Jordan’s national team jerseys were embarking on their first ever World Cup experience. Meanwhile, just a few rows behind them, Spain legend and 2010 FIFA World Cup™ winner Xavi was waving and smiling.

The football story for these unknown 250 girls starts back in August, when the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Trophy visited the Al Zaatari Refugee Camp as part of an official nationwide tour. Al Zaatari, established in 2012 to provide shelter to thousands of Syrian refugees, is a sober reminder of the challenges facing the Middle East as armed conflict continues to tear apart homes, families and strip thousands of Syrians of basic human rights and dignities. Al Zaatari’s football loving girls were ecstatic about the distraction the trophy visit provided. At the day’s end, they headed back to their temporary homes. Even this young, they were aware that the tournament was something that would happen outside the camp, in some other reality unavailable to them.

Leaving the camp is currently an almost impossible exercise, and many of Al Zataari’s citizens have never done so. Thanks to the support of the Jordanian Authorities, FIFA, the United Nations Higher Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP), the UEFA Foundation and the Jordan 2016 Local Organizing Committee, the 250 football loving girls of Al Zaatari were able to do the unexpected - attend Jordan’s opening match at the Amman International Stadium.

"'It's the first time I'm able to get out of the refugee camp," said Raghda, sitting next to two of her younger friends. "I feel like I want to fly high from happiness."

''When I came here on the bus I was thinking about how I will enjoy this game." said Haneen, ''I will never ever forget this in my life."

It was a small gesture and a simple day in the greater context of their lives, but for the girls, the chance to be a part of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, to watch young women play international football, to cheer and sing and forget the weight of problems forced upon their small young shoulders for a brief 90-minute interlude, was significant.

"Freedom and peace, that's all I want." Haneen told FIFA.com. Laila quickly interrupted her twin sister, to add her own wish. "I dream of becoming a football player one day," she said. "I want to be the captain of the team and be able to play like the girls on the pitch."

‘’These children have lost everything, they are confined in refugee camps everyday under very difficult conditions, but today is different. Today they are football fans just like everyone else here cheering in the stadium. Today, they can feel free,” said Honey Thaljieh, FIFA’s Corporate Communications manager. As the co-founder and captain of Palestine’s first ever women’s national football team, Honey is well aware of the barriers facing young women in the Middle East and the profound impact sport can play in shaping a young girls character and future. “This is the power of football in integrating people and bringing them together, regardless of their conditions. Our message is loud and clear, football is for all,” added Honey.

In an effort to help spread football throughout the Kingdom, FIFA and the Jordan Football Association announced on the opening day that for every goal scored during the tournament, 150 footballs will be donated to vulnerable communities across the country. The joint-initiative by FIFA and the Jordan Football Association, with the support of the Asian Football Development Project and adidas, aims to simply offer that first step – the ball, to anyone wanting to play.

The preparations; the social initiatives; the financial investment in facilities; the efforts of football’s world governing body and a Local Organising Committee comprised mainly of Jordanian women, have kick-started something. The beginnings of what the JFA and FIFA believe will be a long and rich legacy in the region, shaping the future of football for all men and women in Jordan and the Middle East. </s> Ahead of their group phase clash with Brazil tomorrow, at the 5th FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingoes resumed training on Wednesday afternoon at the Al Wehdat Training Field, Amman with all 21 players participating actively. The girls were also scheduled to train at the same venue thursday.

The Nigeria team had arrived Amman on Tuesday morning, after flying from Abuja to Dubai and connecting another Emirates Airline flight from Dubai to the Jordanian capital.

Earlier on Wednesday, officials of world football –governing body FIFA conducted the team arrival meeting where Captain Rasheedat Ajibade was presented with Nigeria’s plaque and all the players were given Certificate of Participation. Also at the team arrival meeting, every member of the team was accredited, while various issues on the tournament like venue contact information, stadium and training facilities, pre and post match conferences and laws of the game were discussed in detail.

The 5th FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup will start today. A total of 16 countries will battle for honours in the three Jordanian cities of Amman, Irbid and Al Zarqa. </s> Ghana made a disastrous start to their FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup campaign after suffering a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of defending champions Japan on Saturday.

Riko Ueki fired the Young Nadeshiko into an early lead on seven minutes.

Jun Endo then scored two quickfire goals to spring Japan into a 3-0 lead and five minutes later, Saori Takarada got on the scoresheet. </s> Female football fans entered a stadium in Saudi Arabia’s western city of Jeddah on Friday, becoming the first women to attend a football match in the conservative kingdom.

 Women wearing green and white scarves to represent their team colours lined up to enter the stadium, images posted by Saudi newspaper Okaz on Twitter showed.

 Some pictures showed women with children entering the stadium, where signs were posted to indicate an entrance for families.

 Some 10,000 seats have been allocated for women and families in King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah for the domestic league match between al-Ahly and al-Baten – one of three games that Saudi authorities said women would be allowed to attend this month.

 Women will also be allowed to attend a match on Saturday in the capital Riyadh and on January 18 in the eastern city of Dammam.

 At least 1,200 tickets have been bought by women and families for Friday’s game, Saudi newspaper Okaz reported, citing a sales official.

 “We expect the sales to rise in the hours ahead of the match,” said Adel Kabli, the operating manager of e-ticket vendor Makani.

 Both teams sold female shirts at discount prices to attract women supporters, Saudi media reported.

 Football is the number one sport in Saudi Arabia, where the national team qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

 In October, the Saudi General Sports Authority, a state agency, announced that three stadiums, up to now male-only facilities, would be prepared to be ready for families, including the allocation of special places for seating and entrances.

 In September, Saudi King Salman bin Abdelaziz announced that women would be allowed to drive starting from June, a move that ended a long ban.

 Powerful Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is believed to have championed lifting the ban as he is seeking to open up the country and revamp its international image. </s> Saudi Arabia has allowed women to enter stadiums to watch men’s football matches for the first time in the kingdom’s history as the ultra-conservative kingdom eases the strict rules separating the sexes.

Saudi women were in the stands to watch Al-Ahli versus Al-Batin face each other in the city of Jeddah on Friday, just months before the national team kick off the FIFA 2018 World Cup against host Russia, in the opening match of the tournament on June 14 at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

Until then, women had been prohibited from watching men’s football matches, even those in which their spouses, sons or relatives played. Women will now be allowed to attend the matches, but will have to sit in segregated areas away from men, and must wear loose-fitting, full-length robes known as ‘abayas,’ as well as a headscarf, if they are Muslim.

The Kingdom’s General Sports Authority announced in October that stadiums in Jeddah, Dammam, and Riyadh will be set up to accommodate families starting in 2018. The move comes as part of a wave of additional rights being granted to women in response to intense pressure from activists. The notorious driving ban on women was lifted in September 2017, and this week Saudi Arabia will host its first ever women’s squash tournament.

The initiative to allow women into stadiums is part of the government’s Vision 2030 program, spearheaded by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and aimed at giving more freedom to women.

READ MORE: Iranian women excluded as Syrian women watch World Cup qualifier in stadium

Under his guidance, some aspects of the kingdom’s guardianship system – which has aligned the country with a strict form of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism, and under which a woman must have a male companion with her in public at all times – have become more relaxed.

Despite the breakthrough, there are still a host of basic human rights denied to women without the permission of a man, including applying for a passport, travelling abroad, and getting married. </s> Female fans are expected at a stadium in the western Saudi city of Jeddah later on Friday, marking the first time women have been allowed to attend football matches in the conservative kingdom.

Some 10,000 seats have been allocated for women and families in King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah for the domestic league match between al-Ahly and al- Baten.

It is one of three games that Saudi authorities said women would be allowed to attend this month.

The two others will be held on Saturday and January 18 in the capital Riyadh and the eastern city of Dammam respectively.

At least 1200 tickets have been bought by women and families for Friday's game, Saudi newspaper Okaz reported, citing a sales official.

"We expect the sales to rise in the hours ahead of the match," Adel Kabli, the operating manager of Makani, an e-ticket site, said.

Both teams have put on sale female shirts with their distinct colours at discount prices to attract women supporters, Saudi media reported.

Football is the No.1 sport in Saudi Arabia, who have also qualified for the World Cup in Russia.

In October, the Saudi General Sports Authority, a state agency, announced that three stadiums, up to now male-only facilities, would be prepared to be ready for families, including the allocation of special places for seating and entrances.

In September, Saudi King Salman bin Abdelaziz announced that women would be allowed to drive starting from next June, a move that ended a long ban.

Powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is believed to have championed lifting the ban as he is seeking to open up the country and revamp its international image. </s> ZURICH (AP) - FIFA says nine soccer federations are interested in hosting the 2023 Women's World Cup including South Korea, which could jointly bid with North Korea.

Brazil and South Africa are in the contest, suggesting underused stadiums built to host the 2014 and 2010 World Cups could be picked.

Other contenders are Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Colombia, Japan and New Zealand.

South Korean officials said this month that FIFA approached them to explore a joint bid with North Korea.

Potential candidates have until April 16 to register to bid, then until Oct. 4 to submit bid books.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino holds a soccer ball as he speaks during a press conference after the FIFA Council Meeting, Friday, March 15, 2019, in Miami. The council approved working with Qatar to explore expanding the 2022 World Cup to 48 teams by adding at least one more country in the Persian Gulf to host matches. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

The 37-member FIFA Council will pick the host in March next year.

The next Women's World Cup is played June 7-July 7 in France. </s> The United Arab Emirate has, in a politically-motivated move, prevented Qatari Vice President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Saud al-Muhannadi from taking part in the AFC Asian Cup tournament, which is to start on Saturday. Top Qatari football official Saud al-Mohannadi / Photo by AFP

Al-Mohannadi, who also serves as the vice president of the Qatari Football Association, returned to Doha after being barred from entering the UAE.

The decision has sparked harsh criticisms in Qatar with many media outlets describing it as a childish move ahead of the Asian Cup tournament.

With its childish policy just two days left to the Asian Cup, the UAE has politicized sports by barring Saud al-Muhannadi from entering the country for the international tournament, al-Sharq paper of Qatar reported.

Political tensions between Qatar and a number of its Arab neighbours began last year after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt officially accused it of sponsoring terrorism and cut off diplomatic ties with the country.

The Asian Cup is a quadrennial event which brings together the top teams of Asian for nearly a month. Qatars national football team taking part in the event is set to fly to the UAE on Saturday. Qatar national team will be pitted against Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and North Korea in Group 5.

The 2019 AFC Asian Cup is going to be held in the United Arab Emirates from January 5 to 1 February 1. 24 teams including Iran will compete with each other during the tournament in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, al-Ain and Sharjah cities.

The UAE was announced as the host for the tournament on 9 March 2015, with Iran being the only remaining bidder for the right to host the 2019 finals. It is the second time that the United Arab Emirates hosts the tournament after the 1996 finals.

The decision by the UAE to bar the Qatari official from the tournament came shortly after FIFA President Gianni Infantino said some of Qatars neighbouring countries may be called on to host a few matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup if studies show a 48-team tournament in four years time is feasible.

"The World Cup will take place in Qatar with 32 teams. Obviously, if we can increase it to 48 teams and make the world happy we should try it." </s> Holders Japan defeated Ghana 5-0 on matchday two of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup at the Prince Mohammed International Stadium in Zarqa.

U-17 Women’s World Cup holders Japan were too much to handle for perennial tournament participants Ghana from the start. Riko Ueki fired the Young Nadeshiko into an early lead on seven minutes taking Japan’s goals tally in the history of the tournament to 80, the most of any nation.

Jun Endo then scored two quickfire goals to spring Japan into a 3-0 lead. Endo’s first strike was particularly impressive as she scored with a well-struck, left-footed effort to find the top opposite corner. Japan never looked like they were going to slow down with wave after wave in attack overwhelming Ghana’s frazzled defensive line.

Five minutes after Endo’s second, it was Saori Takarada’s turn to get on the scoresheet. After superb work on the right wing, Riko Ueki evaded her defenders and made space for herself before looking up and finding Takarada with a perfect cross and Ueki made no mistake with a firm header that sailed past Ghana keeper Barikisu Issahaku.

It wasn’t until the last quarter of an hour in the first half that Ghana were able to catch their breath and prevent Japan from creating any clear goalscoring opportunities. That carried into the second half as Ghana almost held Japan to a goalless 45 minutes until Remina Chiba made it five late on.

In the end, it was a comfortable win for the holders as they claim three points early in Group D play ahead of matches against Paraguay and USA later in the tournament.

Ghana is the only African nation to have reached the semi-finals in the tournament’s history, so coach Evans Adotey and his team will be needing to bounce back from the defeat, starting with their meeting with USA on Tuesday, if they are going to replicate or better that performance.
2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, the first ever FIFA women’s football tournament in the Middle East, kicks off in Jordan.