Enjoying and Relaxing: Supporting Experiences of Men Who Attend Women's Football in Argentina

Abstract

The article explores the experience of men who attend women's professional football league matches in Argentina within a context of growth and increased visibility of the sport. It argues that their experience is shaped by an expectation of a more relaxed enjoyment when going to the stadium and is influenced by their sense of belonging to the club. The pleasure of attending a women's football match suggests that this space affords relaxation of certain classic elements of the “aguante” logic that structures support in men's football, while maintaining continuity with others. 

In a context of the widespread influence of feminist movements and their impact on the football world, these men’s experiences interact with and are challenged by discourses promoted in these spaces, which have contributed to broader social and cultural transformations. Drawing on existing literature that has analyzed football fan culture in relation to constructed masculinities, we argue that examining the cheering experience of men attending women's football matches can shed light on certain aspects of contemporary masculinities and their relational, contextual, and situated nature.  

The study is based on data gathered through in-depth interviews with fans who attend women's football matches and field observations conducted during games of the Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata women’s team.