Mundialito (women)
Encyclopedia
The Mundialito was a global invitational tournament for national teams
in women's football (soccer)
. Held on four occasions in the northern region of Italy
since 1984, it was one of the most prestigious women's football events, prior to the advent of the Women's World Cup
and Women's Olympic Football
.
The first edition of the tournament was played in Japan
in September 1981. Italy
beat Japan
9-0 in Kobe
to win the title, while Denmark
finished runners-up after beating England
1-0 in Tokyo
. In 1984 and 1985 the teams first played round-robin
within a single pool, then a further match to decide the winner and third place. In 1986 and 1988 two groups participated, with the winner of each participating in the final.
The most successful teams were Italy
with three titles and England
with two. The 1985 tournament was notable for the international debut of the United States women's national soccer team
.
Another more recent international tournament for women's football teams, the Algarve Cup
, has also been unofficially known as the Mundialito.
International competitions in women's football
This article lists all international competitions in women's football. The competitions included are for national teams as well as club sides. Competitions past and present are included. Note that some competitions may not be directly run by the governing body for the region.For domestic...
in women's football (soccer)
Women's football (soccer)
Women's association football has been played for many decades, but was associated with charity games and physical exercise in the past before the breakthrough of organized women's association football came in the 1970s. Before the 1970s, football was basically seen as a men's game...
. Held on four occasions in the northern region of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
since 1984, it was one of the most prestigious women's football events, prior to the advent of the Women's World Cup
FIFA Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the...
and Women's Olympic Football
Football at the Summer Olympics
Association football, usually known simply as football or soccer, has been included in every Olympiad except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport. Women's football was added to the official programme in 1996.-Early history:...
.
The first edition of the tournament was played in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in September 1981. Italy
Italy women's national football team
The Italy women's national football team represents Italy in international women's football. The team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation .- Performances in the World Cup :...
beat Japan
Japan women's national football team
The Japan women's national football team, or Nadeshiko Japan , is a selection of the best female players in Japan and is run by the Japan Football Association . Japan defeated the U.S...
9-0 in Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
to win the title, while Denmark
Denmark women's national football team
The Denmark women's national football team represents Denmark in international women's football. The team is controlled by the Danish Football Association .-World Cup:*1970 : Winner *1971 : Winner...
finished runners-up after beating England
England women's national football team
The England women's national football team represents England in international women's football. The side has been quite successful of late, qualifying for three World Cups, 1995, 2007 and 2011...
1-0 in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. In 1984 and 1985 the teams first played round-robin
Round-robin
The term round-robin was originally used to describe a document signed by multiple parties in a circle to make it more difficult to determine the order in which it was signed, thus preventing a ringleader from being identified...
within a single pool, then a further match to decide the winner and third place. In 1986 and 1988 two groups participated, with the winner of each participating in the final.
The most successful teams were Italy
Italy women's national football team
The Italy women's national football team represents Italy in international women's football. The team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation .- Performances in the World Cup :...
with three titles and England
England women's national football team
The England women's national football team represents England in international women's football. The side has been quite successful of late, qualifying for three World Cups, 1995, 2007 and 2011...
with two. The 1985 tournament was notable for the international debut of the United States women's national soccer team
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
.
Another more recent international tournament for women's football teams, the Algarve Cup
Algarve Cup
The Algarve Cup is a global invitational tournament for national teams in women's football . Held annually in the Algarve region of Portugal since 1994, it is one of the most prestigious women's football events, alongside the Women's World Cup and Women's Olympic Football...
, has also been unofficially known as the Mundialito.
Results
| Year | Final | Third Place Match | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Score | Runner-up | 3rd Place | Score | 4th Place | |||
| 1984 | 3–1 | 2–1 | ||||||
| 1985 | 3–2 | 1–0 | ||||||
| 1986 | 1–0 | 2–1 | ||||||
| 1988 | 2–1 (aet) | 1–0 | ||||||