Up against sexism

Karen Prado, 18, is part of a team called "Favela Street" - each Sunday afternoon, the team trains in the Complexo do Penha favela. About 80 female footballers - between the ages of eight and 85 - from Rio de Janeiro's slums play here.

While Brazil has won the World Cup five times, the country has yet to win a FIFA Women's World Cup title. Soccer was introduced to Brazil in 1894. However, women were prohibited from playing from 1941 to 1979.

Today, female players are often confronted with prejudice, says Philip Velduis, who founded Favela Street two years ago and coaches their training sessions.

"There's still a lot of inequality with girls. It's difficult to be a professional player - for example the idea that if you play football you are a lesbian, or that football is something that only men can do," Velduis said.

'Few options for girls'

Midfielder Drika Santos, 18, says a strong patriarchal hierarchy in Brazil keeps women's football underfunded. "Even though Brazil is considered 'the land of football'- this doesn't apply to female footballers. There are very little options for girls. If you want to play, you really have to struggle to find something," she said.

"In the last few years, women's football has grown, but the focus is always still on men's football. We can't even see women's football on TV."