Mother & Footballer

Mother & Footballer is an in-depth documentary about motherhood in women’s football.

Mother & Footballer reveals the challenges that motherhood presents for a professional footballer. The physical demands, the fear of losing their place on the team, the lack of support

from clubs…

We see this through the stories of five players: Amel Majri, Irene Paredes, Marta

Corredera, Alice Pignagnoli, and Almuth Schult.

Olympique Lyon player Amel Majri became pregnant while recovering from a serious knee injury. The documentary shows her journey back to the pitch after becoming a mother. Fatigue, battling postpartum depression and her desire to get back to playing turned the process into a frustrating and challenging struggle.

Irene Paredes succeeded in achieving her dream of playing for one of the best clubs in the world, FC Barcelona. Her story represents a trend among major clubs where players who want to become mothers go through doubt and uncertainty.

Germany and Wolfsburg goalkeeper Almuth Schult became a trailblazer in the Bundesliga when she had twins, where she had to prove, in every training session and match, that motherhood is not a limitation but a new dimension. Now with her third child, she continues to face clubs’ mistrust towards mothers who play football.

The stories of Alice Pignagnoli and Marta Corredera, both of whom were sidelined from their teams after becoming mothers, show the vulnerability of players who become mothers. Short-lived careers, disappointments and loneliness in a world of women’s sport that needs a new approach to balancing family life and high-level sport.

Mother & Footballer is not just a documentary about women and football. It is a tribute to the strength, vulnerability and resilience of all mothers who continue to play, dream and break down barriers. It is a wake-up call to recognise and respect motherhood as an essential part of the lives of female athletes, reflecting how far women’s football still has to go to be truly inclusive and fair.