World Cup-themed baby tees and crop tops featuring slogans such as 'Future WAG', 'Teach Me the Offside Rule', and 'Made It Out of the Kitchen' have ignited a debate over whether they are sexist or harmless fun. The garments, sold by independent UK retailers and high-street brands like Next, Boohoo, and SHEIN, have drawn criticism for perpetuating gender stereotypes about women's role in football.
Social Media Sparks Debate
Creator @its_tiannah questioned on Instagram: 'What is this saying about women's place in sport? There is clearly a market for this; women are buying these shirts, women are wearing these shirts.' Other designs include 'What's VAR?', 'Trophy Wife', 'Is It Home Yet', 'Just Here for Jude,' and 'This baddie is looking for a baller.'
Mixed Reactions from Consumers
Not everyone opposes the trend. A friend told Metro: 'I think they're fun. Some of them are a bit too far for my liking, but if another girl loves it, that's good enough for me.' However, another friend described them as infantilising: 'They reduce women to external viewers rather than a core audience of football, and focus on the men's game rather than the ever-expanding women's football presence.'
Expert Views on Sexism
Kathryn Higgins, a researcher at Goldsmiths, University of London, said: 'There's an idea that nothing that women choose could possibly be sexist, so because women have chosen to buy these t-shirts, therefore it's a choice, and it's feminist. But they're quite obviously sexist. The ones that say "future WAG" are tapping into the classic sexist tropes that women are only connected to the sport through men, and they aren't intelligent enough to understand it and need it explained to them.'
Higgins distinguished between the item and the wearer: 'It's futile to try to understand the meaning of any specific person wearing this, as you could be a lifelong football fan who's obsessed with club football, and sees this and thinks: "That's hilarious, I'm going to wear it." But what we can know is that these t-shirts are tapping into the idea that there's men's stuff, and there's women's stuff. That idea does a disservice to both men and women.'
Humour or Gender Positioning?
Dr Stephen Whitehead, a sociologist and feminist, argued: 'If a slogan only works when aimed at women, it's not really about football humour, it's about gender positioning.' He added: 'It's selling to a stereotype of the disinterested, unknowledgeable girlfriend.'
Influencer Oenone Forbat, host of the Everything Is Content podcast, offered a different perspective: 'Tees that play into old stereotypes about women not really belonging in the sport, or only being there because of a boyfriend or husband, can absolutely be read as regressive or misogynistic. But I also think they can just be a bit funny and silly at the same time. If a woman wants to wear one, I feel like she's in on the joke. Plus most are wearing them to watch a game, so the irony should be obvious.'
Women's Football Growth and Challenges
According to FIFA research, the number of women and girls playing football increased by 56% from 2020 to 2024. Forbat noted: 'Lots of my female friends are lifelong football fans and probably wouldn't opt for a tee that says otherwise, but I only got into football in my 30s, because of the Lionesses.'
Despite progress, a 2025 report from Women In Football found 78% of women working in the sport have experienced gender-based discrimination, and 63.5% have faced sexist banter. Additionally, 56% said no action was taken after reporting incidents. A 2026 study by Starling Bank revealed that 97% of grassroots clubs need more funds, with female players spending an average of £212 per year on kit, therapy, and equipment. Three-quarters (76%) of female players said they would quit if funding does not improve within five years.
Broader Context of Misogyny
Higgins urged a focus on larger issues: 'We get bogged down in evaluating the individual things that individual women do, rather than looking at the bigger picture. The two obvious ones in relation to the World Cup are the absolute imbalance in investment in women's football versus men's football, and the fact that this tournament has been marred by multiple players who have allegations of sexual assault against them.'
Metro has approached Next, SHEIN, and Boohoo for comment.
