“It’s been a long time since I played in a tournament here in South America,” began Brazilian forward Marta, “and we were saddened by these circumstances.” Hard to believe, but this is how the Orlando Pride star described the current state of the 2025 Copa America Femenina, which kicked off in Ecuador on July 11 and is set to run until August 2. Despite the ongoing concerns and repeated pleas from players, there has been no response from the authorities in charge. This silence eventually prompted USWNT veterans Lindsey Heaps and Sam Mewis to call out CONMEBOL for its continued negligence.

For those unaware, things have been quite challenging for all ten South American nations participating in this 10th edition of the tournament. Aside from poor facilities, they lack VAR and decent officiating facilities. In a nutshell, there is a clear lack of investment from CONMEBOL, with allegations like “The games were terrible -the refs were inconsistent and no VAR made it worse!” being made.

This became a topic of discussion on the latest episode of The Women’s Game podcast, where host and former USA midfielder Sam Mewis asked Heaps about her views on this unfortunate situation they’re facing. “My first thought is, what’s the men’s Copa look like?” began the USWNT skipper. “Tell me exactly what it looks like, please.”

The reason is simple: to see whether the men’s game is facing such difficulties or not. From training environments to facilities, hotels, and how each team is managed, Heaps wanted to know it all. The OL Lyonnes star admitted that she sometimes did this even with her own national team. While preparing for the 2023 World Cup, the 31-year-old recalled asking, in terms of recovery and support, what the men’s team had access to, wanting a clear comparison.

“And I’m not saying I want exactly what they had. I want to make this as great as possible for us. What can we all speak about in terms of women as well, like what do we need to make this as best as possible?” added the former Paris Saint-Germain star. Fortunately, the US has never faced such a situation, something which Lindsey is quite grateful for.

In fact, the former Portland Thorns midfielder rather praised her nation for keeping all the conditions for their men’s and women’s teams on the same scale. She even praised her current boss, Emma Hayes, who is no less than a major advocate for the women’s game. That is true, for someone who vocally once admitted, “We’re still not getting all of those things right in the women’s game,” naturally, her disciple also mirrors similar feelings.

Meanwhile, echoing Lindsey Heaps’ thoughts, Sam Mewis questioned CONMEBOL about how much staff support they provide to men’s and women’s Copa America tournaments. That further made Heaps recall that not just on the international front, but even domestically, she faces such difficulties, insisting the French league is “nowhere near where it should be.”

Honestly, now we can feel why Emma Hayes has been making such pleas for changes in women’s sports all around. Then again, the talking point is how the ongoing problem in the Copa America Femenina has left many disappointed.

Copa America needs to do something quickly!

During Brazil’s second Group B match against Bolivia on Tuesday, players from both teams were forced to warm up in a cramped indoor area at the Gonzalo Pozo Ripalda Stadium. It was because the organizers had implemented the rule to protect the pitch, which hosts multiple games per day during the group stage. This only invited frustration from Marta, who criticized the lack of proper conditions.

She questioned why teams weren’t allowed to warm up on the field, noting that both sides needed space to prepare and that athletes are expected to perform at a high level. While urging the requirement of a proper organization, the six-time FIFA World Player of the Year pointed out that the issue was worsened by the stadium’s altitude and intense heat. Additionally, the Orlando Pride forward urged CONMEBOL to take action and improve the setup.

Joining the protest was also Brazil’s head coach Arthur Elias, who highlighted the potential risks to players when playing under such circumstances. “We shouldn’t have to demand that those responsible for football do their job, just as the players do on the pitch and I do as a coach,” he said.

Furthermore, midfielder Ary Borges also took a potshot at CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez, pointing out the stark contrast between the men’s and women’s tournaments. “Even amateur matches are better organised than what we have here. Ask Alejandro if he could warm-up in a space measuring five or 10 metres and smelling of paint,” she said.

Borges questioned why the women’s competition lacked basic infrastructure while the men’s Copa America received top-tier facilities and stressed that this disparity needed to be addressed. Yet, according to an ESPN report, CONMEBOL did not offer any comment when contacted by Reuters.

Either way, this is quite a huge problem concerning the women’s game. Let’s see whether the concerned authorities of Copa America would take the necessary steps to mitigate the woes of players.