"All of this matters because if we can give better resources to young girls, allow them to focus only on football and not on finding a job to live. A lot of players today still have jobs beside their careers because we are far from equal football."

"We need to keep investing. Make it more equal, with equal pay, equal prizes, equal pitches, equal staff…"

"It will only keep growing as long as people will invest in it. The more girls can train, have a career in football and make a living out of it, the better the sport will develop."

"For me, football has no gender and we need to keep investing in women’s football to allow it to grow."

"It’s all about having people that believe in the product and that includes us."

"I also think we’re seeing good competition in women’s football now: you start to see a lot of men’s teams creating a women’s team because it brings value to have one."

"You’re in a position where you have to take some decisions that might not be comfortable, but you need to do them anyway."

"We see a big difference at such an early age where boys have great opportunities to get into an academy and have the best coaches, to learn about football at an early age. Girls don’t have this. They’re often coached by their parents for a long time and from an early age it starts to be unequal. A lot of clubs should have their focus on it because it all starts there."

"So you were given the feeling that women’s football wasn’t that important. I had to fight to have the possibility to train with the boys, because you either had to fight for that or move somewhere else."

"Everything can happen as long as you work hard for it."

"If young girls are looking at me, and my path to get here, I hope they get inspired to do the same."

"But I believe today a lot of girls regard women’s players as idols now and that’s great."

"It’s important to be able to feel that you can be yourself."

"We know that is a big step, there’s a big difference between men’s and women’s football, but the aim will always be that it should be equal. And that’s what we want to fight for until we stop playing, and maybe also after."

"It’s much more difficult to change one’s mindset about homosexuality when they’re in their 20s, rather than when they’re only children and can understand that it’s just normal."

"If you’re in a position to speak up, to raise issues, I think you should."

"I also want to show children that you can do more than one thing, more than just being a footballer."

"I hope it grows [but] then you probably end up in a difficult situation sometimes. That is part of growth and you have to deal with it well."

"The great thing is that women’s football is still very emotional and pure. There is much less hatred in many areas."

"I will never say that I want women’s football to be exactly the same as men’s football."

"The beautiful and pure thing about women’s football is that the motivations and the happiness lies more in the team working well."

"I’m the last one to shout for it being the same game as the men’s game because I think the money in the men’s game is absolutely ridiculous and I don’t think we should ever want to get there."

"Not to be arrogant, but I know I’ve got the qualities to have made it my tournament."

"I’m of the opinion that Angolan clubs don’t invest enough in the women’s game, not even investors"

"Throughout my life I have heard comments of this kind. This is because society is reluctant to accept that women can be more than housewives."

"The problem starts with the moment people think that sport is something only for men, when they don’t even realise that these are discriminatory statements"

"I hope I can inspire others by playing football."

"Track and field was a big thing on sports day, that’s the thing most Jamaicans do, but when we used to have track-and-field classes I would be creeping over to the football area."

"I always try to empower others and embrace the opportunities, and encourage everyone in the Caribbean."

"We believe our best is good enough at the end of the day."

"The most important thing is belief and we’ve always believed in ourselves and our capabilities."

"Remain humble, stay focused and just do the best you can."

"I still want more from myself – a lot more."

"To become the best in the world I have to try and get better every day. I have to put myself in uncomfortable and challenging positions. I have to never be satisfied with where I am."

"Let your mind take a rest and just go to a calm, happy place – that’s not stressful. Doing that has helped me become the best version of myself, on and off the field."

"I realized soccer was my favorite sport the second I touched the soccer ball and realized that you could be so free and creative and be yourself."

"The best thing for my mental health is to be in the moment right now, and to take each day as it is."

"If things are out of your control, you just have to deal with it and make the most out of every situation."

"You don’t have to have your hair a certain way."

"I would do photoshoots and they would require me to have a bubble braid in, and I was like, ‘No, this is my hair. I can wear my hair how I want."

"I was like, okay, wait, maybe I like my curls. I’m going to leave them and learn how to style them."