Women Who Are ‘Playing For Change’ In World Of Soccer Take Center Stage In New Series

As a celebrity-driven five-a-side soccer tournament kicks off around the world, two media companies are taking some time to highlight women who are making themselves known on the pitch. Red Bull Media House and Indigenous Media have teamed up for Playing For Change, a five-part documentary series that spotlights female figures in the world of soccer.

The launch of Playing For Change is tied into the start of Neymar Jr’s Five, a competition led by the titular Brazilian superstar and sponsored by Red Bull. As five-person teams begin to face off in the tournaments preliminary round, Red Bull and Indigenous are highlighting Christina Unkel, who is breaking into the traditionally male-dominated field of refereeing.

On Facebook, Playing For Change can be found on the official channel of Indigenous Media’s 60 Second Docs series.

Playing For Change also stands as the latest piece of girl-power content from Indigenous execs Jon Avnet, Rodrigo Garcia, and Jake Avnet, who previously teamed up to deliver shows with female leads on their digital platform Wigs. “Red Bull and 60 Second Docs are of the same DNA — breaking new ground with authentic stories about extraordinary individuals,” Jake Avnet said. “It was a natural partnership to explore the stories of women in soccer all over the globe.”

Future episodes of Playing For Change will spotlight a soccer ball juggler, a Cirque Du Soleil performer, and the self-proclaimed “Queen of FIFA,” among other individuals. Look for those episodes on YouTube and Facebook.