( CNN ) Football is the most widely played sport among French youths . Yet , it struggles to attract and retain girls . How can football serve as a tool of socialization when it remains the domain of young boys and men ? Algeria coach Christian Gourcuff , who has a coached a number of Ligue 1 clubs , notes that for a long time , women 's football `` was a sport totally marginalized . '' Stereotypes abounded that the sport was too rough , too masculine for girls to play . They were much more likely to compete in basketball , ride horseback , or dance , such as Maïmouna Coulibaly , whose dance company , Les Ambianceuses , is internationally recognized ( though overshadowed by her brother , Amedy Coulibaly , the kosher supermarket shooter in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo massacre ) . But change is afoot . Since the late 1980s , the French Football Federation ( FFF ) has promoted the sport to women and girls . `` Over the past 10 years , there has been a considerable development of the women 's game , '' said Gourcuff . Former player and ex-Paris Saint-Germain official Jean-Michel Moutier concurred . Over the past decade `` girls have significantly increased the level of play , '' he said . `` I am agreeably surprised by the quality of certain female football matches . '' The sport 's increased television presence helps significantly , especially broadcasts of the women 's World Cup . `` That has changed a bit the image of women 's football , '' Gourcuff said , `` notably among young girls . '' Farid El Alagui , who now plays for Scottish club Hibernian , noticed a dramatic difference in how women 's football is perceived back home . `` If you look at the French national team , '' he said , `` they 've been really good . '' Les Bleues are presently third in FIFA 's world ranking and hopes are high for their success at the women 's World Cup in Canada between June 6 and July 5 . The professional women 's league is also responsible for encouraging more girls to play . `` There are big clubs like Paris Saint-Germain , '' El Alagui said , `` who are very good and the level of play is quite high . '' Such examples foster confidence to try to the sport . `` I think a lot of girls want to play football , '' he said . `` They 're just scared . '' However , enrollment statistics paint a less exuberant portrait . At ASVCM only seven out of 345 players in the club 's football school are girls , and two more play with the club 's youth teams in competitions . Such statistics are mirrored nationally . During the 2013-14 season , there were 50,516 licensed girls in the Under-6 to Under-20 demographic , as compared to 997,511 for boys of the same age . While few in number , the young girls at ASVCM -- a local sports club based in a town 12 kilometers south of Paris -- are welcomed and respected , observed Catherine Ledemé , who has volunteered with the club for more than a decade . `` They are often the 'mascots ' of the team , '' she said . Moreover , they excel on the field . The football section 's president Marc Girard proudly boasted that two of ASVCM 's young players are in formation with PSG 's women 's team . For Ledemé , who week-in and week-out ensures the club 's conviviality , `` football has strong social values . '' She supports girls playing football , regardless of the game 's stereotypes or image , a sentiment indicative of changing or changed attitudes . More is needed , but the continued success of the women 's league and national team will perhaps inspire more girls to take up the sport .
French women 's football has long been marginalized , particularly as a sport that is too rough and masculine for girls to play . In recent years an increased television audience has raised the profile of the game , especially broadcasts of the women 's World Cup . attendance statistics remain low with only about 50,000 licensed girls under 20 years of age compared to almost 1 million girls .