The 1991 Women’s World Cup was the first of its kind, defining a true coming of age of women’s football. It had been 61 years since the 1st men’s world cup, highlighting a significant gender gap in the sport for an extended period of time. The event was spearheaded by Dr. Joao Havelange, FIFA’s president at that time. A prototype of the tournament, called the 1988 FIFA Women’s Invitation Tournament, was hosted in Guangdong, China, the eventual site for the 1991 FIFA women’s world cup. Much controversy obviously went in to the 1st Women’s World Cup, as FIFA was still reluctant to give up their superior brand to the women’s side of the sport. Issues surrounding the length of the matches was also prevalent, as the matches were only 80 minutes, as opposed to the normal 90 for men.