Hey listeners, today is the last day of June, and in honor of Pride and LGBTQ people across the world,

we wanted to share with you again the story of Marine Rom and the French soccer team that

rocked the Women's World Cup in 2019. Enjoy!

In 1998, the World Cup final featured the French soccer team, affectionately known as Le Bleu,

facing off against the World Champions. Brazil. Marine Rom was 11 years old.

But she remembers it as if it were yesterday.

The French team boasts the diverse roster of players. In 1998, 11 men from different ethnic

backgrounds and religions united in one common goal, winning the World Cup. 18 minutes before half

time, La Mita, midfielder Emmanuel Petit kicked a corner shot. Zinedine Zidane, France's playmaker,

jumped to hit the ball with his head. Zidane had scored the first goal. He had

scored a goal. I remember the first goal of Zidane. He scored with his head. It was incredible.

Just before half time, he scored a second goal. Every goal, I cried and I jumped everywhere

in the stadium. After the victory, the players became heroes. All the country was with them.

For Marine, a lifelong passion for soccer, or as the French call it, the food was born.

But as she started playing, she realized something. She felt like the ideal of a France united behind

its multi-ethnic team didn't include people like her. Soccer could be a great uniter, unless you were a girl.

There were not many teams and not many places where you could play. At 13 years, I had to choose.

I played with more boys or with adult women. I quickly understood that in the food,

there was no place for someone like me. But I wanted it to change.

Bienvenue and welcome to the Duolingo French podcast. I'm your host

Angloufène Boutouwele. Every episode, we bring you fascinating true stories to help you

improve your French listening and gain new perspectives on the world. The storyteller will be using

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