Empowerment through Sport: Lina Boussaha’s Journey

During Ramadan, amidst the fasting and prayers, Lina Boussaha, a talented professional soccer player, excitedly unwrapped a package in her bedroom in France. Inside were two Nike head scarves, marketed as a symbol of empowerment for Muslim women in sports.

Lina, 25, hailing from Algerian descent and raised in one of Paris’s underprivileged suburbs, made a significant decision during the 2022 Ramadan. She had never worn a hijab outside prayers before, usually styling her curly hair in a high ponytail. However, she had recently chosen to wear a hijab regularly, even during her soccer matches. This choice initiated a transformative journey that led her to relocate to the Middle East to restart her career.

Expressing her decision on Instagram that night, she wrote: “It is with great pride that I announce that I am wearing the veil (hijab). My religion, my inner peace, and my spirituality are my priorities, and these come before my worldly pleasures like football & my career as a professional player. Nothing prevents doing both, even if (here in France), it remains complicated.“

Reflecting on that moment in an interview at a cafe near her childhood home in Seine-Saint-Denis, Lina expressed a sense of relief that washed over her. “Soccer is not just a game for me,” she said. “It’s a part of my soul.”

Lina’s journey has not been without challenges. France’s soccer federation prohibits players from wearing conspicuous religious symbols or clothing like hijabs during matches, adding a layer of complexity to her commitment to both her faith and her passion for soccer.