FIFA Men's World Cup as a liminal space: women's football fandom and gender dynamics in Kerala, India

This study examines the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup as a liminal social space for women in Malabar, Kerala—a conservative yet football-intensive region of India. Drawing on in-depth interviews with eight women fans and using a grounded theory approach, the study identifies a four-stage process: movement from rigid domestic routines, to the World Cup as a momentary escape, followed by the adoption of a distinct “fan lifestyle,” and culminating in enhanced visibility, respect, and self-worth. The findings demonstrate how global media mega-events and transnational fandom can temporarily disrupt entrenched gender norms, enabling women to access public spaces, leisure practices, and social recognition otherwise restricted in everyday life. Fandom emerges as a culturally legitimate identity through which women negotiate mobility and inclusion. Although this distributed liminality is temporary, it holds transformative potential and represents a strategic opportunity for gender-inclusive policy interventions.