Curacao's trailblazing doctor at the World Cup

Dr. Suzanne Huurman is the only female chief doctor at the 2026 World Cup. The 36-year-old from the Netherlands is working for Curacao, the smallest nation to ever qualify for a World Cup and Germany's opponents in the first round of games.

Other than Dr. Silja Schwarz, who has been a doctor (but not the lead one) for Germany's men side for the last three years, Huurman is the only female doctor at the entire tournament. In the history of the competition, Huurman is just the third woman ever to be any kind of doctor for a team at the World Cup.

The reasons for this are varied, but most connected to the male dominance of the football industry.

"It's not because there are not good female doctors, because at medical school 70% to 80% were women in the classroom. When you go to elite sports medicine it's getting less and less, especially in male sports medicine. It's a real male dominated culture still," Huurman told DW.

"You really have to prove yourself. It takes more time before they accept you, before they see. It's all about proving your quality, showing you're there to do everything the best you can to support them and their health. But it is difficult because there are a lot of barriers you have to face, a lot of prejudices. They say: 'No, you cannot work here because you are a female and we don't want a female in a male squad.' I've heard it a million times. You just have to prove yourself, keep going and don't give up because someone tells you no."

Huurman's journey is clearly proof of that. She started at the Dutch football club Go Ahead Eagles Deventer, has been a head of medical in professional sports since 2015 and worked at Real Madrid for several years.

In her experience, the problems arose at directorial and higher management levels of bigger organizations, where she was often met with the reply: "No, we cannot allow a female in a male staff."

Huurman focused on the work

Huurman does what she can to let her work and experience speak for itself.

"Being the only female in the whole squad, I try not to focus on it," Huurman said. "I try to do the best I can as a doctor, deliver the maximum every day, and to have everything prepared. That's the most important thing for me."

"Of course it's unfair, but the whole world is unfair so we can complain about it, but the only thing you can do as a professional is prove your worth and show that you are capable."

In March of this year, FIFA approved new legislation that women's teams at tournaments must have at least two female staff members, with one needing to be the head or assistant coach. Nothing similar has been implemented for the men's side of the game, where the majority of all staff members are male.

"The challenge for female doctors entering a male dominated football world is first to enter, that they accept you — even if your CV is perfect, you are still a woman," said Huurman. "And then, once you're there, it takes more time for them to accept you for who you are and your competence. But when you show your knowledge and skills and they see it's top level, then it's ok. Before that is the biggest challenge."

Hopeful for more women in the future

Doctor parity is still a long way away, but there are some encouraging signs from other sports. According to ISAKOS (the International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports), the American Olympic team saw a huge jump in the number of female physicians between the 2012 London Games and the 2024 Games in Paris. In 2012, 19% of the physicians were female but 12 years later, that number was at 32%.

"I hope at the next World Cup there are way more female doctors," said Huurman. "I think the world is changing because in other sports you can see it more, but football is really male dominated. Hopefully in four years it's way better."

Thanks to trailblazers like Huurman and Schwarz, the male-dominated environment of football is being challenged. Furthermore, despite all of the challenges and the prejudices many women face in elite sport, an increasing number of women keep breaking through to deliver inspiration to the next generation. American referee Tori Penso is another example of that: She is set to be in charge of Germany's final group-stage game against Ecuador.

Thomas Klein conducted the interview for this article.

Edited by: Carla Bleiker