ABInBev’s Pony Malta Hacks FIFA 21 to Include Women in Pro Clubs Mode 

To help women feel represented in FIFA 21, ABInBev’s Pony Malta and MullenLowe SSP3 have created SHE F.C., the first all-female club in the popular video game.  

Pony Malta and MullenLowe SSP3 found that in FIFA Pro Clubs and Career Modes –  options within FIFA that allow you to create a Virtual Pro player to play international tournaments and be transferred by clubs to make a career out of the game – only male avatars could be created. 

To bring attention to this issue, Pony Malta and MullenLowe SSP3 created ‘She F.C.’. the first all-female team in Career Mode to break stereotypes in football. The team has been made by customising the features on male avatars, and now Pony Malta is inviting people to join the movement and help women feel represented within the game.  

On 12th December, prominent gamers in Latin America, alongside two players from the Women’s National Football Team, will play the game live to encourage more women to join ‘She F.C.’. Pony Malta has also launched a petition on Change.Org, asking FIFA creators to change their policies and configuration in order to be more gender inclusive. 

“The essence of Pony Malta is to inspire teens to reach the best version of themselves. To do that, we need to create safe environments for them, with equal opportunities for both men and women. She F.C. is a call to FIFA to help girls and women feel identified and represented within the game, and we hope people will join the movement to make one of the most popular games in the world be more inclusive,” said Juan Alonso Torres, ABInBev’s marketing director of Non-Alcoholic Beverages in Colombia. 

“When we found the problem inside the game, we knew we needed to do something about it. ‘Hacking’ the game was the best way to do it. SHE F.C is a way to give girls and women to have the place they deserve in the game: the opportunity to play for big clubs and win worldwide tournaments,” says Carlos Andrés Rodríguez, CCO of MullenLowe SSP3.

The campaign has the support of the National Ministry of Technology and Communications, as well as several NGO’s that work for young women development in sports.