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For International Women’s Day 2026, Orange, the first sponsor to invest equally in women and men's football, and official partner of French women’s football team OL Lyonnes, has launched a new film shining a light on the quiet fight behind a simple dream: to play.

This online spot from Publicis Conseil, directed by Rémi Danino, highlights these invisible yet very real obstacles to authentically reveal the daily lives of these young women, their strength, their determination, and their refusal to give up. It follows a player determined to claim her place on the football pitch.

According to the WHO, young girls drop out of club sports at an average age of 14-15 – precisely when mixed-gender participation ends and finding a nearby women’s team becomes a structural challenge.

In a world where she’s told, “c’est pas un truc de filles” (it’s not for girls), just attending a game means holding her nerve. Telling her disapproving family she’s going to study, avoiding the watchful eye of her neighbours, and navigating public transport with a knot in her stomach… all to achieve her goal — being part of the one thing that makes her feel like she belongs. Once she arrives at the pitch, ready for a match, she can finally breathe.

When giving up would be easier, this film captures the importance of persistence. A tribute to every woman and girl fighting quietly for her right to play.

The film, as well as an interview series with three iconic OL Lyonnes players, will be available from March 8 on YouTube and Orange’s social media platforms.

Orange
Advertiser Managers: Quentin Delobelle, Annabel Salesa, Ombline Thomine-Desmazures
Football Sponsorship Managers: Laetitia Lauron, Mikel Sarriquet, Jean-Eric Naon, Stéphane Tardivel TV-Print Producers: Emmanuelle Issartelle, Laurence Poucan

Publicis Conseil
CEO/CCO : Marco Venturelli
Creative Directors: Julien Colas & Kamel Makhloufi
Copywriter: Ysora Begotti
Art Director: Hamza Ben Maadoum
Agency Managers: Anne Dauvé, Eric Guillod, Jeanne Lemarchand, Gréfoire Martin, Alexis De Saint Genois
Social Media Producer & Influence Manager: Alexia Apikian
Strategic Planner: Théo Tiret

Dissidence
Directed by Rémi Danino
Producer : Baptiste Farinazzo
DOP: Asselin Gauthier
Edit: Hubert Criquebec
Grading: Vincent Amor
Sound design: Charles Darnaud