San Siro hosted a historic women’s Milan derby on December 8, marking the first time one of the biggest matches in Serie A Femminile was played at the iconic stadium.

The closely contested derby ended in a draw, with goals from football vets Elisa Bartoli and Nadia Nadim. With San Siro playing host to this season’s first Rossonere-Nerazzurre match up, however, the scoreline wasn't the biggest talking point from the weekend.

In recent years, women’s football has taken off around the world, with more funding and support flooding into the biggest leagues. With average attendances skyrocketing, more women’s sides have begun to call their club’s main stadium home.

In England, the WSL and Women’s Championship made history last month by hosting every single match at a main stadium on the weekend of November 16. It has become more common for English women's football fans to catch their favourite players at The Emirates or Stamford Bridge on a regular basis now, but in Italy, the shift is still in its early stages.

Juventus Women have been playing matches at Allianz Stadium since 2019, but this is hardly the norm in Italy. Reigning champions AS Roma played their first match at the Stadio Olimpico in January of 2023. Despite two years of Serie A domination, the Giallorosse have only returned to the ground a handful of times. 

The Milan derby taking place at the San Siro - largest stadium in Italy - is a huge step for both Inter and AC Milan, as well as Italian women’s football. Women’s sides playing at clubs' main grounds, creates necessary visibility for the sport. It encourages more people to support the women’s team and promotes the growth of the women’s game in a tangible and accessible way.

Here’s to more historic fixtures in Italian women’s football, from San Siro to Stadio Olimpico and beyond.