We blurred the gender of soccer players and had people rate their performances − with surprising results

Would people still call a women's soccer match boring if they didn't know the players' genders? isitsharp/E+ via Getty Images

During the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the telecommunications company Orange ran a powerful TV ad. It depicts the graceful agility and dramatic goal-scoring shots from French national players such as Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappé and Olivier Giroud.

Then comes the catch. After about a minute, the viewer sees that the highlights had been artifically modified: All of the players were actually from the French women’s national team.