From a distance, the women running sprints, taking corner kicks and dribbling past defenders on a soccer field in eastern Bolivia on Friday could easily be mistaken for players preparing for next year's FIFA Women’s World Cup. But the goalies are making saves with a single arm while other players are using crutches to propel themselves down the pitch.
This is the first soccer training camp in South America for female amputees seeking to represent their countries in the 2027 Women's Amputee Football World Cup. Nearly three dozen women from 10 countries — including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia — converged on the field in Bolivia's lowland city of Santa Cruz for five days of training that concluded Friday with friendly matches. Most of the participants have lost limbs to infections or traumatic injuries.
