FIFA has rejected a request by a professional men’s soccer club in Mexico to sign a female player.
Maribel Dominguez had impressed officials of second-division club Celaya enough to give her a chance.
The 26-year-old signed a two-year deal with the men’s team on Wednesday, sending a mixture of shock and exuberance through Mexico.
But FIFA’s executive committee said: “There must be a clear separation between men’s and women's football.”