Women and men best kept apart, says Fifa

World football's governing body, Fifa, has ruled that a leading Mexican woman player is not eligible to play for a men's club.

World football's governing body, Fifa, has ruled that a leading Mexican woman player is not eligible to play for a men's club.

Maribel Dominguez, who has scored has scored 42 goals in 43 games for the national women's team, made footballing history last week when she was signed for Mexico's second division club Celaya.

However yesterday, less than a week after signing the two-year contract, Fifa ruled that: "There must be a clear separation between men's and women's football ... This is laid down in league football and in international matches and FIFA's regulations do not provide for any exceptions."

Ms Dominguez, 26, whose on-pitch prowess led to her being given the nickname "Marigoal", was Mexico's top scorer at the Athens Olympic Games, while ranking 25th in Fifa's top women players in the world for 2004. At the time of signing with Celaya, she said: "The hard thing is going to be equalling the physical force of the men, but the technique, the desire, the willpower, those are things I already have."

Leading article, page 24