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World Cup winner Abby Wambach posted an inspirational video for this disqualified female footballer

The eight-year-old’s side was disqualified after someone complained there was a boy on the team.
The eight-year-old’s side was disqualified after someone complained there was a boy on the team. The eight-year-old’s side was disqualified after someone complained there was a boy on the team.

After her football team were disqualified from a tournament when someone complained there was a boy on her team, a message from a World Cup winner should cheer Mili Hernandez up.

The eight-year-old was preparing for the final of the Springfield Soccer Club tournament in Nebraska when someone made a complaint, and while Hernandez’s father brought proof of her gender, Mili’s team, the Azzurri Achurros, were kicked out of the competition.

“When my hair starts to grow, I put it short because I’ve always had short hair,” Mili told WOWT 6 News. “I didn’t like my hair long.”

Tournament officials said that an error on the team forms was the reason for the disqualification, but it looks as though Mili has plenty of support after the incident – in fact, a couple of World Cup winning footballers have reached out to her since.

Yes, that’s footballer Abby Wambach, who has 249 USA appearances to her name, with a personal message for the eight-year-old.

The 37-year-old captioned her post:“Dear Mili Hernandez, you are amazing in every way. Thank you for teaching us how to be brave and shining a light on something so hurtful.

“If you don’t know, she is my new hero. Her team was disqualified from a tourney cause they thought she was a boy because of a clerical error that wasn’t handled properly.

“Let’s meet soon sister.”

And that’s not all. Mia Hamm, who won the World Cup with the USA in 1999, also reached out to Mili, offering for her to come to the Team First Soccer Academy camp she hosts.

The Nebraska State Soccer Association tweeted this statement on the tournament.

One section of the statement reads: “At this time, we have suspended the sanctioning of the Springfield Invitational until a detailed review can be conducted and proper steps taken by the event to ensure that the errors that led to this issue are resolved.”