We celebrate a women's football festival that makes every gender debate look pale

• In the video above: Pure euphoria! The DFB women's team celebrates their entry into the European Championship semifinals with such enthusiasm

It wasn't a "women's game." It was a football fireworks display. Germany vs. France, Euro 2025, 6-5 for the German women on penalties. Goals, pure drama, a heart-stopping finale.

And suddenly, nothing mattered: gender asterisks, equal opportunity quotas, diversity claims. Only the game mattered. And that was better than almost anything men's football had offered recently.

This game demonstrated the flaw in many debates: They seek to educate away differences instead of understanding them. Women play differently—and that's precisely their strength. Equality doesn't mean sameness.

Anyone who ignores this isn't cementing justice, but rather arbitrariness. Diversity isn't a problem—it's the damn point. Five questions, five clear answers—no softening.

Because it did what discussions often fail to do: unite people emotionally. This match didn't polarize, it electrified. No artificial attention, no pity-mongering – genuine enthusiasm. And that for a women's soccer match, of all things. This shows: quality prevails when given a platform. Without an ideological backdrop.

Christoph Maria Michalski is "The Conflict Navigator" – a renowned conflict expert, author of the new book "Arguing Systematically – How to Learn to Love Conflict," and a sought-after speaker. His tried-and-tested methods help leaders and teams confidently master even tricky situations. With an unusual combination of music teacher, adult educator, and IT professional, he harmonizes reason, emotion, and system. His promise: less stress, more success, and more ease. In his private life, he is a magician, marathon runner, and motorcycle enthusiast – living proof that energy and creativity are not mutually exclusive.

This game was raw, honest, flawed—and that's precisely why it was great. Women's football doesn't need a PR template, but genuine equality. And that doesn't come from ratings, but from performance, heart, and presence.

Women play technically , not testosterone-driven. They fight with tactics, not theatrics. The difference isn't "less," but "different." Anyone who looks rather than just calculates notices this. Men's football is often a demonstration of power, women's football is about building relationships. It sounds soft, but it's brutally effective.

From a psychological perspective: Men want to shine, women want to connect. Combining the two gives you the best of both worlds – in sports, in teams, in business. But only if you stop forcing everything into one mold. Diversity begins where one-size-fits-all thinking ends.

Because they treat difference as a flaw. As if diversity is only acceptable if it behaves like simplicity. That's unfair, that's grotesque.

If we constantly call for "equality" but want to make everyone the same, we destroy precisely what defines diversity: different approaches, styles, and strengths. Women's football shows that it doesn't require the same level of performance as men's football—it requires the courage to play differently.

Anyone who evaluates every game by the same standards is playing chess with boxing rules. And ultimately loses both.

We fear incomparability. That's why we want to standardize, scale, and control everything. But life isn't an Excel spreadsheet. It's chaos, risk, and surprise.

Just like this game. Diversity means not knowing what's coming – and that's precisely where its power lies. Functional differences are the fuel for change.

If everyone follows the same pattern, stagnation results. And if you don't allow friction, you produce stagnation in a nice package. Difference is uncomfortable – but without it, there is no movement.

Stop regulating differences – learn to use them. This game wasn't a diversity exercise, but a reality check. Women showed what's possible when they're not forced into male patterns.

And that's exactly what our companies, our politicians, our schools need: spaces where people can be different – without having to justify themselves. Difference is not a deficit, but a difference with value.

Those who understand this not only lead more intelligently—but also more humanely. Diversity is not a goal, but a tool. You just have to use it.

This game has moved more than 100 diversity conferences. Not because it was "the same." But because it was different—and therefore magnificent. Diversity doesn't need a uniform, but rather a stage, courage, and respect. Those who understand this will be at the forefront—on every level.

This article is from the EXPERTS Circle – a network of selected experts with in-depth knowledge and many years of experience. The content is based on individual assessments and is aligned with the current state of science and practice.