‘I’m Gilda’ Director Lorena Muñoz to Helm ‘Pioneers,’ About Argentina’s Dramatic Campaign in the 1971 Soccer Women’s World Cup

Lorena Muñoz, who leapt to fame directing Argentinian 2016 box office smash “I’m Gilda,” is attached to direct “Pioneers” (“Pioneras”), a historical fiction limited series inspired by the Argentinian soccer team’s participation in the only half-known 1971 Women’s World Cup, a milestone for the sport at large and for Argentina, whose makeshift side beat England in a dramatic match. 

A inspirational and resonant sports thriller with gender politics undertones, dramedy series “Pioneers” is created and executive produced by Pablo Udenio and set up at his new production house Dukkah, which has burst on the scene producing multi-prized HBO pick-up “Gunman” (“Gatillero”) and “The  Virgin of the Quarry Lake,” (“La virgen de la tosquera”), one of the most notable horror films to come out of Latin America in 2025. 

With screenwriters to be confirmed, “Pioneers” weighs in as one of the six scripted series project finalists selected to present live at Content Americas’ CoPro Pitch on Jan. 20. 

“Having Lorena Muñoz on board elevates ‘Pioneers’ in every sense,” said Udenio. “Her proven experience in telling real-life stories, combined with her sensitivity and deep understanding of character-driven storytelling, brings a unique depth and credibility to the series, strengthening both its creative vision and its international appeal,” he added.

“I’m Gilda,” for instance, is a musical biopic, turning on the childhood and rise to fame of cumbia singer-composer sensation Miriam Alejandra Bianchi, better known as Gilda.

What ‘Pioneers’ is About
“Pioneers” recounts the true story of Argentina’s part in a remarkable World Cup, in part because it proved a huge success. In Buenos Aires in 1971, where women’s soccer is written off as just a curiosity, 16 young women are unexpectedly chosen to form Argentina’s first national women’s soccer team. With no proper kit and a dodgy manager, they arrive in Mexico for the trip of their lives, a synopsis says. Photos which have survived from the time indeed show Argentine players exuding a Latin glamour. 

The organizers of the tournament looked to play off the huge impact of the 1970 men’s World Cup won by arguably the greatest soccer team which has walked this earth: the Brazil of Pelé, Jairzinho and Rivellino. They were right. The 1971 world Cup had sponsors, led by Italian drinks behemoth Martin & Rossi, which paid flights.     

That said, Argentina was the tournament’s poor cousins. It team manager absconds with its funding. Left to coach themselves –  the players have to decide what position they’s play at –  and work part-time at the hotel they’re at to cover their accommodation. A retired player finally agrees to coach them. Argentina beats England 3-2 in a match described by an English player decades later as “brutal.” Then days before the semi-finals, the team suffers a bus accident…

“Pioneers” “tells a long-overlooked story: that of a group of women who dared to dream, to play, and to claim a space that was never meant for them,” Muñoz told Variety. “What moves me most about the project is its blend of intimacy, courage, and collective strength, and the way football becomes a tool for identity, resistance and freedom.”

Staged at Mexico’s Azteca Stadium, the 1971 Women’s World Cup final was watched by an estimated 110,000 crowd. It took 20 years, however, for FIFA, soccer’s men-led global organizing body, to host an official Women’s World Cup in 1991. “It was like going into the Tardis or to Narnia – being transported to a different world,” England’s center-left Chris Lockwood recalled four decades later to the BBC.

And What Marks It Apart
The project’s strength in today’s global market rests on three clear and powerful pillars, Udenio argued. One is a women-driven narrative. “At its core, ‘Pioneers’ is a women-led sports story set in a deeply patriarchal era, portraying women who dared to challenge the rules of their time,” said Udenio. “It is a story of empowerment, perseverance and collective courage, told with emotional depth and moments of humor, making it both engaging and resonant for contemporary audiences.”

Soccer is also the most universally followed sport in the world. “Significantly, this is also the year of the men’s FIFA World Cup hosted in North America, with the U.S. at the center of the global audiovisual industry. ‘Pioneers’ will have a powerful cultural and temporal relevance that connects past and present,” Udenio said.

Audiences worldwide continue, moreover, to show a strong appetite for stories inspired by real events. “Pioneers’ true story adds “authenticity, emotional weight and international appeal,” Udenio told Variety.. “Pioneers” “tells a story of resilience that is deeply universal and emotionally inspiring for international audiences,” he added.

“With a strong focus on character, identity and sport, ‘Pioneers’ is designed for today’s premium series landscape. It is aimed primarily at streaming platforms and television networks seeking real-life inspired, female-driven stories with universal themes of transformation, teamwork and social change,” Udenio concluded.