One goal after another: a star in the front row for women's football rights

What does a goal mean to you? I am a striker, so a lot. But I would always choose a team victory over a goal of my own.

How do you perceive that the moment of goal is coming? I always see things before they happen: this allows me to be ready at any moment and for any scenario. A striker has to seize every opportunity: you might never touch the ball, but then you have to be very precise when the opportunity presents itself: if you are not precise enough, you are not doing your job well.

In your career, at club level, you have won everything you could win: where do you find the motivation to start again and look for new successes? When you get to such a high level, you just want to come back and win as often as possible because as an athlete it is more common to lose. Sport is very treacherous, you can go from hero to zero in no time. In a way, it is always about the next move, but with age I have learnt to appreciate the victories achieved more.

In 2018 you won the first Golden Ball dedicated to women's football: what emotion did it give you? It was simply a dream night. It was a big step for women's football and I felt I was representing my sport at that moment. Of course, individual awards when it comes to a team sport are a bit strange, because alone you never win anything. I did my best to also include all the people who made it possible, especially my team.

You are a leading advocate for women's rights in football and for equal treatment of men and women in sport: do you think there is still a long way to go to achieve equality? Equality is a fight that has no end date. There is so much to be done, at all levels, from the base of the pyramid to the top. Some think it is about money: it is not. It is about respect, and giving girls the same opportunities as boys, in football, but also in life in general. That for me is very important.

Ada Hegerberg dopo un gol con la maglia dell’Olympique Lione, squadra francese con la quale ha vinto, tra i tanti trofei, sei Uefa Women’s Champions League

Where is the women's football movement today? It is progressing slowly and I would like it to go faster. But we have to keep going because if we go backwards and stop, we will lose what we have gained in recent years. However, we have to be realistic about the financial context of women's football, but I am convinced that we can create a virtuous circle around this sport and women's football in general.

What does being a friend of the brand of Hublot mean to you? It has been 7 years since I started with the brand. I must say that the brand has always treated me with great respect and I hope I have reciprocated in the same way. It's great to work with them and I hope it lasts as long as I'm a footballer, and even after that.

You also visited their manufacture: what impression did it make on you to see their watches being made? Incredible. I find similarities with sport, for the precision and meticulousness. I always like to see people perform in their own world. Seeing how a high-tech piece like a mechanical watch is made was really fascinating.

What is your relationship with technology? I am not very experienced, but I am a 90s girl and, of course, I use and appreciate it. Sometimes I think going back to basics and putting it aside is rejuvenating, like a therapy to take care of yourself and your mental health. As athletes we face a lot of negativity and hatred. And technology brings all that with it.

Tra le novità dell’anno della maison svizzera, ci sono i Big Bang 20th Anniversary in edizione limitata che celebrano i 20 anni del famoso modello della maison svizzera: la versione All Black (03) con cassa in ceramica nera (500 esemplari, 26.200 euro), la King Gold Ceramic (04) con cassa in King Gold e lunetta in ceramica (250 esemplari, 39.900 euro) e la Titanium Ceramic (05) con cassa in titanio e lunetta in ceramica (500 esemplari, 21.600 euro).

So how do you use social media? At first I really liked it. I thought it was a great idea to connect people, to bring fans closer to athletes, but now I feel like it's become a kind of dark place with a mix of people who would die for a following and haters. It doesn't feel real to me anymore, but in a way it has made me appreciate real life interactions much more, which are the ones that matter.

Do you follow other sports besides football? I try to watch women's sports, it is important to me because I want to support female athletes, whatever sport they play.

What do you like to do in your spare time? I like to play chess: we even created a chess group in the national team. I think it also helps with football, in terms of critical thinking and strategising. I am also an avid reader and we exchange tips with our teammates. I recently adopted a dog and I love it!