The players lined up in the tunnel, each hand in hand with an adoring young fan by their side. Sounds of their excited chatter and the buzz of 80,000 fans just a few feet above blurred together. Cameras popped, speakers boomed, and I could barely hear my own thoughts.

The 2023 Women’s World Cup is the biggest women’s sporting event in history, so those of us lucky enough to work at the coal face know it’s going to be a big show. The stakes were crystal clear for the host nation on this particular night in Melbourne: win, and move on to the knockout stages as planned; lose, and the story ends in ways that will leave permanent stains on career and character alike.

And that’s not even mentioning the millions of dollars at stake.

“Courage is grace under pressure,” rang the words of Ernest Hemingway. Little did I know I was about to see one of my favourite quotes play out in real time, in the most unexpected way.

As the teams walked out for the ceremonies amid roars and pyrotechnics, something wasn’t going according to the script. Among all the noise and the lights, one of the mascots was acting a little different. His needs became more and more evident as the team lined up for the anthems. Eventually, his overstimulation was as obvious as the magnitude of the moment.

But rather than ignoring the fan’s distress, the undeniable grace of these women took over. With everything on the line, and every reason to look away, instead they leaned in. They didn’t look for someone to help, someone with less on their plate. They didn’t frown, freeze or furrow their brows. Minutes before kick-off, on the most pivotal night of this team’s life, they showed grace.

At first it was only the youngest player in the squad, Mary Fowler, who began comforting the boy, instinctively soothing his overloaded nervous system with calming talk and gentle touch. But soon other players joined in. They smiled at him when he faced the wrong way. They chuckled at the cheek of the youngster as he booed the opposing team.

And when his energy overflowed at the end of the anthem, veteran defender Alanna Kennedy gave him a joyful hug. She even escorted him through the handshake line, much to the surprise of the highly regimented Fifa officials. Then finally, once he was safe back in the hands of the organisers, the team took to the field.

When the dust has settled on the historic run of this iconic team, this is the moment I can look back on and say I knew we would be OK – not only on this night, but for this tournament, and beyond.

The world knows the rest of the story from there. Along the way the Matildas have broken attendance records, destroyed norms for TV ratings, and ignited a nation in the process. All while dealing with more pressure – external and internal – than they’ve ever faced before.

They’ve showed – not only in their results, but also in the way they’ve carried themselves – the profound power of grace under pressure. It’s unforgettable to those who are touched by it – in the flesh on the field, as fans in the stands, or watching the drama on TV in our own homes.

“True character is revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure,” the world-renowned screenwriter Robert McKee wrote. “The greater the pressure, the deeper the revelation.” This hasn’t been some Hollywood storyline though. This is real life – with real pressure and real consequences. Thankfully, these are some of the realest performers I’ve ever been blessed to work with, and they’ve changed reality, perhaps forever.

As an experienced performance director, I’m supposed to model a poker face under pressure. Even more so in tournament mode with one of the most popular teams in Australia. But I caught myself both smiling and welling up with tears at the time, only minutes before kick-off. It turns out pride and awe make for a potent emotional cocktail.

This moment highlights the unmistakable value of this transformational time in sport. In today’s fractured society, we need to witness more transcendent moments like this. Especially when the heroes represent something bigger than themselves. And judging by the number of messages from long lost friends, relatives and even strangers thanking us for what this means “for the future of my daughter”, as one put it, this is bigger than the game.

This isn’t just a flowery idea from within the bubble of professional sports though – even the United Nations is on the record saying that women in sport has the power to change lives Seeing this movement come to life, on and off the pitch, has made me better. It makes us all better.

• Paddy Steinfort is the performance director and head of all national teams for Football Australia