Despite World Cup heartbreak, England’s ladies inspire the next generation.
Mary Earps’ penalty save not enough as Lionesses fall to 1-0 final defeat to Spain in Sydney
England lost 1-0 to Spain in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 final, but they may leave with their heads held high for inspiring the next generation of young women and girls.
An incredible @FIFAWWC journey comes to a heartbreaking end.
But what you’ve achieved, @Lionesses, will inspire generations to come. pic.twitter.com/IRGUCZYui8
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 20, 2023
Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses opened the match well in Sydney, looking to become the first England team to win the World Cup since 1966, and were inches away from scoring in the 14th minute, when Manchester City’s Lauren Hemp hammered a shot against the crossbar.
Instead, Olga Carmona of Real Madrid put Spain ahead in the 29th minute, racing into space left by England right-back Lucy Bronze and finishing well into the bottom corner.
The tournament’s Golden Glove winner, England’s Mary Earps, had earlier produced a superb save with the score at 0-0, and the Manchester United keeper came to the rescue in the second half with a fantastic save from a penalty awarded for a handball by Keira Walsh. Despite World Cup heartbreak, England’s ladies inspire the next generation.
But England, who introduced Chelsea’s Lauren James and Manchester City’s Chloe Kelly at halftime, were unable to produce an equalizer, with James’ tipped shot over the crossbar the closest they came to forcing extra time.
Power of the women’s game
England’s march to the final has demonstrated the strength of the women’s game and inspired women and girls all around the world to participate in football at a time when there are more options than ever before.
The Premier League is funding 67 FA Girls’ Emerging Talent Centres (ETC) around England, with the goal of increasing the number of female players aged 8-16 involved in The FA programs from 1,722 to over 4,200 by the end of this season.
“Opportunities at the younger age groups have changed, developed, and grown since I was a young player coming through, as evidenced today at the Premier League’s heavily invested in Emerging Talent Centres,” said Fara Williams, England’s most-capped player.
The ETC financing is part of the Premier League’s £21 million investment in women’s and girls’ football over the next three years.
Premier League Kicks, which is run by 90 teams around the country, gives girls the opportunity to play football for free on a weekly basis.
The Premier League Primary Stars Kit Scheme is providing 4,000 sets of Nike football kit to schools with a girls’ team, while the Premier League Primary Stars School Tournament offers schools’ girls teams with an annual tournament on a Premier League pitch.
"Football means everything to me" ❤️
The @Lionesses continue to inspire the younger generation of girls playing the game they love 🙌 pic.twitter.com/LfvjIRidg8
— Premier League Communities (@PLCommunities) July 19, 2023
See: ‘PL Kicks encourages girls to play football’
The Lionesses have won the UEFA Women’s Championship for the second summer in a row, having won the UEFA Women’s Championship in 2022, and the return of the Women’s Super League in October is the next opportunity to see the heroes in action.
Twenty members of England’s squad play in the WSL, all for Premier League clubs.
Record viewing figures
The tournament’s expansion to 32 teams has revealed the depth of women’s football around the world, as established footballing nations have met their match in up-and-coming countries ranked below them in the rankings.
Almost two million people watched the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, a record, with 75,784 people watching Australia’s match against Ireland being the greatest WWC attendance in 24 years. Almost two billion people worldwide tuned in to witness the 62 matches that led up to the final.
It's been an amazing year and we're so proud of our journey – making history on and off the pitch.
We've truly felt your support from back home and here with us in Australia. THANK YOU!
Your #Lionesses ❤️ pic.twitter.com/gQbTlpu9nB
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) August 20, 2023
And, as Sky Sports’ recent viewing figures show, the expansion of the women’s game has benefited football as a whole.
Sky had 2.9 million female viewers in their first weekend, a 50% increase from the previous year.
