Driven by a growing fervor, the footballers of the England team face Haiti for their first match of the World Cup this Saturday. The English are the favorites in the competition.
“The Lionesses” are hungry. “The Lionesses” is the nickname of the footballers of the England team which is one of the favorites of the Women’s World Cup. Already victorious at Euro 2022, the English enter the competition on Saturday July 22 with a first match against Haiti.
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Within a year, the success marked a turning point for women and football in the country. First, because women are doing better than men, deprived of titles since 1966. The victory at the Euro was even watched by more than 23 million Britons if we combine television audiences and live streaming. Beth Mead went on to win the BBC Sportsman of the Year award, a first for a footballer. The team and the coach were also crowned in this well-attended ceremony.
Record TV rights
Beyond the prizes, there are concrete effects: the average number of spectators for the women’s championship in England has risen to 5,400 per game, against less than 2,000 previously. These numbers are carried by the locomotive named Arsenal. Its women’s team played some big shows in the big stadium, the Emirates Stadium, with an average of more than 17,500 fans in the stands.
“More girls than ever are playing,” welcomes Lucy Staniforth, who has been playing in the top flight for more than 10 years. For the national team midfielder, “the perception is changing in society. It would be great if the World Cup had the same impact.” According to the federation, nearly three and a half million English women play football regularly.
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TV rights to the Women’s Super League, the first division, were renegotiated before the European coronation of the “Lionesses”, with a record of 28 million euros for three seasons. The sum was disbursed by Sky and BBC, two broadcasters who signed up for the first time, offering greater visibility. Obviously, the club leaders are hoping for even more money in the next negotiation.
“We feel a stronger external pressure”
The success of 2022 also creates strong expectations around the national team engaged in the World Cup. The disappointment will be great in England if the “Lionesses” do not win the competition. The players are aware of this but try to put it into perspective, like defender Maya Le Tissier: “There are always high expectations for an English team, whatever the sport. Obviously, this year, we feel a stronger external pressure. We just want to do the job.”