GROWTH TO GLORY: HOW THE LIONESSES CHANGED THE GAME

England lift the UEFA Women's EURO 2022 Trophy after their victory during the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final match between England and Germany at Wembley Stadium on July 31, 2022 in London, England. Photo credit: Sarah Stier - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly three years since the unforgettable summer of 2022.

The sun was shining, the beers were flowing, and the England Lionesses achieved something that once seemed impossible – they won a major tournament on home soil! The iconic extra-time winner at Wembley from Chloe Kelly didn’t just seal the Euro 2022 title, it changed the whole trajectory of the game in England.

And the ripple effect? It’s still going strong!

From Playgrounds to Pitches

Most girls growing up in England have heard some version of “football isn’t for you.” But in July 2022, the Lionesses gave a generation permission to dream bigger. Their success rewrote the script.

Before the Euros, girls’ access to football was patchy at best. In 2021, just 44% of secondary schools offered equal football opportunities to girls. A sobering stat. But just months after lifting the trophy, the Lionesses wrote an open letter to then-Prime Minister Liz Truss and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, calling for every girl to have the right to play.

And they didn’t just ask, they got results.

The UK Government pledged that by 2025, every girl in England will be offered equal access to football and school sports. Fast forward to today, and now-Prime Minister Keir Starmer met the Lionesses at St George’s Park to reaffirm this promise and unveil a broader strategy for school sport (Prime Minister meets with Lionesses ahead of the Euros to announce a new approach to school sport - GOV.UK).

That kind of systemic change isn’t just measured in trophies. It’s measured in new boots on muddy fields and a record 100,000+ girls now playing in affiliated clubs across England, a 16% increase since 2022.

This shift means that dreams are no longer restricted to the playground.

Selling out Stadiums

Matchdays used to be cold benches, quiet stands, and loyal handfuls of fans braving the elements. Not anymore.

Since that historic summer, Women’s Super League (WSL) attendances have more than doubled, rising from an average of 3,072 for the 2019/20 season (the-gameplan-for-growth---journey-to-double-the-fanbase.pdf), to 7,363 for the 2023/24 season (Record-breaking 2023-24 Barclays WSL season concludes - Womens Leagues and Competitions). That’s not taking into consideration blockbuster fixtures from Arsenal vs Manchester United, where an astonishing crowd of 60,160 gathered at the Emirates (Arsenal Women: How Gunners have broken Women's Super League attendance records - BBC Sport).

And it’s not just one-offs. In the 2023/24 season alone:

• 10 fixtures broke the 40,000 mark

• Arsenal’s average WSL home attendance exceeded 30,000

• The WSL recorded a highest-ever total attendance of 861,000+ across the season

By now it’s more than just the numbers. It’s the atmosphere. Drums. Chants. Banners. The shift is noticeable – you can feel the difference. People aren’t just watching women’s football, they’re invested in the game.

One Stadium, One Club

Looking for more proof that the game is changing? Look at the stadiums.

What once felt like a novelty is fast becoming the norm. Women’s teams are playing at the  same world-class stadiums as their male counterparts. Arsenal have led the charge, with the women playing 8 of their 11 WSL fixtures at the Emirates Stadium, with club announcing plans for all WSL games to be played there for 2025/26 (All WSL matches to be played at Emirates Stadium | News | Arsenal.com).

Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool are among other clubs who have all hosted women's matches at their main grounds too, with increasing frequency. And it’s not tokenistic, the stadiums are filling.

This shift is about more than logistics. It’s about sending a clear message: Same badge, same support, same pitch. At last.

From FA Player to Prime Time

Let’s be honest, watching women’s football at home hasn’t always been easy. It often meant battling to keep a steady connection on the FA Player, hoping it didn’t crash mid-match. Those days are (thankfully) fading.

In 2024, the WSL struck a game-changing five-year deal with Sky Sports, covering up to 86% of league fixtures from 2025/26 onwards, including matches from the Women’s Championship (WSL2) and League Cup. It’s the biggest domestic broadcast deal in women’s football history. (Sky remains the home of the Women’s Super League in the most significant broadcast partnership ever for women’s football in the UK & Ireland | Sky Group).

Meanwhile:

• BBC will continue to show 21 live WSL matches per season

• YouTube will host game highlights

• Disney+ has acquired the rights to stream UEFA Women’s Champions League matches in 2025/26

• The BBC will air the Champions League final, live and free

More visibility means more fans. More fans mean more investment. The virtuous cycle is in motion, finally giving the game the screen time it deserves. 

Big Stars, Bigger Deals

When Leah Williamson captained her team to be champions of Europe, she didn’t just break barriers, she smashed glass ceilings.

Since 2022, the Lionesses have become commercial powerhouses:

·       Leah Williamson has joined the Pepsi Max campaign, a campaign that once exclusively featured the Beckham’s and Messi’s of the world.

·       Alessia Russo signed a major deal with Adidas

·       Lucy Bronze became an ambassador for car brand CUPRA

·       Lauren James now represents Google Pixel in mainstream tech campaigns

This doesn’t even cover half of it. More and more WSL players are securing commercial deals with sports brands, fashion lines and even mainstream retailers.

Sponsorship in women’s footballer is no longer an afterthought; it’s a strategic investment. According to Nielsen, brand interest in the women’s game has risen 146% since 2019, and the WSL’s commercial revenue is projected to top £18 million by 2026 (Women’s football set to enter global top 5 sports by 2030 with over 800M fans — Nielsen Sports and PepsiCo Report Reveals Untapped Opportunity for Brands | Nielsen).

It’s not just about being seen. It’s about being valued.

The legacy is already here

This summer, the Lionesses head into Euro 2025 as reigning champions, with the weight of expectation and the wind of belief behind them. Whether they retain the title or not, one thing is certain: the legacy of Euro 2022 is alive and thriving.

It’s in packed stadiums.

It’s in schoolgirls dreaming of World Cup glory.

Whatever comes next, this story isn’t ending, it’s just kicking off.