Winning changes everything. Honestly, if you grew up watching football in the UK twenty years ago, the idea of the England national football team women selling out Wembley Stadium on a Tuesday night felt like a fever dream. It wasn't just unlikely; it was statistically impossible based on the infrastructure we had. Then 2022 happened. Chloe Kelly’s shirt-swinging celebration didn't just win a trophy; it nuked the glass ceiling that had kept the Lionesses in the "niche" category for decades.
But here is the thing people get wrong: they think the success started with Sarina Wiegman. It didn't.
We’re talking about a team that was literally banned by the FA for 50 years. From 1921 to 1971, women’s football was "quite unsuitable for females" according to the suits in charge. That’s a massive gap in history to make up. When you look at the current squad—names like Keira Walsh, Mary Earps, and Lauren James—you aren't just looking at athletes. You're looking at the first generation that didn't have to work a second job at a bank or a leisure center just to afford their boots.
The Wiegman Effect and the Tactical Shift
Before Sarina Wiegman arrived, the Lionesses were the "nearly" team. They were good. They were semi-finalists. But they lacked that ruthless, almost robotic Dutch efficiency that Wiegman brought from her time with the Netherlands. She doesn't do "hope." She does preparation.
One of the most fascinating things about the England national football team women under her tenure is the sheer consistency of the lineup. During the Euros, she didn't change her starting XI once. Not once. That’s unheard of in modern football. It created a psychic connection between players like Millie Bright and Leah Williamson that most club teams would envy.
But it’s not all sunshine. The 2023 World Cup final loss to Spain exposed a few cracks. Spain played keep-away. They out-passed us. It showed that while England is now a powerhouse, the technical gap in midfield—specifically when Keira Walsh is marked out of the game—is still a hurdle. If you want to understand why England struggles against high-press technical teams, look at the transition. We rely heavily on wing play and Lauren Hemp’s pace. When that’s cut off, the "Plan B" sometimes feels a bit murky.
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Injuries and the ACL Crisis
You can't talk about the Lionesses without talking about the "ACL curse." It’s basically the elephant in the room. Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema (at club level), Leah Williamson—all went down with the same devastating knee injury in a short window. It’s a systemic issue in the women's game.
Studies, including some cited by Dr. Emma Ross, suggest that female athletes are up to six times more likely to suffer ACL tears than men. Is it the boots? Is it the pitches? Or is it the fact that the medical research into female-specific physiology is about thirty years behind the men’s game? The Lionesses have become the face of this struggle. Watching Leah Williamson miss a World Cup because of a non-contact pivot was a wake-up call for the FA to invest more in sports science that isn't just a "copy-paste" from the men’s department.
Beyond the Big Names: The New Guard
Everyone knows Mary Earps. She’s "Mary Queen of Stops." She has a TikTok following that would make a Gen Z influencer weep. But the future of the England national football team women actually lies in the players who haven't quite reached "household name" status yet.
Take Jess Park or Grace Clinton. These are players who grew up in the professional era. They don't remember the ban. They don't remember playing on park pitches with no changing rooms. They have a different kind of swagger.
- Lauren James: Probably the most naturally gifted player England has ever produced. Her ability to turn a defender is world-class, though her temperamental red card against Nigeria showed she's still a work in progress.
- Maya Le Tissier: No relation to Matt, but just as influential in her own way. She represents the new breed of ball-playing defenders.
- Aggie Beever-Jones: The clinical edge that England has sometimes lacked when Alessia Russo isn't firing.
The depth is scary. For years, if Ellen White didn't score, England didn't win. Now, the goals come from everywhere.
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The Economics of Being a Lioness
Let's talk money, because it matters.
The WSL (Women's Super League) is now the most attractive league in the world, largely thanks to the success of the national team. Players aren't just getting paid to play; they’re signing massive commercial deals with Pepsi, Nike, and Pandora. But there’s a disparity. While the top 5% are doing great, the pathway for younger girls still needs work.
The "Lionesses' Legacy" letter—written to the government after the Euros—was a pivotal moment. They demanded that every girl in the UK have access to football in PE. It wasn't just a request; it was a demand backed by the political capital of a trophy. That’s real power.
What the Critics Get Wrong
There’s this weird narrative that women’s football is "slower" or "less tactical." If you actually watch a 90-minute England game, the tactical flexibility is wild. Wiegman often switches from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 mid-game without making a sub. That requires an incredibly high footballing IQ.
The physical gap is closing, too. The intensity of the pressing in the recent Nations League games was through the roof. It’s a different product than the men’s game—less simulation, more honesty—and that’s exactly why people are falling in love with it. It feels "pure" in a way the Premier League sometimes doesn't.
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The Road to the Next Trophy
What’s next? The European Championships are looming. England are the defending champions, which puts a massive target on their backs. France is getting better. Germany is always Germany. And Spain? They’re the gold standard right now.
The England national football team women are at a crossroads. They can either become a legacy powerhouse like the USA used to be, or they can settle for being a "one-hit wonder" of the early 2020s. To stay at the top, they need to solve the midfield depth issue. If Keira Walsh gets injured, the system currently falls apart.
We also need to see more diversity in the pathway. The current squad has been criticized for not being representative of the diverse communities in England. The FA knows this. They’ve launched the "Discover My Talent" program to try and fix the scouting networks that have traditionally ignored inner-city areas.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Newcomers
If you’re just starting to follow the Lionesses or want to understand the landscape better, here is how you actually engage with the sport:
- Watch the WSL, not just the internationals. The chemistry you see in the England shirt is built at clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, and Man City. Watching the club game gives you the "why" behind Wiegman's selections.
- Follow the specialized media. Outlets like The Athletic (specifically Meg Linehan or Charlotte Harpur) and The Guardian’s Suzy Wrack provide depth that you won't get from standard tabloid back-pages.
- Attend a game at a smaller venue. Wembley is great, but seeing the Lionesses at a packed-out St Mary's or Carrow Road is where you really feel the connection between the players and the fans.
- Look at the youth ranks. Keep an eye on the U-23 and U-19 squads. The "Next Gen" is where you see the tactical shifts happening before they hit the senior team.
- Understand the calendar. Women's football follows a different rhythm. The international breaks are frequent and the "Nations League" format actually matters for Olympic qualification, which is a huge deal for this squad.
The Lionesses aren't just a sports team anymore. They are a cultural shift. They forced the country to look at women's sports differently, and they did it by being undeniably good at what they do. Whether they win the next trophy or not, the "old days" of empty stands and 50-year bans are gone for good. And honestly? It’s about time.