Ed Warner: Why sport shouldn’t waste its time courting royals and politicians August 24, 2023 Politicians and royals rarely mix well with sport, so the fuss about the Prime Minister and Duke of Cambridge missing the Women’s World Cup final was classic British nonsense. In my experience, the less time spent trying to sprinkle dubious stardust on sporting events, the better. Civil servants and UK Sport spent ridiculous time that [...]
Spanish football chief Rubiales under fresh pressure to quit over Jenni Hermoso kiss August 22, 2023 Embattled Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales is facing renewed pressure to resign as the fallout from kissing Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso on the lips continues. Rubiales’ apology on Monday has failed to dampen the furore over his public lunge at Hermoso as she collected her medal following Sunday’s 1-0 final win over England [...]
England World Cup final defeat smashes UK TV audience records for women’s football August 21, 2023 England’s World Cup final with Spain on Sunday smashed UK TV audience records for a women’s football match, despite an early kick-off and the Lionesses missing out on the trophy. The nail-biting 1-0 defeat attracted an average audience of 13.3m watching on live television, with both BBC One and ITV broadcasting the match from Australia. [...]
Spanish football chief apologises for kissing player Jenni Hermoso after World Cup win August 21, 2023 The president of Spain’s football federation, Luis Rubiales, has apologised for kissing Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso on the lips in the aftermath of Sunday’s final. Rubiales’ public act after Spain beat England 1-0 sparked widespread condemnation, with Spanish ministers, other prominent female players and footballers’ unions criticising his lunge. “There is something I [...]
Nike still won’t sell England goalkeeper shirt despite Mary Earps’ World Cup heroics August 21, 2023 Nike has resisted calls to put an England goalkeeper shirt on sale in the near future despite Mary Earps and the Lionesses’ success in reaching the Women’s World Cup final. The sportswear giant has attracted criticism from fans and players for not producing a replica of Earps’s kit following her World Cup heroics, despite selling [...]
Hurt goes on for England, but will Spanish women’s football catch up at league level? August 20, 2023 And so the hurt goes on. Like other England teams before them, the Lionesses battled bravely in the Women’s World Cup final but ran aground against technically superior opponents who ruthlessly exploited their mistakes. Still, they have earned great credit along the way. Sarina Wiegman’s team had to overcome adversity before the tournament, seeing Euros [...]
Women’s World Cup final: Is women’s football bigger in England or Spain? August 18, 2023 Ahead of Sunday’s Women’s World Cup final between England and Spain, a look at how the game has grown in the two nations – and who can claim to be bigger. From the success of the Lionesses at last year’s Euros and this summer’s World Cup to the growth of the Women’s Super League, England [...]
England captain Millie Bright wants Lionesses to add World Cup to Euros glory August 16, 2023 England captain Millie Bright has urged the Lionesses to complete a clean sweep of major trophies by winning the Women’s World Cup final against Spain on Sunday. Sarina Wiegman’s team reached the final for the first time in the team’s history with an authoritative 3-1 victory over co-hosts Australia in Sydney today. Having won the [...]
Super Sarina Wiegman has turned England from nearly-women into serial winners August 16, 2023 “Am I in a fairytale or something?” asked Sarina Wiegman as England soaked up beating Australia in the semi-final of the Women’s World Cup. Instead it should be the Football Association pinching itself at having the good fortune and foresight to appoint someone who has underlined her status as one of the best coaches anywhere [...]
Australia v England: 2023 Women’s World Cup sees major rise in female gamblers August 16, 2023 As England take on Australia in the Women’s World Cup semi-final this morning, new gambling data reveals that more women are betting on football. Bookmakers Ladbrokes and Coral report that 21 per cent of bets on England’s group stage games were made by women, up from 13 per cent at the last Women’s World Cup [...]