Newly-crowned European Women‘s Champions England moves into fourth place in the latest FIFA rankings released on Friday. At the same time, four-time World Cup winners, the United States retain their spot at No.1. Brazil remains ninth after winning Copa America Femenina, defeating Colombia in the final. In contrast, women’s Africa Cup of Nations champs South Africa moved four places to 54th on FIFA’s rankings. Aside from the European and South American leagues, South Africa won the Women’s African Cup of Nations at CAF.  The United States won CONCACAF’s Women’s Cup to help maintain its spot atop the rankings. 

Euro 2022 was not the only tournament held worldwide last month, with continental championships also held in Africa, South America, North America and Oceania, all serving as qualifying events for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, hosted by Australia and New Zealand. July 2022 was a busy month for women’s soccer, with five essential tournaments happening worldwide. Since 17 June 2022, the last FIFA/Coke-Cola Women’s World Rankings were published, and no less than 221 matches have been played, generating significant movement in the rankings.

While the Republic of Ireland is ranked 26th, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are ranked 23, 30, and 50, respectively. Fifth-placed France and the sixth-placed Netherlands both fell into two positions. No. 7 is Olympic champion Canada. Germany is now in second place despite losing the Euro 2022 championship.

Women’s Football in FIFA 23

Sam Kerr of Chelsea will be featured with Kylian Mbappé of Paris Saint-Germain on the game’s cover for the very first time ever, according to a separate announcement from EA. “We’re dedicated to producing an equal experience and hope to help promote women’s football,” said FIFA 23 producer Matt Lafreniere in reference to the Euro 2022 event, which will bring increased prominence to the women’s game. In the future, further announcements will be surrounding the women’s club game.

EA wants to make FIFA 23 the “most interactive, inclusive, ambitious and overall largest entry ever,” according to a blog on the PlayStation website. As a result, the men’s World Cup Qatar 2022 and the women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 will both be played. Only the FA Women’s Super League and the French Division 1 Féminine will be available at launch. EA claims, though, that it will eventually increase the roster. With Fifa 16, EA introduced women’s football to its 325 million-copy franchise. However, there weren’t many foreign teams in that match. Fifa 22 from the previous year increased the number of international groups on the roster to 17 and included the ability for users to create female players in the Pro Clubs mode.

This has happened because the popularity of women’s football has increased, and fans are also taking an interest in women’s football.

The Euro 2022 semi-finals lineup is set, and one thing is certain: the trophy is on its way to a new home after holders the Netherlands were eliminated.

 

Today (July 26th), hosts England will play Sweden at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, with Germany and France meeting the next day at Milton Keynes’ Stadium MK.

 

“The four semi-finalists are probably the most impressive four teams in the tournament,” former England international Fara Williams said.

 

Here is what to look out for.

 

England v Sweden

 

England enters their semi-final against Sweden with a lot of confidence after showing a different side of their game against Spain in the quarter-finals.

 

The Lionesses overcame Austria and Northern Ireland in the group stage, as expected, then smashed a severely disappointing Norway 8-0.

 

But against Spain they were on the ropes, 1-0 down and six minutes from elimination, before Sarina Wiegman’s tactical and personnel changes led to Ella Toone levelling and Georgie Stanway scoring a stunning winner in extra time.

 

Their depth and bench alternatives have been crucial in their quest to win their first big championship.

 

By contrast, Sweden – the top-ranked European team (second only behind the USA in the Fifa world rankings) did not impress in their 1-0 quarter-final win over Belgium.

 

They are bidding for their first trophy since the 1984 Euros – when they beat England on penalties after the game finished level after two legs.

 

“Sweden need to find a second gear if they are going to compete with England because England look much stronger – they will be confident,” Reading and former England striker Natasha Dowie said after the Belgium game.

 

Former England forward Kelly Smith said: “England are looking at this thinking ‘we can take this Sweden side’.”

 

Germany v France

 

Germany has won eight of the last twelve Women’s European Championships, however they are not among the favourites in this competition.

 

The Netherlands won the Euros five years ago, making this the first time Germany has not been defending champion since 1997.

 

However, their efforts and results in England have demonstrated that they have a strong chance of reclaiming their crown.

 

Germany, the only team yet to allow a goal, defeated Denmark, Spain, Finland, and Austria by an aggregate score of 11-0 in the quarter-finals.

 

They will face third-ranked France, who have never won a major title but have now broken their quarter-final drought.

 

Les Bleues had exited the previous five major competitions (World Cup, Euros, and Olympics) in the quarterfinals.

 

However, they will play in the last four for the first time since London 2012 after defeating reigning champions the Netherlands in extra time.

 

They had 33 chances, like Sweden, but only scored one. They were energetic in the first half, less so in the second, and excellent in extra time.

 

“France have to learn from this,” former international Laura Georges said on BBC One. “Every game they’ve started really well, but slowdown in the second half.

 

“Against Germany, they’ll need that impressive start but will have to continue it into the second half. They need to be more consistent.”

England broke their record for the most wins in a Women’s EURO final with eight unanswered goals against Group A opponents. England made history by beating Norway 8-0 on a record-breaking night in Brighton to continue the European Championship at home in style. England beat Norway by a record 8-0 at the European Women’s Championship on Monday, the hosts became the first team to reach the quarter-finals and score eight goals in a European final. Six goals were scored in the first 45 minutes, a record for a women’s UEFA Euro 2022 match, before two more in the second gave England their most significant win. Not content with being the only team to win by six goals at the Women’s EURO, England fared better than twice in their second away match in 2022.

England heroine Beth Mead said the victory surpassed Beth Mead’s wildest dreams as the Lionesses booked their place in the quarter-finals of Euro 2022 with a record victory. Beth Mead’s hat-trick helped England beat two-time Euro champion 8-0 on Monday, their second UEFA Euro 2022 group match at Falmer Stadium in East Sussex. Boss Sarina Wiegman admitted she didn’t expect them to be as dominant as England, who beat Norway 8-0 to set a new Euro 2022 record and wowed the Brighton & Hove crowd with an even more impressive performance. England, however, will be in good spirits as they look to maintain their perfect start to Women’s Euro 2022 and take a significant step towards the Wembley final.

Sarina Wiegman stated that she expected her team to “entertain” in Brighton, and gosh, did they. Their incredible first-half effort astonished everyone inside the stadium, with friends and family standing close to the press box, gasping and on their toes for the whole game. Every attack promised to increase England’s total, and the fans inside the Amex were aware of this, roaring and rising to their toes in expectation. “What is going on?” one fan said as he walked down the steps at interval. That was undoubtedly on the minds of Norway’s players as they rushed into the tunnel with their faces lowered, looking shell-shocked.

In his pre-match news conference, Norway coach Martin Sjogren attempted to put pressure on England, claiming the hosts were obvious favourites although only being placed three ranks higher in the world standings. Wiegman had brushed it down, grinning as she dismissed the concept of increased pressure and replied, “It’s just a football match.” England made sure that it was not just any ordinary football match.

The UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 will get underway in England next month. The 2022 UEFA Women’s Euro kicks off on 6th July, when England face Austria at Old Trafford for the opening game of what promises to be a thrilling month of football.

The match ball

Nike has released the official match ball. It’s a Nike Flight ball which the brand already has versions of in their repertoire. But, it’s also a range which has evolved over eight years of rigorous testing to enhance the football’s capability, particularly mid-flight, as the name suggests.

As far as technology goes, Nike uses Aerowsculpt, which uses moulded grooves on the ball’s outer skin to disrupt airflow for a more stable flight. The ball is adaptable to weather conditions as the All Conditions Contol (ACC) gives the ball grip come rain or sunshine.

But, it’s the colourway and design that are exciting about the vibrant football, which intertwines from coral pink into grape purple and bubblegum blue. The abstract designs that link throughout the ball look smart and apt, keeping in theme with the Euro 2022 branding.

Special Rules

The UEFA executive committee approved special rules for the event in England from 6 to 31st July because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Squads must be announced by 26th June, but unlimited changes can be made between then and 6th July for medical reasons.

That includes players with Covid or those who have to self-isolate.

Goalkeepers can also be replaced for those reasons in between games – even if the country has other available keepers in the squad.

Meanwhile, UEFA has stopped Belarus and Ukraine from being drawn against each other in any competitions in men’s or women’s football until further notice.

Some nations have already announced preliminary squads, with plenty of friendlies to take place throughout June as each coach whittles down their selection.

TikTok becomes the global sponsor

UEFA has agreed on a deal with TikTok that sees the social media giant become a global sponsor of the 2022 European Women’s Football Championship.

The deal will see TikTok launch a number of dedicated activations on the platform to allow users to customise their own posts, with Uefa also providing its new partner access to an extensive library of assets to develop content.

In addition, UEFA is launching an official Women’s Euro 2022 account on TikTok ahead of the tournament, which will run from 6th July until 31st July.

More traditional elements of the partnership include ticketing and hospitality access, branding opportunities and other fan activations.

 

Adidas and Arsenal have come together to immortalise one of the club’s greatest players ahead of a landmark night for the North London club.

As the Gunners prepare to face off against Tottenham Hotspur in the Women’s Super League – the first Women’s North London Derby to ever take place at the Emirates – a statue of Vivianne Miedema will be placed outside the ground alongside other legends of the club like Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.

Vivianne has already proven to be a legend of the club, collecting a number of records already, including the most goals in the WSL with 64, the most goals in a single WSL season (22 in the 2018-2019 season) and the most WSL goals at one club.

The statue was originally created as part of the Adidas campaign’ support is everything’, which looked to highlight the fact that there were more statues of animals than women in London. This led to the creation of eight statues of women who can inspire the next generation.

One of the finest

The Arsenal forward has established herself as one of the finest players in world football, breaking goal scoring records in the WSL, winning the European Championships with the Netherlands and being crowned the 2021 BBC Footballer of the Year.

The Netherlands international moved to Arsenal in 2017, and during her five seasons in the WSL, she has become the league’s all-time top scorer and the first person in the division’s history to reach 100 goal contributions.

“These records don’t really mean too much to me right now because I’m just focussed on being the best player I can be for my team,” Miedema said. “I don’t really like being the centre of attention. I am quite private, I am quite closed off, and still sometimes now I do struggle with the pressure of football.”

She has scored more goals at the international level for the Netherlands than any other player across both the women’s and men’s teams. She won the UEFA Women’s Euro in 2017 with the Dutch national team, two consecutive Frauen-Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich in 2015 and 2016, and the 2018–19 FA WSL title with Arsenal. In 2019, she led the Netherlands to a second-place finish at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.

Miedema grew up as a Feyenoord supporter and modelled her game on Robin van Persie. As she is Dutch and wore number 10 for Bayern Munich, she has been compared to Arjen Robben. Former Arsenal striker Kelly Smith said of Miedema, “She scores goals with her left and right foot, her head, she sets goals up. For me, she is just the complete striker, and she’s the best in the world at the moment. She’s always a threat no matter what minute of the game it is. I think her movement is very clever, and her finishing ability is phenomenal. When she’s in front of goal it’s just this calm, composed approach that she has.”

 

Gareth Taylor’s long-awaited rebuilding of Manchester City Women has began with the signing of Venezuela international Deyna Castellanos from Atlético Madrid.

 

The 23-year-old striker is anticipated to be the first of several summer additions at the Etihad campus, joining Taylor’s side on July 1.

 

Castellanos walks through City’s currently revolving door with an amazing resume. A player who will wear the No. 10 shirt in Manchester scored 26 goals in 71 matches in just over two seasons in Spain, while she captains her country and has 12 goals in 25 games.

 

Taylor, who has said goodbye to several key City players this summer, notably England’s Lucy Bronze and her Bayern Munich-bound international teammate Georgia Stanway, is overjoyed to have acquired the striker.

 

“We’re thrilled to have Deyna on board,” he said. “She’s a player we’ve admired for a long time. She’s an incredibly exciting talent who has a real hunger and desire to be highly successful.”

 

Castellanos sounded similarly enthused. “Looking around all the facilities here is just amazing,” she said.

 

“I believe this club will help improve me as a player and I hope I can improve Manchester City too. The style of football the team play was very attractive to me and I feel as though I can fit in very well here, while also being challenged to develop and grow.”

 

Deyna Castellanos says she wants to help “accomplish something bigger” in the Champions League for Manchester City.

 

“I want to win all the tournaments we are competing for,” Castellanos, 23, told BBC Sport.

 

“For me, that is really important – to win trophies collectively and individually,” added Castellanos. “The Champions League is something that every player wants to play in.

 

“We will be working to do better in that tournament and try to accomplish something bigger.”

 

City have never won the Champions League but consistently competes for domestic trophies and lifted the League Cup last season, as well as reaching the FA Cup final.

 

Castellanos, who scored 23 goals in 58 games for Atletico, described herself as a “very technical and creative player”.

 

She said: “I like having the ball at my feet, trying to make my teammates better and to score goals. That is what I will try to do. I hope we [the fans and I] enjoy each other for a long time and I hope to celebrate titles and goals together.”

 

The Etihad campus will see a big changing of the guard in the coming weeks, with Scotland’s Caroline Weir, England’s Jill Scott, and retired England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley among those leaving Taylor’s group.

The World Soccer Summit looks at whether 2022 will be a breakthrough year for women’s sports and gender equality. The theme of 2022 International Women’s Day (IWD) #BreakingTheBias resonates with the Victoria soccer community. Thanks to increased investment and sponsorship, women’s football have grown over the past couple of years. The 2022 Women’s European Championships will become the most significant European female sporting occasion yet. The World Cup in 2019 captured the hearts and minds of the British Government, with high levels of attendance, attendances and media exposure; Minister for Sport Nigel Huddlestone is confident the 2022 European Championships for women will inspire more women and girls to take up Women’s soccer while working to achieve parity in all sports. In this piece, Charlotte Smith and Adam Melling, sports professionals on the employment team at Walker Morris, discuss the growth in women’s football and related developments to the protections and benefits of contract players’ jobs in advance of the 2022-23 season.

In light of the rapid rate of women’s football growth, clubs may wish to consider moving to greater professionalisation in the setup of their women’s teams, including reviewing contracts held with their players, coaches and football personnel. From being a predominantly male-dominated sport played by men and watched by men for many, many decades, things are changing rapidly, with more female commentators, experts and hosts involved than ever before in both the male and female broadcasting of soccer, making all coverage seem more diverse and contemporary, whilst also improving the quality. Now, young girls are growing up knowing that professional football is a viable career choice. With millions of fans tuning into the Barclays FA Women’s Super League and other competitions each month, thanks to TV deals with the BBC and Sky Sports, women’s football is going from strength to strength.

Football has become the most played team sport by women and girls in England, with more than three million registered players. With 62 teams and more than 2,100 players, WFA has created opportunities for women to compete in the game at every level and explore it. The WFAs deal with ESPN is expected to expose the league to a larger audience and open more doors for corporate investors, furthering the goal of providing women with the opportunity to participate in the most excellent game in the United States.

Major brands have supported the sport, with Wilson, KT Tape, Xenith, AdeNation, and Secret becoming WFAs national sponsors. The Women’s Super League has also recently announced it is investing PS1.75 million a year over the next three years into The FA’s new Girls Emerging Talent Hubs Network, aimed at developing existing youth football programmes across England. At the top end of women’s football, construction is ongoing at The Matilda’s home, which will provide world-class facilities at La Trobe University to unlock the full potential of our national teams and pathways programmes. The entirety of the 2015 season for the Legends Soccer League is being broadcast on Fuse, whilst Women’s Football Alliance (WFA), one of the country’s premier women’s semi-pro tackle soccer leagues, will have its Championship matches broadcast on only ESPN2.

It is frequently stated that the hardest part is not getting to the top but remaining there, and Barcelona is a prime illustration of this.

The Blaugrana lost their continental title in Turin after falling 3-1 to Lyon in the Women’s Champions League final, a match by the French team!

It was the ninth victory for the French team, who reigned supreme in Europe two years ago.

Many expected before the game that it would be a symbolic passing of the torch in women’s European football, from a Lyon squad that dominated in the 2010s to a Barcelona club that had swept off practically all rivals in the previous two years, including Chelsea in last year’s final.

Despite arriving in Turin with a competitive record of 41 victories and one defeat in 2021-22, Barcelona simply couldn’t equal the French side in terms of attention, aggression, and tactical no us in front of 32,257 supporters at Juventus’ Allianz Arena.

Story of the match

Lyon came out on top, pushing their opponents off the ball and forcing them to run rather than play. Amandine Henry opened the scoring in the first half with a right-footed shot from outside the box that sailed into the top corner.

The French team attempted to end the game with a game of time-wasting and wanton fouls. Lyon’s intentions were unaffected by Ellie Carpenter’s injury, which forced her to leave the field on a stretcher, and they rallied to the point where they were able to expand their lead in the middle of the first half.

Ada Hegerberg, the Champions League’s all-time leading scorer, scored the goal.

Another defensive failure, this time by Irene Paredes, allowed Hegerberg to cross and locate Catarina Macario, who simply needed to push it over the line.

If there was any possibility of belief, it was in scoring before halftime, which Barcelona did. Alexia Putellas scored the first goal after Carolina Hansen crossed. It was a goal that propelled her to the tournament’s top scorer, despite she is uninterested in individual accolades unless they are backed by team achievement.

Putellas saw plenty of the ball in a final 15 minutes spent almost exclusively in the Lyon half, but some dogged defending and misses from Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic and Irene Paredes saw the French side over the line.

Barcelona ultimately dominated the statistics in terms of possession, chances on goal, and shots attempted, but numbers are nothing unless they are backed by accuracy!

 

This summer, the government will launch an in-depth review of women’s football in the UK to “achieve greater parity in the men’s game”. Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston has confirmed that the government will launch an in-depth review of women’s national football this summer to help bridge the gap with the men’s game. The study will be independently chaired and supported by an expert advisory board, with DCMS saying it will aim to develop the women’s game at an elite and grassroots level.

Athletic Minister Nigel Huddleston confirmed that the independent study recommended in Tracey Crouch’s review of football management published last November will focus on further development focusing on marketing, spectator support and media interests. The launch follows a fan-led football governance review released last November by MP Tracey Crouch, which recommended that women’s football receive a “women’s football-focused review”. This is followed by the “Enthusiast-led Football Governance Review” published last November by MP Tracey Crouch, which states that women’s football should be “provided for by its dedicated critics.”

The government is expected to release the government response to the review shortly, focusing on men’s football. Following the debacle of the European Super League in recent years, and with more clubs in financial ruin, the UK government will endorse ten ‘key policy recommendations set out in a fan-led review of men’s football in England. Overview of the England football team men’s football in England. Today, the government unveiled its plans for significant reform of the governance of men’s football in England, reaffirming its commitment to fans to ensure the future of the game is sustainable.  MP Tracey Crouch said, “The 2019 World Cup captured the hearts and minds of the nation, and with greater participation, employment and visibility in the media. I am confident that EURO 2022 will inspire more women and girls to get into our national game as we work towards parity across all sports”.

In a statement to the House of Commons, Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston announced that the government had approved the ten items outlined in MP Tracey Crouch’s review of fan-led football governance in November 2021. Key policy recommendations. Improve the financial sustainability and corporate control of all men’s soccer teams and put fans at the centre of decision-making. It’s a big summer for women’s sports ahead of the government’s hosting of Euro 2022 from July 6 to 31, which will be broadcast via the BBC and is expected to examine how to achieve greater equality with men’s games, with a focus on Commercialize, to the audience. Support and media attention. The comments come as the women’s national team prepares for a high-profile summer when England hosts the European Championships and final at Wembley.

After the 2017-18 season, WSL 1 was renamed the FA Women’s Super League; the 2018-19 season became an 11-team professional league for the first time. From the 2014 season to the 2017-18 season, the Women’s Super League consisted of two divisions – FA WSL 1 and FA WSL 2 – and introduced a promotion and relegation system for the WSL. The FA WSL was initially scheduled to start in 2010 to replace the FA Women’s Super League National Division as England’s top division of women’s football but was delayed by a year due to the global economic downturn. 

The 12-team FA WSL enters its 10th season, with Chelsea currently possessing the championship trophy. The campaign runs from September to May, with Chelsea being the current league title holders. Each match comes with mounting pressure, as Chelsea could win the title by one point if they win the rest of the games. Next season, the champions and teams finishing second and third in the WSL will qualify for the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Operated by the Football Association (FA) and sponsored by Barclays, the league currently consists of 12 professional teams. There are 12 clubs in the Barclays Women’s Premier League, including established clubs such as Manchester United, top players such as Arsenal and US women’s football midfielder Tobin Heath.

Today, the English Football Association (FA) released an ambitious three-year game strategy for professional women to transform their two women’s football leagues – the Women’s Super League and the Women’s Champions League – into the best women’s league, ranking no. 1 in the World Sports League by 2024. The FA wants to have two leagues of 24-28 professional clubs competing in the world’s first sustainable women’s football league by 2030. Ensuring that the new wealth of the Women’s Super League does not encourage club recruitment, the FA hopes to introduce local rules, player protection and compensation to promote youth investment and to promote and support players looking to work in football.

Women’s football will reach a wider audience after the WSL negotiates TV deals with the BBC and Sky Sports. Sportsnet will broadcast 50 games of the regular season and the semi-finals and finals of the Women’s FA Cup. Now, young superstar Jesse Fleming can be seen across Canada as Sportsnet signed its deal to acquire exclusive national broadcast rights to the Barclays FA Women’s Super League (FA WSL), England’s top women’s soccer league. In September 2021, the Women’s Super League announced the first nominees for the Barclays FA WSL Hall of Fame, recognising outstanding individuals who have contributed to the development of women’s football in England and the WSL.