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England start their defence of the Uefa Women’s Euros title in Switzerland this weekend, conscious that success in the tournament will be crucial for the fortunes of the domestic game.
The Lionesses go up against France on Saturday, in an early clash of two top 10-ranked teams. Both sides are looking to gain an early advantage in a group that also contains the Netherlands and Wales.
The team have fallen to fifth from as high as second in the rankings compiled by Fifa, football’s world governing body, and the betting markets have Women’s World Cup winners Spain as the favourites, followed by Germany and England.
But England still have a successful record to uphold, having won Euro 2022 and finished as runners-up at the 2023 World Cup. The success of the Lionesses has fuelled interest in the Women’s Super League, the highest level of the domestic game, and propelled players such as Beth Mead and captain Leah Williamson to stardom.
“Having a strong performance in the tournament definitely helps the domestic game. You get more media interest, which then pushes up commercial revenues . . . you see more brands coming into the game,” said Christina Philippou, an academic at the University of Portsmouth.
The vast majority of players at Euro 2025 play in European leagues. The WSL accounts for 72 of the players at the tournament, more than any other league, according to data provider Football Benchmark, highlighting the appeal of the UK for top names.
In another barometer of the WSL’s strength, Arsenal won this season’s Uefa Women’s Champions League by beating Spanish champions Barcelona.
Uefa expects total revenue from Euro 2025 to hit €128mn, almost double that from Euro 2022, with media and commercial rights projected to make up €113mn of the total. With 700,000 tickets on sale — 22 of 31 matches are already sold out — match-day and hospitality revenues are expected to generate the remainder.
The governing body and competition organiser will distribute €41mn of prize money to participating national associations, up from €16mn for Euro 2022, and a record sum for the tournament. It will distribute a further €6mn to women’s clubs.
But the cost of staging the competition has also increased, as Uefa improves the facilities on offer to players. Uefa expects to lose €20mn to €25mn on the tournament, an improvement from previous projections of €32mn, but still up from the €14mn loss from Euro 2022. The men’s Euro 2024 made a profit of more than €1.2bn.
This reflects the finances in England’s domestic game. Women’s football was held back for decades as authorities prioritised men’s teams. But money is now flowing in from governing bodies, broadcasters and sponsors.
The 12 clubs in the WSL increased revenues by 34 per cent to £65mn in the 2023-24 season, according to consultancy Deloitte, driven by commercial, match-day and broadcast deals. However, the clubs reported an aggregate pre-tax loss of £28mn, as wages increased 44 per cent to £52mn.
Total attendance across the WSL rose from 250,000 in 2021-22 to 973,000 in 2023-24, but fell 10 per cent to 879,000 in 2024-25, according to Expected Goals, the media platform led by former WSL board member Maggie Murphy and sports business analyst Matt Cutler.
The average game attracted 6,661 fans, down from 7,371 in the previous season. The lack of a “Lionesses bump” in the absence of a World Cup or Euros was among the reasons for this decrease, according to Expected Goals.
Fixtures for the top two divisions’ new season will be announced on July 25, two days before the Euro 2025 final, with an eye on helping clubs to promote ticket sales.
Since the Lionesses won Euro 2022, former England striker Karen Carney published a government-backed review recommending investment in the grassroots game and improved facilities for professionals.
On her recommendation, the top-flight WSL and the second-tier have been carved out of the Football Association, which governs the game in England. The two divisions now operate as part of a private company, WSL Football, led by former Nike executive Nikki Doucet.
Sue Day, the FA’s director of women’s football, said the Lionesses “captured the nation’s hearts” when they won on home soil in 2022. “The legacy of that victory turbocharged the growth of women’s and girls’ football in England. As the Lionesses gear up for another important summer, we have another key opportunity to inspire participation.”
As pressure to deliver grows, England head coach Sarina Wiegman says she feels confident, talking up a team that beat Jamaica 7-0 ahead of the tournament.
“I think there is huge potential in this squad and we have many options,” Wiegman said.
