A new summer, a new tournament, the same goal: England’s World Cup campaign begins in earnest against Portugal on Saturday, with a final send-off match before the Lionesses head to Australia. A year ago, England were starting to pick up momentum on home soil before the Euros, continuing the winning run under Sarina Wiegman that would carry them all the way to Wembley - and from there, history.
The same again? “I think the best thing we can do is just not compare,” said the midfielder and Euros winner Georgia Stanway. The Lionesses will once again be driven on by the chance to inspire the nation, but the challenge that awaits at the World Cup is completely different to the opportunity they seized so spectacularly last July.
