As England again wonder how Keira Walsh can evade Spain’s intense press to decide a major trophy, some in the Football Association are still marvelling at the shift. This is as high a level as you can get, and is now a frequent challenge. They grew up hoping just to qualify for tournaments.
“I have trouble explaining to my kids sometimes that this isn’t normal,” FA chief executive Mark Bullingham laughs. “When you look at 1967 and through 50 years to 2020, we made one final.”