And so it is third time lucky for the Lionesses who have beaten Australia 3-1 to secure a spot in the World Cup final, at last putting their knockout round frustrations to bed. Since their first shot at a place in the final back in 2015, resulting in a third-place medal, the women’s game has grown beyond recognition. As investments flowed and the game progressed, it was incredibly disappointing to see the Lionesses finish in fourth place, under manager Phil Neville, in 2019. Today there is vindication under Sarina Wiegman, who has led the team since 2021 and makes a strong case for promotion of female managerial talent in the women’s game over male mediocrity.
The Lionesses went into this World Cup with just a 16% chance of making the final, according to sporting data analysts Gracenote. They were certainly by no means the favourites, despite their gamechanging Euro victory last summer. They were also missing key players such as Beth Mead, who made such an impact in the Euros, and captain, Leah Williamson, both out with ACL injuries.
