Lionesses History
The team was officially formed in 1972, when the Football Association (FA) lifted the ban on women’s football, which had been in place since 1921. In the early years the Lionesses struggled for attention and support, with women's football receiving little to no coverage compared to the men's game.
The Lionesses continued to grow and develop reaching their first final of the UEFA Women's Championships in 1984, but ultimately losing in the final to Sweden. In 1995, they made their debut on the global stage, reaching the quarter finals of the Women's World Cup.
In the 2010s, after significant investment and managerial changes the Lionesses enjoyed successes including placing third at the 2015 Women's World Cup and reaching the semi finals of the 2017 UEFA Women’s Euros.
Lionesses Stats & Records
The Lionesses most significant achievements include:
- Crowned winners of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 final after beating Germany 2-1, marking the first time they have won the tournament
- In 2023, the Lionesses were runners-up in the Women's World Cup final, losing to Spain 2-1.
Lionesses Rivalries
The Lionesses have multiple rivalries including teams from across the world such as Australia, Spain, USA and France’s national teams. At the 2023 Women's World Cup final the Lionesses lost to Spain, 2-1.
Lionesses Top Scorers
- Ellen White - 52 goals
- Kelly Smith - 46 goals
- Kerry Davis - 43 goals
- Karen Walker - 41 goals
- Fara Williams - 40 goals
Interested in finding out more about The Top 7 Lionesses scorers and what they are doing now? Read our Seat Unique blog!