The England captain Leah Williamson was shouting down the microphone. She could not hear herself speak over the roar of 87,192 people at Wembley. They had just witnessed history as England defeated Germany to be crowned European champions.
She issued a rallying cry: “We’ve got people at games and we want them to come to the WSL (Women’s Super League). The legacy of this team is winners and that is the start of a journey.”
A record-breaking 2022-23 Women’s Super League season followed. Numbers for attendance, broadcast views and social media followings all increased after England’s European Championship success. On the international stage, the appetite to see these new stars grew as the Lionesses twice sold out Wembley, for games against the U.S. and Brazil.
Brands of all types wanted a piece of the action. Any Lioness would do as long as they had that association. In just one year, the Euros has, in some ways, had a hugely beneficial impact on the domestic game.
But in other ways — even as Sarina Wiegman’s side stand on the brink of winning the Women’s World Cup for the first time — nothing has changed at all.
The England team’s talks with the Football Association (FA) regarding performance-related bonuses and commercial deals — which began before the…
