The English women’s game now faces a difficult balance between maintaining competitive clubs, continuing to grow the WSL and ensuring a sustainable supply of players for an England squad that has changed little over the past three major tournaments.
England remain two-time European champions, but seven players who started against Spain in June also featured in the Euro 2022 final against Germany. Two of the other starters in this year’s match had been on the bench four years earlier.
Sarina Wiegman’s side were outclassed in Majorca, suffering a 4-0 defeat that ended their hopes of automatic qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. They must now survive two knockout rounds, beginning with a match against Greece next month.
Questions about England’s long-term player supply have become especially relevant during the Women’s Under-20s World Cup in Poland.
Last Thursday, Lydia Bedford’s team were eliminated 3-0 by Nigeria in the last 16. That result was tempered by the absence of several players, including US-based talents Erica Meg Parkinson and Laila Harbert, who were not released by their clubs.
Even so, England failed to qualify, along with the other home nations, at the 2022 and 2024 editions of the tournament.
That outcome contrasts sharply with the 2018 side, when Alessia Russo, Lauren Hemp and Georgia Stanway helped England finish third at the Under-20s World Cup and laid the foundation for the nation’s subsequent success.
Wiegman has given debuts to 21 players since taking charge in September 2021, but only Lauren James, Hannah Hampton and Lucia Kendall have become regular starters.
When England begin their next campaign in Crete on Friday, 5 October at 20:00 BST, a familiar group of players is likely to feature once again.
