Former England forward Rachel Yankey has warned that the Lionesses’ World Cup opponents will all want to be the side that eliminates the European champions when the tournament kicks off in Australia and New Zealand.
Sarina Wiegman’s team are amongst the favourites as they seek to become the first England side to win a world title since 1966, particularly following last summer’s Euro 2022 success on home soil.
They fly out this evening to begin preparations for their opening match against Haiti and will be sent on their way by a message of support displayed beneath the flightpath out of Heathrow reading “Lionesses, you’re our pride.”
The gesture, arranged by the Football Association’s commercial partner Kind Snacks, is tagged with thousands of messages submitted by fans nationwide, and is a mark of how support for women’s football has been transformed since Yankey’s playing days.
The former Arsenal player, who won 129 caps during a 16-year international career, believes that whilst the prospect of holding both the world and European crowns simultaneously will be a motivation for England, other sides will be motivated to topple them starting with their first opponents Haiti.
“I don’t think anybody from our nation or any other would have said England were a favourite to win the World Cup when I was playing,” said Yankey, who won the last of her caps in 2013. “They are now.
“That’s because we’ve won the Euros, but there comes a pressure with that because everybody wants to beat a winning side. The games become harder. It’s a chance to knock you off the stage.
“Haiti will have nothing to lose. They’re expected to lose that game and that makes it dangerous. They go out there, if they got a goal or a win, they get plaudits. Our team need to set their own standards, they need to push each other on, they need to make sure every game they’re at the highest level.
“The main thing is getting through the group. How you do it is kind of irrelevant. We’d all like to see fantastic football, but just make sure you get the wins.
“The fact that they could become European and world champions has got to drive them on. We’ve got players there who are hungry for success and they’ll want more.
“The players will also understand that the better they do, the more it will inspire the younger generation, whether it’s boys or girls. It’s a chance to change how we view women’s football.”
After opening their campaign in Brisbane, Wiegman’s side move on to face Denmark in Sydney before concluding the group stage against China in Adelaide.
They are looking to reach what would be a first final for the Lionesses, whose previous best were semi-final appearances in 2015 and 2019.
Yankey hopes that the increased backing from the FA as well as commercial partners will continue to drive the exposure that the women’s game needs in order to grow.
She explained: “It’s hugely different from 2009 (when England reached the European Championship final, losing to Germany). That’s why it’s important that commercial partners come on board, because they make a difference to the way people view the game.
“In 2009 or any other year, you’re out there and fully focused, but once you’re out of the tournament you would come home and nobody knows about it. We don’t want that to happen.
“We see now when the girls are going on holiday and people are wanting to take photos of them. The landscape of women’s football has changed. That’s because of engagement, companies look at women’s football as a business and thinking that this is the right thing to do, but because women should have the same opportunity in all sports, but also it’s a business opportunity, a change to engage.”
:: KIND Snacks have created a giant message of support for the Lionesses as they head off to Australia for the first game in the tournament. The 100-metre wide sign was made out of thousands of messages of support from the public, including ex-Lionesses Rachel Yankey and Faye White.
Sevilla 1-2 Barcelona: Bittersweet farewell for Xavi as Barca end season with a win
Barcelona ended the season with a 2-1 victory at Sevilla in LaLiga on Sunday, making departing coach Xavi's farewell bittersweet after a trophy-less season.
La Blaugrana came out all guns blazing from the start and took the lead in the 15th minute through Robert Lewandowski who scored from close range after latching onto Joao Cancelo's cross.
Sevilla levelled with Youssef En-Nesyri's strike in the 31st minute and went close again but failed to beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen before Barca got the winner on the hour through Fermin Lopez.
Barca were already guaranteed second place going into Xavi's final game. The Spaniard was sacked on Friday, after a disappointing campaign in which they lost the Spanish Supercopa final to Real Madrid and were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-final.
Data Debrief: A legend departs
Xavi never lost any of his six games as a manager against Sevilla in LaLiga (W5 D1), making them just the third opponent that he faced six times without defeat (also W5 D1 against Real Mallorca and Osasuna).
Fermin got the all-important goal to ensure Xavi's tenure ended on a high note. He has scored seven goals in LaLiga in 2024, a record surpassed by only one other Spanish player in Europe's top five leagues this year: Iago Aspas (eight).
Verona 2-2 Inter: Arnautovic double earns point for Serie A winners
Champions Inter end their Serie A season with a 2-2 draw against Verona thanks to a Marko Arnautovic double.
The Austrian opened the scoring after 10 minutes with a neat finish, but Inter were soon pegged back as Tijjani Noslin equalised six minutes later.
The Dutchman then set up Tomas Suslov for their second to turn the game on its head, but another smart finish from Arnautovic on the stroke of half-time ensured they would salvage a point.
Simone Perilli proved the hero for Verona in the end, pulling off a string of fine saves to keep his side level.
Data Debrief: Landmark for Inzaghi
Simone Inzaghi has now earned 250 points as a coach in Serie A with Inter, an achievement only Roberto Mancini has reached so far with the Nerazzurri in the three-points-per-win era (436). This draw takes him up to the landmark after 77 wins and 19 draws (18 losses).
After winning the Scudetto with five games to go, Inzaghi has led Inter to 94 points in Serie A, with only three teams ever earning more points in a single campaign in the competition in the three-points-per-win era: Inter in 2006-07 (97) and Juventus in 2013-14 (102) and 2017-18 (95).
Bonucci calls time on glittering career
Leonardo Bonucci has called time on his glittering career, after playing his final game for Fenerbahce.
The decorated defender announced on Saturday that he would retire at the end of the Turkish Super Lig season, which concluded with Ismail Kartal's side inflicting a 6-0 rout on Istanbulspor.
However, it was not quite enough to snatch the title from Galatasaray, who finished three points clear after a 3-1 victory at Konyaspor on the final day.
Bonucci, who signed from Union Berlin in January, was given a wonderful reception as he was presented with a plaque before the game, in which he came on as a 64th-minute substitute.
The 37-year-old enjoyed the most success during his career with Juventus, where he won eight Serie A titles and reached two Champions League finals, while he helped Italy to glory at Euro 2020.
"It was a pleasure for me to be a part of this wonderful family," he said of his time at Fenerbahce on Saturday. "I tried to show my best on and off the field.
A statement on the club website paid tribute to Bonucci, reading: "It was an honour to see a legend like you in a Cubuklu jersey.
"At this special moment of your career, we would like to thank you on behalf of the entire Fenerbahce family. We wish you successful and healthy days in which you will be a part of football in your future life."
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