UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 targets full stadiums to accelerate growth of the women’s game
With the men’s EUROs just around the corner, today we’re looking ahead to 2022 when England will be hosting the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022.
All 16 teams have now been confirmed and will be playing across the following ten venues:
Brighton & Hove (Brighton & Hove Community Stadium)
London (Brentford Community Stadium & Wembley Stadium – final only)
Manchester (Manchester City Academy Stadium)
Milton Keynes (Stadium MK)
Rotherham (New York Stadium)
Sheffield (Bramall Lane)
Southampton (St Mary’s Stadium)
Trafford (Old Trafford – opening game)
Wigan & Leigh (Leigh Sports Village)
The tournament provides us all with an opportunity to inspire the next generation of players and fans, as we get to celebrate the pinnacle of women’s football in Europe on home soil.
With over 700,000 tickets available across the ten venues in nine host cities, an unprecedented number of fans will be able to experience the biggest women’s European sport event ever from 6 – 31 July 2022. The ambition is to set a record attendance for a UEFA Women’s EURO fixture [currently 41,301, 2013 Final] at the tournament’s opening game at Old Trafford. It is then the aim to break this record once again for the Final at Wembley Stadium, where it is hoped a sell-out crowd will fill the national stadium, surpassing the current European record for a women’s game of 80,203 set at London 2012.
Next summer’s celebration of football sees tickets ranging from £5 to £50, with over half a million of these available for £25 or less, ensuring the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 will be accessible to all. With a family of four [two adults and two children] able to watch some of the world’s best players from just £30 and over 90% of England’s population located within two hours of a game, fans from all areas will have the chance to play their part in what will hopefully be a record-breaking summer for the women’s game.
The first chance supporters will have to apply for tickets is on 13 July 2021, via the Pre-Sale, presented by Visa. To ensure this priority access, fans can now register their interest here.
The FA, together with UEFA, has made clear their ambition to deliver the biggest women’s football event in UEFA history. Ready to inspire long-term, sustainable positive change in women’s and girls’ football, host cities are developing local strategies to make transformational changes in their communities creating a blueprint for the rest of the country and Europe.
Baroness Sue Campbell, EURO 2022 Board Member and Director of Women’s Football, The FA, said: “It has been a challenging year in so many ways, with mental and physical wellbeing hugely affected by the pandemic. The tournament and the city legacy programmes are a very real opportunity to positively change the impact restrictions have had on our activity levels and to bring us together through football regardless of the role we play within the game.
The long-term legacy ambitions will unlock the game for more women and girls across host cities and beyond with equal access for all girls to play football in school and clubs. We will also be working to create a more diverse workforce of coaches, referees and local leaders to deliver and organise football for their communities. Our vision will ensure inclusive, safe and welcoming environments for every woman and girl to play competitive or recreational grassroots football – irrespective of ability, age or ambition.”
The legacy programme shared today sets out the plans across the nine host cities to deliver 500,000 new football opportunities to engage women and girls by 2024. Nationally, The FA are committing to several measures, which includes one that will build upon their WIF #WhatIf pledge to provide every girl with the opportunity to play football in school. The FA will ensure that 75% of schools provide equal access for girls to play football within PE lessons and 75% of all grassroots football clubs will offer at least one girls’ team with 1,000 clubs offering a complete accredited pathway for girls.
Nadine Kessler, UEFA Chief of Women’s Football, said: “Today marks another important moment in the build-up to what will be the biggest UEFA Women’s EURO ever and ground-breaking from start to finish… We are going to fill stadia, sell out matches, fans are going to come from all over England, the whole UK, Europe and beyond… The legacy, for all of us, won’t stop with the final whistle at Wembley stadium on 31 July 2022… This Women’s EURO needs to become a benchmark and we all have our role to play in it. There is a unique chance to make a difference to our sport, at a critical time. So, let’s make it happen.”
Across the nine host cities, these measures will result in 120,000 more girls playing in schools and clubs and 20,000 more women playing football by 2024. In addition, 300 newly FA-qualified female coaches will double the number currently involved across the host cities, with 350 new FA-qualified female referees officiating to ensure increased female participation in all areas of the game. Find out more about how the tournament will help drive positive change within girls and women’s football here.
The opening match of the tournament takes place at Old Trafford on 6 July 2022. The Semi-Finals will be held at Sheffield’s Bramall Lane and Milton Keynes’ Stadium MK ahead of the showcase Final at Wembley Stadium on 31 July 2022. Each venue, other than Old Trafford and Wembley, will host a minimum of three games each during the tournament.
The Pre-Sale, presented by Visa will run from 13 July until 10 August 2021. As part of the Pre-Sale, Visa cardholders will be given the opportunity to be among the first to purchase their tickets for the tournament, alongside fans that pre-register here. The public ballot will open following the draw which takes place on 28 October 2021 live on BBC, with tickets going on general sale from mid-February 2022.
Although all are planning for full stadiums in summer 2022, a robust refund policy will be in place if fixtures are postponed, cancelled, have reduced capacity or a change of venue is introduced due to COVID.
A ticket resale platform will be available in 2022 for ticket holders to use and re-sell their tickets at face value pre-tournament to another fan. More will be communicated in the coming months.
