⚽ England beat Ireland. Euro 2025 ticket update. '99ers Jersey reissued.

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL WEEKLY
In this week's round-up...

  • Picks from the pitch: England step closer to Euro 2025 qualification

  • Latest headlines from around the world

  • Fave finds: Steph Houghton celebrated in short film

  • Kit drop: Iconic ‘99ers jersey is reissued. Chelsea kit is smokin’. Literally.

  • Transfer news: Mackenzie Arnold and Melvine Malard make moves. Katie McCabe rumours

  • Jobs: New opportunities in football

⚽ PICKS FROM THE PITCH

England take a step closer to defending their Euro title

England beat the Republic of Ireland 2-1 this week with goals from Russo and Stanway. In some of the smoothest England play we’ve seen in a while, Mead slipped a perfectly weighted pass into Russo for the first goal. Weigman was less impressed with Ireland’s late consolation goal in the 94th minute.

In the other Group A3 game, France beat Sweden 2-1, which means England only needs one point from their game against Sweden on Tuesday to automatically qualify for Euro 2025, and avoid the playoffs. 

OTHER GROUP HIGHLIGHTS…

Scotland 2 - 0 Slovakia. Claire Emslie got both of Scotland’s goals, her slide to the back post for the first goal was first-class.

Wales 3 - 0 Croatia. Jess Fishlock scored her fourth goal of the qualifiers, and her 44th for Wales, equalling Helen Ward’s record.

Northern Ireland 2 - 0 Malta. Kerry Beattie scored a great header to secure a place in the play-offs.

🚨ICYMI

Top Headlines

🤓 Third-tier Nottingham Forest will go full-time for the 2025/26 season. In a big statement of intention, the club will offer 18 full-time contracts to players. They’ll be supported by a few part-time players this season who will be made fully professional in 2025. All 11 home matches will be played at Forest’s main club stadium, City Ground, another ambitious move as they seek promotion to the Championship. 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England defeated hosts, Lithuania, 10-0 in their first group game of the U19 Euros. Pritchard and Agyemang got hattricks, with Watson, Lia, Potter and Earl each getting a goal. Their next game is against Serbia on Wednesday.

🎟️ Euro 2025 tickets will go on sale in October. More than 720,000 tickets will be available, prices start at €22. Sign up for ticket alerts and the pre-sale at UEFA

🤕 Olympic organisers have amended squad rules to allow temporary replacements if a player is injured. Once recovered, the injured player can be selected for subsequent games. Previously a player could be replaced by one of four ‘alternate’ players travelling with the 18-player squad and would play no further part in the competition. With a heavy schedule of Euro qualifiers, Olympics and Champions League qualifiers, teams had put pressure on the organisers to increase the squad size to allow better rotation. 

🍁 Canada’s new professional women’s league, The Northern Super League, has named Christian Litz as their first president. Litz is a former Canadian Football League exec. The NSL will launch in 2025.

💸 Emma Hayes has sidestepped questions about equal pay for US national team managers as speculation grows around who will replace men’s team’s coach Gregg Berhalter. In 2022 he was paid over $2 million plus a $900k bonus, whereas previous women’s team coach Vlatko Andonovski was on just under £400k with a $15k bonus. Hayes is thought to be the highest-paid women’s coach in the world. 

🩼 Cat Macario is out of the US Olympic squad after suffering a knee injury. Lynn WIlliams will take her place as one of the squad’s named alternatives.

WHAT WE’RE READING
👀 FAVE FINDS

The Last Game: Steph Houghton

This 20-minute feature film follows Houghton ahead of her final-ever professional game with Manchester City.

Caroline Weir’s wedding exclusive with Hello magazine went live this week after she tied the knot with fiancé Josh Emerson.

🗓️ ON THIS DAY WEEK

That Brandi Chastain Photo

On 10 July 1999, arguably the most iconic photo in women’s football history was taken. Brandi Chastain had just scored the final, World Cup-winning penalty against China, ending 5-4.

When the ball hit the back of the net, the US defender pulled off her jersey, celebrating in a style echoed by England’s Chloe Kelly all those years later. As the magnitude of the moment hit, she sank to her knees.

So memorable and iconic, the moment has even been commemorated in bronze outside of the stadium in Pasadena lest anyone forget.

✍️ INSIDE TRACK

Transfer Round-up

Earlier this year Nikita Parris turned down an unexpected move to North Carolina Courage which would have seen her receive a reported £1 million. Why? To play in Manchester United’s FA Cup Final. Thankfully they won, but with her contract due to end this summer there has been speculation about where the forward would end up, and whether the club would have to see her leave on a free transfer.

It is now understood that Manchester United has triggered a clause in Parris’s contract that will see her stay at the club until summer 2025. The speculation hasn’t ended there though. All the extension means is that the club would now receive a fee if NWSL suitors came calling again and with some big names leaving Man Utd, along with the seemingly low-priority status of the women’s team with the new owners, who’s to say Parris will turn down another offer if it comes along?

CONFIRMED TRANSFERS
MANAGER MOVES
ELSEWHERE… THE RUMOURS ARE FLYING

→ Katie McCabe has been identified as a target for Lyon, although it’s reported that Arsenal have rejected enquiries about the Irish international.

→ Katie Robinson is expected to join Aston Villa on a free transfer after her Brighton contract expired in June.

→ French paper, Le Parisien has reported that Lyon’s Delphine Cascarino is set to join San Diego Wave.

→ Lieke Martens-van Leer is rumoured to be joining Lazio from PSG.

👟 KIT DROP

Iconic USWNT ‘99ers kit set for re-release

Nike is re-issuing a special-edition USWNT 1999 World Cup jersey and tracksuit to mark 25 years since the US lifted the trophy for the second time. Now available from US Soccer, or from 18 July on Foudys (UK)

Chelsea released their ‘We Burn Blue’ 2024/25 home kit today with a design inspired by flames and swirling smoke. Orange flashes on the iridescent badge, Nike swoosh and sleeve trims round off the fiery theme.

📺 WATCH LIST

The week ahead

16 July | EURO 2025 Qualifiers
18:00 - Northern Ireland v Bosnia-Herzegovina [BBC iPlayer]
18:00 - Sweden vs England [ITV1, ITVX]
18:00 - Scotland vs Serbia [BBC Alba, BBC iPlayer]
18:00 - Wales v Kosovo [BBC Wales, BBC iPlayer]

U19 EURO 2024
17 July, 12:00 - Serbia U19 vs England U19 - Matchday 2 [BBC iPlayer]
20 July, 16:00 - England U19 vs France U19 - Matchday 3 [BBC iPlayer]
Watch more matches on UEFA TV

🛋️ DITCH THE SOFA

Upcoming Events

🇸🇪 Sweden vs England Euro Qualifier Screening 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Baller FC are hosting a screening on Tuesday 16 July
Signature Brew, Haggerston, London from 17.30, KO 18:00
The venue has wheelchair access and an accessible bathroom

Watch the 2024/25 WSL season up close

  • Arsenal have launched a new ticket package which guarantees seats at all eight Emirates home games this season. Prices start at £80 (£10 per match).

  • Liverpool season tickets have gone on sale, adult prices start at £60, with family season tickets £140.

Is there a women’s football event happening near you? Give us a heads-up

📂 JOBS, JOBS, JOBS

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