The FA credited the Lionesses’ home success at Euro 2022 as key in “shaping government discussions and driving forward policy change”.
Sarina Wiegman’s winning side signed an open letter to then Conservative party leadership candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, asking for “every young girl” to be able to play football at school.
The FA says 90% of schools now offer girls equal access to football through PE lessons at Key Stages 2 (aged 7-11) and 3 (aged 11-14).
“This was never about girls becoming the next Lionesses, it was about normalising girls playing football, just like boys do. It’s about equality,” said former England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright, who is an ambassador for Barclays Football.
After winning the Euros at Wembley in 2022, England reached the Women’s World Cup final the following year, losing to Spain. But they then beat Spain to retain their European crown in July.
“No girl should ever face barriers to playing football in school,” said Stacey Mullock, the head of development at the FA.
“That belief drove us to set ambitious targets and push for a cultural shift where girls have the same access and opportunities as boys.”
However, the FA said there is “more work to be done” for Key Stage 4 (aged 14-16), where “many teenage girls stop participating in team sports due to barriers like confidence, body image, and negative perceptions”.
The governing body also aims to increase the amount of schools offering equal opportunities through extra-curricular clubs from 83% to 90% by 2028.