From a 50-year ban to the 500th game: The history of England Lionesses | OneFootball

The Lionesses’ route to World Cup Qualification for the 2027 tournament in Brazil is well and truly under way. Amongst it is a moment that will write its way into the history books.

After six World Cup appearances, 10 European Championships, and becoming back-to-back Euro Champions, England have played their 500th game in Iceland. The match saw them take a 1-0 win over the hosts, yet it was more than that.

The 500th match was a testament to gender equality, the right to play, the growth from half-empty stadiums to now, and a movement that’s no longer on the sidelines.

Where it began

A ban on women playing football was imposed in 1921, as the game was deemed ‘most unsuitable for females’. The FA lifted its 50-year ban in 1971, and that was the start of both equality and a shift in women’s sport.

Although an unofficial side played in Mexico in 1971, the first Women’s Football Association match took place in November 1972 against Scotland, where England secured a 3-2 victory.

Their first official home match took place one year later in Nuneaton, where they faced Scotland again with an 8-0 win.

The 1984 UEFA Women’s European Championship marked one of the first significant milestones, where the team made their major tournament debut, competing as one of four teams in a UEFA competition — which we all now know and love as the Women’s Euros. England reached the final, losing on penalties to Sweden.

Five years later, in 1989, the team played at Wembley Stadium for the first time, taking on rivals Sweden to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the WFA. The match was played prior to an England men’s fixture, with around 3,000 fans watching the game.

The monumental moments in the 1990s

The 1990s brought meaningful change. The establishment of more structured competitions and the increasing visibility of women’s football across Europe began to raise standards of the game. It was also a decade where the FA took control, helping to increase professionalism.

England qualified for the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup, their first appearance on the global stage. Though they exited at the quarter-final stage, the experience hinted at a bright future for the Lionesses.

In 1998, Hope Powell was appointed the first full-time coach of the England women’s senior team. Powell led the Lionesses to six major tournaments in a 15-year tenure.

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A new millennium and a turning point

2005 saw England host the European Championship on home soil. This saw large attendances, something we’d only see grow as the years went by.

Influential matches and performances inspired surging audience numbers as legends of English football helped boost the following of the Lionesses.

The 2015 World Cup in Canada marked an even bigger turning point. It saw the team finish in third place where they beat Germany for the first time in 31 years, earning themselves a bronze medal in the process.

Players like Steph Houghton, Lucy Bronze, Alex Scott, Karen Bardsley, Fara Williams, Jill Scott, and Karen Carney became familiar names up and down the country. The Lionesses were showing why they were a national team in every way possible.

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England Lionesses etched into history

If 2015 was a landmark moment, 2022 changed the game forever. On 31 July at Wembley, Chloe Kelly’s extra time stunner saw England defeat Germany 2-1 to win the UEFA Women’s European Championship. It was England’s first major trophy at senior level since the men’s World Cup win in 1966. More than 87,000 fans filled the stands, while millions watched from home. That moment captured the nation forever.

The Lionesses carried that momentum into the 2023 World Cup in Australia, seeing them make their way to the final. After three wins from three in the group stage, they fought past Nigeria, Colombia and hosts Australia to reach the final. Although they fell to a 1-0 defeat by Spain, they were having an even bigger impact back home.

Could they defend their Euros title? That was the question on people’s minds in July 2025.

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Grit, emphatic comebacks and a whole lot of determination saw them set up a rematch against Spain.

It was once again Kelly who was the heroine, as they did what they set out to do and become back-to-back European champions.

While the Lionesses have enjoyed increased success on the pitch over the past few years, their 500th game is another accolade off it. From those that came before, the world’s stars of today, and the budding talent of the future, they’ve built a lasting legacy that will see them into the next 500 games and beyond.

The 500th game is a reminder of how far women’s football has come in England, and those that paved the way. It’s a celebration of the past, the present and the future.

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