England women's national football team
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Nickname(s) | The Lionesses[1] | ||
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Association | The Football Association | ||
Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
Head coach | Sarina Wiegman | ||
Captain | Leah Williamson[2] | ||
Most caps | Fara Williams (172) | ||
Top scorer | Ellen White (52) | ||
FIFA code | ENG | ||
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FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 4 ![]() | ||
Highest | 2 (March 2018) | ||
Lowest | 14 (June 2004) | ||
First international | |||
![]() ![]() (Greenock, Scotland; 18 November 1972) | |||
Biggest win | |||
![]() ![]() (Doncaster, England; 30 November 2021) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
![]() ![]() (Moss, Norway; 4 June 2000) | |||
World Cup | |||
Appearances | 5 (first in 1995) | ||
Best result | Third place (2015) | ||
European Championship | |||
Appearances | 9 (first in 1984) | ||
Best result | Champions (2022) | ||
The England women's national football team, also known as the Lionesses, have been governed by the Football Association (FA) since 1993, having been previously administered by the Women's Football Association (WFA). England played its first international match in November 1972 against Scotland. Although most national football teams represent a sovereign state, England is permitted by FIFA statutes, as a member of the United Kingdom's Home Nations, to maintain a national side that competes in all major tournaments, with the exception of the Women's Olympic Football Tournament.
England have qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup five times, reaching the quarter-finals in 1995, 2007 and 2011, finishing third in 2015 and fourth in 2019. They reached the final of the UEFA Women's Championship in 1984 and 2009, and won in 2022, marking the first time since 1966 that any England senior football team had won a major championship.