The UK government has announced a major plan to grow women’s football after England’s Euro 2025 victory with £400 million in funding and a promise to more than double prime-time pitch access for girls over the next five years.
The move, unveiled the day after the Lionesses were honoured at Downing Street, is designed to lock in momentum from back-to-back European titles.
Currently, women’s teams struggle to book training slots at peak times. Under the new plan, government-funded sites will give girls’ and women’s teams far greater priority — aiming for equal access as demand grows.
“This isn’t just about celebrating today’s achievements,” said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. “We’re investing in the champions of tomorrow.”
The £400m package includes a new grant scheme to improve grassroots pitches, delivered by the Football Foundation in partnership with the FA and Premier League.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
The upgrades will make facilities safer, more welcoming, and more accessible to female players.
There’s also a push to ensure girls have equal access to sport in schools — part of a wider “Plan for Change” aimed at removing barriers and levelling the playing field.
A new Women’s Sport Taskforce will also launch this year to drive progress across all sports, with the goal of making the UK a world leader in women’s sport by 2035.
After the Lionesses delivered on the pitch and inspired a generation, officials say the next decade will focus on embedding opportunity and keeping the momentum alive.