The rise of women's football in Europe continues. Professional leagues are established one after another, media visibility is increasing rapidly, and the economy is growing.
In the European Football Championship held in England, where the national teams of 16 countries competed, a total of 500 thousand tickets were sold before the tournament. More than double the number of tickets sold in the previous championship. Tickets for the final match played at the famous Wembley Stadium on July 31 sold out in just 13 minutes. TV ratings were also extremely good.
However, not much, 10-15 years ago, women's football was in its infancy. For example, before Euro 2013, British Lucy Bronze, one of the best players in the world, had her shoes delivered by cargo, and she had to wear them throughout the tournament, although they were too small for her feet.
Now she plays with special shoes
In the program "The Future of Women's Football" broadcast in England, many pioneers of women's football told what has happened in the last 10 years, with some surprise. Now the situation is very different. In leading countries such as France, England, and Germany, all national-level players have special agreements. England captain Leah Williamson was talking about constantly signing in the street. Lucy Bronze was now wearing her tailor-made cleats.
It should be noted that there are several turning points in this progress. The first was the establishment of the professional NWSL in the USA in 2012. This allowed top American players to continue playing football in their home country. Then in 2018, the conversion of England's women's league WSL to full professional made a huge impact. Clubs such as Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester City, which have top women's teams, have influenced others. Clubs such as Juventus and Barcelona have also invested much more in women's football. Let us remind you that the 2019 World Cup is a great driving force. 1.1 billion people watched this tournament. For about a month, Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Vivianne Miedema, and other stars made their mark.
Today, leagues in Western European countries are growing rapidly. Revenues are increasing, broadcasting hours are increasing. Leading clubs definitely include female football players in content such as jersey promotion and new season commercials. Women's football sponsors are also attracting more. WSL in the UK had a four-year title sponsorship of £15m with Barclay's bank. In the new period, this figure has doubled.
This situation is also reflected in the wages of female football players. French Lyon, winner of the Champions League seven times, draws attention to the players with the highest salary. and therefore the club with the highest salary budget. They pay Norwegian Ada Hegerberg and Amandine Henry 360 thousand euros per season. Seasonal salaries of star players in England are around 250 thousand pounds. Chelsea's Australian star Samantha Kerr is the highest-paid female football player in the world with £400,000.
With the increase in visibility, especially in Western Europe, more and more girls became involved in football. The number of licensed players in Germany is 210 thousand and in France 197 thousand. In England, it is estimated that around 1 million girls under the age of 15 participate in football activities.
Stars of the Euro 2022
Tower of France: Wendie Renard (France)
The captain of France is one of the best defenders of all time with a height of 1.87. She carries France with the goals she finds in set pieces. What she won with Lyon, for whom she played for 16 seasons, is extraordinary in itself: 15 French Leagues, 9 French Cups, and 8 Champions Leagues.
Like a train on the right: Lucy Bronze (England)
As the daughter of a Portuguese immigrant father growing up in Northern England, she gained attention at an early age for her physical strength. One of the transfer stars of the last period. She had returned to England after winning the Champions League three times with Lyon. But she signed for Barcelona in the summer of 2022.
German dynamo: Lea Schuller (Germany)
The rising star of German football. Her goal against Belgium was named the goal of the year in 2021. One of the victims of Schuller, who came to this tournament by scoring 13 goals with the national jersey, was Turkey, where she scored three goals. She also scored against Denmark in the opening match of Euro 2022.
Goal machine: Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands)
She led the Netherlands to the championship with a total of four goals scored in the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals of Euro 2017. She scored 94 goals under the national jersey and is a record holder. She finds the castle without knowing the distance. She became the Champions League top scorer twice with Bayern and Arsenal.
Surgeon football player: Nadia Nadim (Denmark)
Nadia, who took refuge in England at the age of 12 using a fake passport from Afghanistan after her father, the general, was killed by the Taliban, started playing football in Denmark. She completed her specialty training in January of this year and received the title of a surgeon.