Full details on the Lionesses next fixtures after World Cup heartbreak
“That is what champions do,” rang the reliably calm and sage words of Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall after England’s emotional World Cup final heartbreak to Spain.
“I have no doubt that England will be here again.”
The Lionesses returned to home soil today after a month-long Women’s World Cup that captured the imaginations and hopes of a nation, but ultimately ended in anguish for Sarina Wiegman's team as they collected their runners-up medals to the sound of Spanish celebrations.
The summer's post-mortems have hinged predominantly on the steadfast faith from pundits and fans alike that the Lionesses will rally beyond their pain, that the hurt will serve as an even greater source of fuel for the future. And fans must only wait a mere four weeks before getting the opportunity to see the Lionesses' redemptive mission on the world stage begin.
What's next for the Lionesses?
The inaugural Women’s Nations League tournament will commence later next month. The competition features three leagues with teams drawn into sections based on present coefficient rankings.
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The World Cup runners-up have been drawn into Group 1 of League A alongside Scotland, Belgium and 2019 Women's World Cup runners-up Netherlands. It is a favourable draw for Wiegman's side, who will kick start their campaign when they host Scotland on the 22 September.
Scotland failed to reach the Women's World Cup after losing to a dramatic late winner in a qualification play-off match against World Cup debutantes Republic of Ireland.
How can I watch it?
The Nations League clash is set to kick-off at 19:45 from Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, giving England fans a first chance to see their Women's World Cup history makers in person since the culmination of the summer's showpiece event.
Tickets are on sale now, while ITV will broadcast the fixture live.
Tell me more about the Nations League
Four days later, England will round off their first international window of the new season as they travel to Utrecht to face the Netherlands, who were eliminated from this summer's Women's World Cup by eventual winners Spain in the quarter-finals.
The Lionesses will play each team in their group twice, home and away, with the competition's group stages culminating in December.
What next for Sarina Wiegman and her side? (Getty Images)Finishing top of the group will be of the utmost importance to England, not only in terms of recuperation and morale following the World Cup final defeat but in terms of qualifying directly for the 2025 European championships and the Women’s Olympics. The four group winners and four group runners up in League A will qualify directly for Euro2025.
The four group winners of League A will also compete for the Nations League final. The contest will comprise two single-leg semi-finals, a third-place play-off and a final, with the three winners determining Europe’s participants in the Women’s Olympic football tournament.
Finishing in the bottom half of the group will see England lumped into a two-round play-off system for Euro2025 qualification.
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