The England women's national football team, nicknamed the Lionesses, has 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.
Kelly Jayne Smith is an English former football forward who spent three spells with FA WSL club Arsenal. After moving to the United States, Smith broke records with Seton Hall University then played professionally with Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) franchise Philadelphia Charge. After returning to Arsenal for a period which included a 2007 UEFA Women's Cup win, Smith was tempted back to America with another professional contract, this time with Boston Breakers in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS). She accumulated 117 caps for the England national team after making her debut in 1995. Despite being hit by serious injury during her career, Smith is England's second-highest goalscorer with 46 goals. She played for Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics. Smith was renowned for her speed, ball control and quickness in which she developed into a potent centre forward. She is considered by many who played with and against her to be one of the greatest ever players to come out of England, as well as one of the greatest players of all time.
Watford F.C. Women are an English women's football club affiliated to Watford F.C. The club compete in the FA Women's National League South, with their home games played at Grosvenor Vale.
Jill Louise Scott is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. The FIFA technical report into the 2011 Women's World Cup described Scott as one of England's four outstanding players; "[an] energetic, ball-winning midfielder who organises the team well, works hard at both ends of the pitch and can change her team's angle of attack."
Natasha Khalila Dowie is an English former footballer. She represented the England women's national football team at the youth level before making her senior international debut in 2009. Dowie played for the London teams Watford, Fulham and Charlton Athletic, and then spent five years with Everton before transferring to FA WSL clubs Liverpool Ladies in November 2012 and Doncaster Rovers Belles in 2016. She also spent three periods on loan with Melbourne Victory of the Australian W-League in 2015, 2016, and 2017 and played for Boston Breakers in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in 2016 and 2017.
Toni Duggan is an English former footballer who played as a winger or forward. During her career, she played in England for Everton and Manchester City, and in Spain for Barcelona and Atlético Madrid.
Melanie Leupolz is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liga F club Real Madrid.
Lia Joëlle Wälti is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Women's Super League club Arsenal and captains the Switzerland national team. Before signing for Arsenal in July 2018, she played professionally for Nationalliga A club YB Frauen from 2009 until 2013 and for Bundesliga club Turbine Potsdam from 2013 until 2018.
Viktoria Schnaderbeck is an Austrian former professional footballer who last played for Arsenal in the FA WSL. She was the captain of the Austrian national team. She previously played for FC Bayern Munich in Germany's Frauen-Bundesliga, LUV Graz in Austria's ÖFB-Frauenliga, and most recently for Tottenham Hotspur on loan from Arsenal in the FA WSL.
Pernille Mosegaard Harder is a Danish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a forward for Frauen-Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the Denmark national team. In September 2020, she became the world's most expensive female footballer following her transfer from VfL Wolfsburg to Chelsea, but the record was broken in September 2022 by Keira Walsh when she was signed to Barcelona. She is considered one of the best footballers in the world.
Nathan Benjamin Aké is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or left-back for Premier League club Manchester City and the Netherlands national team.
Maren Nævdal Mjelde is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a defender or midfielder for Toppserien club Arna-Bjørnar and captain of the Norway national team.
Katie Leigh Zelem is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for National Women's Soccer League club Angel City and the England women's national team. Zelem previously played for Liverpool where she twice won the WSL in 2013 and 2014, as well as Italian side Juventus, winning Serie A in the 2017-2018 season with the club. She then joined Manchester United, the club she came through the academy of to win the Women's Championship in their inaugural 2018-2019 season and later captained the team to an FA Cup title in 2024.
Noelle Maritz is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Aston Villa of the FA WSL. She previously played for Arsenal in the WSL, VfL Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga, and FC Zürich in Switzerland's Nationalliga A. Born in the United States, she represents Switzerland at international level.
Dominique Johanna Anna Petrone Janssen is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a defender for Women's Super League club Manchester United and the Netherlands national team.
Kate Leanne Longhurst is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder or wing-back for Nottingham Forest in the FA Women's National League North. Longhurst won back to back WSL titles in her time at Liverpool WFC. She became the joint all-time Womens Super League record appearance maker in 2023 with 182 appearances.
Millie Bright is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Women's Super League club Chelsea who she captains, and the England national team. She previously played for Doncaster Belles and Leeds Ladies, and represented England on the under-19 and under-23 national teams.
Chloe Maggie Kelly is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Women's Super League club Manchester City and the England national team. Kelly started her senior career at Arsenal, prior to going on loan to Everton, and joining the team permanently in 2018. With Manchester City, she is a 2019–20 FA Cup and 2021–22 League Cup winner, has twice been named in the PFA WSL Team of the Year, and was the joint top assist provider in the 2020–21 WSL season.
Aoife Mannion is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Manchester United in the Women's Super League and the Republic of Ireland women's national team. She was previously capped for England, the country of her birth, at youth level and received her first senior call-up in August 2019 but never appeared before debuting for Ireland in February 2023. Mannion began her senior club career at Aston Villa before appearing for Birmingham City and Manchester City. She has been named to the PFA WSL Team of the Year twice.
Ève Josette Noelle Périsset is a French professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Women's Super League club Chelsea and the France national team.
