British High Commissioner to Australia Vicki Treadell believes England’s Lionesses have a vital role to play in the diplomatic mission of fighting for the rights of women and girls around the world.
England players on Tuesday released a collective statement, posted on Twitter by captain Millie Bright, outlining their “disappointment” in not reaching an agreement with the Football Association over performance bonus payments and commercial structures ahead of their World Cup opener against Haiti in Brisbane.
That fight, they said, was driven not solely by personal gain but by “a strong sense of responsibility to grow the game” globally – a sentiment reiterated by numerous players over the last few days in the Queensland capital, where defender Lucy Bronze explained “we’re not only doing this for ourselves, we’re doing it so that we can set a standard.”
Asked how she felt about the Lionesses’ advocacy, Treadell told the PA news agency: “I’m hugely proud. If you have a platform you should use it for global good.
“I think the Lionesses are doing just that. They are personalities, they have a profile, it’s part of a much broader global agenda of closing the gender pay gap. [In many professions] women are still behind the men.
“We must all work together to say ‘that is wrong’. If we’re doing the same job we should have equal pay. So if they voice that, if we voice that it’s about pushing that and getting people to say actually, that is about equality, that is about fairness.
“Football is played on every continent. The English Premier League, the Women’s Super League in the UK, has a global audience. It’s a great soft power asset. More people watch British football than any other nation’s football.
“So for us they are amazing brand ambassadors entering every room.”
This is not the first time the Lionesses have used their platform politically. Days after lifting the Euro 2022 trophy, they collectively released a letter to then-Conservative leadership candidates Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss with a host of demands including a school football provision for girls identical to that offered to boys.
Their campaign paid off in March when the government responded with a new package of measures designed to grant equal access to all school sport, backed by over £600 million in funding over the next two academic years.
According to last year’s FIFA benchmarking report on women’s leagues and clubs, the average salary in the women’s game worldwide is just USD 14,000 (£11,000).
And at international level, players from World Cup nations including France, Spain, Jamaica, Canada, South Africa and Zambia have all called out or taken action over issues ranging from playing and training conditions to personnel, while this is the first World Cup the United States will play following their landmark legal battle for equal pay.
An increased prize pot of 110 million US dollars (£84.2m) for this World Cup came after an open letter to FIFA signed by 150 players from 25 national teams called for equal conditions and a guarantee that at least 30 per cent of prize money would be allocated to players.
That pot is more than three times that of the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, but still pales in comparison to the 440 million USD (£342m) doled out after the 2022 men’s edition in Qatar, though FIFA has outlined ambitions for parity by the next World Cups.
Bright will for England’s second match wear an armband advocating for Indigenous People, a collective choice she said was “massively important to us as a team” after meeting members of the community in Australia.
Treadell lauded that decision, adding: “It’s really important cultural understanding and awareness. The wonderful thing is that it’s the women of those First Nations who have been at the forefront of these welcomes.
“Women to women, gender empowerment, inspiring young girls of whatever race, religion, ethnicity, that there is potential that they can realise their dreams.
“And of course the Lionesses are role models about realising your dreams.”
Putellas signs two-year deal with Barcelona
Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas has signed a two-year deal until 2026, the club announced on Thursday.
Putellas was due to be out of contract next month, but extends her 12-year relationship with Barcelona, with the new deal also including an option for an additional season.
The 30-year-old is a two-time Ballon d’Or winner in 2021 and 2022, though she has struggled with injuries that have kept her sidelined since winning the second.
Overall, she has made 424 appearances, scoring a record 189 goals for the club, playing a pivotal role in Barcelona’s recent domination in women’s football.
Putellas has won 29 major trophies with Barcelona and is looking for another on Saturday when they face Lyon in the Champions League final.
Having already clinched Liga F, the Copa de la Reina and the Spanish Supercopa this season, Putellas can help Barcelona to complete an unprecedented quadruple with a win over the French champions.
Alonso wants to write more history with Leverkusen in Europa League final
Xabi Alonso is hopeful that his Bayer Leverkusen side can make more history in their Europa League final against Atalanta on Wednesday.
Leverkusen became the first side in Bundesliga history to go unbeaten in a single season on their way to the top-flight title, and across all competitions, they have not lost any of their last 51 matches.
Now, they have the opportunity to complete an unbeaten treble if they can get past Atalanta before taking on Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal on Saturday.
Only three sides have previously won the competition without losing a game – Chelsea in 2018-19, Villarreal in 2020-21 and Eintracht Frankfurt in 2021-22, with Leverkusen looking to be added to that list.
Alonso is taking charge of his first European final as a manager and highlights the ambition the club have to do something significant.
"It would mean a lot, a lot to me [to win a European trophy]," he told UEFA. "To be able to share it with the people from the club, with the fans.
"You see what it meant when we won the Bundesliga. To be able to win a European title after so many years since we won [the UEFA Cup in 1988] would be historic, and we want to do that, to have a historic season.
"It would be something written in golden letters, not only in the history of our club but probably all European football. I hope we can."
Like his counterpart, Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini is also taking charge of a European final for the first time in his career.
The Italian side clinched a top-five finish in Serie A with their win over Lecce on Saturday and are looking to win their first major trophy in 61 years.
Looking back on the season, Gasperini says he is proud of the work his side have done to make it through to the club's first European final.
"It feels good," Gasperini said. "It's a great achievement and source of satisfaction, achieved with a really good season from this whole team.
"Is it the highest point of my career? Yes, in terms of accomplishment and prestige, absolutely. In terms of gratification, fortunately, I've had quite a few, although perhaps not on the same level.
"This team always wanted it. Sometimes, you get teams who are good technically but lacking in determination and hunger.
"From the start, from the group stage, since we played in Lisbon, in a group where we were not the favourites – Sporting [CP] were the favourites – we played great matches against strong opponents. Of course, winning at Anfield boosted our confidence even more."
Sargent earns recall as Pulisic, Balogun and Adams headline USA's preliminary Copa America squad
United States coach Gregg Berhalter has named a 27-man preliminary squad ahead of the Copa America.
Josh Sargent, the Norwich City forward, has earned a recall to the USA squad for the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Colombia, and is set to feature for his country for the first time since 2022.
With first-choice right-back Sergino Dest injured, meanwhile, Berhalter has turned to Nashville SC's Shaq Moore in defence.
Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Matt Turner, Weston McKennie and Brendan Aaronson are among the established names to feature.
Former Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun, who opted to represent the USA rather than England, has also made the cut, as has Coventry City's Haji Wright, who has had a strong season in England's second tier.
Berhalter explained Sargent had been called up to give him another option in attack, with Wright seen primarily as a wide option.
"Between their club form and what they've done for the national team in the past, we think it's a talented group of strikers," he said.
Giovanni Reyna, the 21-year-old Borussia Dortmund attacker who has been on loan at Nottingham Forest since January, has also been included, despite a feud between Berhalter and the playmaker's family in the wake of the World Cup.
Antonee Robinson has had another impressive season with Fulham, and has been called up alongside club-mate Tim Ream.
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen was a notable omission, as were MLS stars Jesus Ferreira and Jordan Morris.
"This summer presents an opportunity for us to progress and grow as a team as we continue to build towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup," Berhalter said.
"We have a talented group of players and are excited about the opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the world."
Berhalter will cut down his squad after the friendlies, with Copa hosts USA taking on Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia in Group C.
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