The Lionesses lift their first Finalissima tournament title. Photo by Lionesses (Twitter)
The countdown to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has begun, and the Lionesses have confirmed their penultimate home match before departing for the tournament in Australia. England will meet Portugal in a send-off match in Milton Keynes on Saturday, July 1, with kick-off planned for 3.15 p.m. The game will be shown live on ITV1, giving fans a chance to watch the squad prepare for the highly anticipated World Cup.
Sarina Wiegman, the Lionesses’ head coach, has named the roster for the match against Portugal. Wiegman highlighted her delight at having a competitive game as the team’s final home game, emphasising the crucial learning lessons garnered from the team’s earlier matches against Brazil and Australia in April. The match against Portugal will be another difficult test against a team that has done well and is making its maiden appearance in the Women’s World Cup.
“I am really pleased to have a competitive game for our last home fixture. We had two big games in April against Brazil and Australia where we learned so much. This will be another challenging match against a team that have performed well and are going to their first World Cup.” – Sarina Wiegman, England coach
Wiegman praised Portugal’s technical ability and determination to establish themselves as a danger in the next competition. She emphasised the significance of the squad getting together after the club season ended and experiencing the love of their supporters. With only three weeks until their first World Cup game, the encounter against Portugal will be critical in the Lionesses’ preparation.
Tickets for the match will go on sale to England Football members on Friday, June 9, and to the general public on Monday, June 12. Fans may get tickets at the event’s official website, https://www.tickets.com/. The Lionesses previously played in the Arnold Clark Cup at Milton Keynes Stadium in February, where they defeated Korea Republic 4-0.
The most recent meeting between England and Portugal was on October 8, 2019, at Setubal, when Beth Mead scored the only goal for the visitors. The sides previously played at the EURO 2017 group stage in Tilburg, Netherlands, with England winning 2-1 with goals from Toni Duggan and Nikita Parris.
Interestingly, the two teams last met on English soil more than 21 years ago, on February 24, 2002, during a 2003 World Cup qualifier. In the game, England won 3-0 in Portsmouth, with Kelly Smith scoring twice after Fara Williams started the scoring on her full international debut.
The Lionesses will meet Canada in a behind-closed-doors friendly on July 14, allowing further opportunity to fine-tune their strategies and tactics ahead of the World Cup. England has been drawn in Group D for the World Cup finals, where they will face Haiti on July 22 in Brisbane, Denmark on July 28 in Sydney, and PR China on August 1 in Adelaide. Meanwhile, Portugal is in Group E, where it will meet the Netherlands on July 23 in Dunedin, Vietnam on July 27 in Hamilton, and the US on August 1 in Auckland.
The Lionesses’ send-off encounter against Portugal promises to be a thrilling and essential matchup as they attempt to fine-tune their preparations for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023. England will try to provide a solid performance and generate momentum ahead of the competition in Australia and New Zealand, with the help of their fans.
Written by Unnati Naidu.
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