The FA has today announced the selected final venues for the next edition of the UEFA European Women’s Championship, which will be played across eight English host cities in the summer of 2021.
Leigh Sports Village replaces the City Ground as a tournament venue after Nottingham Forest became unviable for UEFA Women’s Euro 2021 matches due to planned stadium refurbishments.
The current home of Manchester United Women and a host for Rugby League World Cup games in 2021, Leigh Sports Village marked the announcement of their inclusion today by welcoming local children from Leigh Genesis Football Club to take part in a skills session alongside Manchester United and England players Abbie McManus and Mary Earps.
McManus said: “The support we received from fans this summer was incredible, and to know that we have a Euros on home soil in two years’ time is a huge motivation to work hard and remain focused, both on and off the pitch.
“I’m sure that Leigh Sports Village and the other eight venues across the country will provide amazing settings for Euro games, and we look forward to being able to experience the roar of a home crowd in the summer of 2021.”
REGISTER INTEREST TO VOLUNTEER AT EURO 2021
UEFA Women’s Euro 2021 promises to be a record-breaking tournament for UEFA, with approximately 700,000 tickets due to be available for fans across the country and extensive coverage of every game of the tournament available on free-to-air television, radio and online.
Two of the stadia are current Barclays FA Women’s Super League grounds, and four of the venues – in Brighton & Hove, Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Southampton – offer a capacity of over 30,000.
The showpiece final will be staged at Wembley Stadium, meaning the national stadium will host back-to-back men’s and women’s UEFA Euro finals in 2020 and 2021.
As tournament hosts, England qualify automatically and will be joined by another 15 teams for the finals tournament in July 2021. Both the venues and the official match schedule will be submitted to UEFA for approval by its executive committee later this year.
Baroness Sue Campbell, The FA’s director of women’s football, said: “The performance of the Lionesses this summer engaged the nation and helped to generate significant momentum in the women’s game.
“Looking ahead, hosting a home Euro in 2021 offers a huge opportunity for us to continue to push the profile of women’s football and to inspire more women and girls to get involved in the game.
“The selection of these nine venues is an important milestone for us as a host nation on our journey towards the final tournament in July 2021.
“I am confident that the selected cities and stadia will allow hundreds of thousands of fans across the country to attend matches and will also help to deliver an atmosphere befitting of a home European Championship to the nation.”
The road to UEFA Women’s Euro 2021 will see England play Germany at Wembley Stadium in November, with more than 55,000 tickets already sold.
