From Fa Ban To Double Euros Winners - Lionesses Reach 500 Games

ByCiara Fleming

BBC Sport journalist

England's Lionesses are nary strangers to making history.

The past decade has been rich | successful landmark moments; a first tourney medal, a first awesome trophy, and a first title defence - connected overseas ungraded to boot.

When Sarina Wiegman's broadside play Iceland successful Reykjavik connected Saturday (17:30 BST) they will scope different milestone - nan 500th fixture for England's elder women's team.

The crippled is important for securing qualification for adjacent year's World Cup successful Brazil, pinch England keen to triumph much silverware successful nan celebrated achromatic shirt.

But sloppy of nan result, nan lucifer will beryllium etched successful history arsenic a reminder of really acold nan English women's crippled has come.

In 1921, nan Football Association (FA) banned women's football, considering the crippled "most unsuitable for females", external.

The determination consigned women's shot to parkland pitches and mini venues for half a period before nan determination was overturned successful 1971.

To people 500 not out, BBC Sport takes a look astatine 11 defining moments successful nan history of England's women.

The infinitesimal it each began - officially.

Although an unofficial England broadside had played successful beforehand of 90,000 fans successful Mexico's Azteca Stadium successful a world women's tourney successful 1971, this was nan first due Women's Football Association (WFA) England team.

It was November 1972 and England travelled northbound to look Scotland astatine Ravenscraig Stadium successful Greenock.

In beforehand of 400 fans, nan Lionesses edged a thrilling game, coming from down to unafraid a 3-2 victory.

A twelvemonth later, nan teams played again for England's first charismatic location lucifer and nan Lionesses claimed a resounding 8-0 victory successful Nuneaton.

England made their awesome tourney debut successful 1984, competing arsenic 1 of 4 teams successful a Uefa title that was a precursor to nan Women's Euros.

After overcoming Denmark 3-1 complete 2 games, they faced a two-legged last against Sweden.

The Swedes won nan first brushwood successful Gothenburg acknowledgment to teen Pia Sundhage's strike, but Linda Curl's extremity settled nan 2nd successful England's favour astatine Luton Town's Kenilworth Road.

The trophy was decided by a punishment shootout, pinch Sweden prevailing 4-3 aft Curl was incapable to person her spot-kick.

England women played astatine Wembley Stadium for nan first clip successful 1989, taking connected aged rivals Sweden to observe nan 20th day of nan WFA.

The lucifer was played anterior to an England men's Rous Cup fixture against Chile, pinch astir 3,000 fans arriving early to watch.

Sundhage opened nan scoring, conscionable arsenic she had 5 years earlier successful Gothenburg, earlier onslaught partner Lena Videkull made nan triumph safe for nan visitors.

A record-low 15,628 fans attended nan pursuing men's match, which ended 0-0.

The WFA had been group up successful 1969, but struggled to support up pinch nan sport's maturation truthful nan committee voted to walk power to nan FA successful 1993.

While nan WFA had relied mostly connected volunteers, nan FA had nan resources and finances to create and professionalise operations.

In 1994, nan FA launched nan first Women's Premier League (FAWPL), and was moving nan WFA Cup, National League and League Cup competitions.

In 1998, Hope Powell was appointed nan first full-time coach of nan England women's elder squad arsenic portion of plans to create nan nationalist game.

On nan transportation she transformed nan Lionesses, starring them to six awesome tournaments, culminating successful last of Euro 2009 successful Finland, which Germany won 6-2.

Off nan pitch, Powell was a starring sound down a wholesale restructure of nan game, astir notably helping to found nan FA National Player Development Centre, devising subordinate capacity strategies, and securing cardinal contracts that allowed players to train and play full-time.

The twelvemonth 2005 was pivotal arsenic England hosted a awesome women's tourney for nan first time.

The European Championship demonstrated nan Lionesses could pull large crowds, pinch 29,092 fans attending their opening crippled against Finland astatine City of Manchester Stadium, and further figures of 14,695 and 25,694 for games against Denmark and Sweden astatine Blackburn Rovers' Ewood Park.

It besides illustrated broader liking successful nan women's crippled crossed nan country, pinch nan last betwixt Germany and Norway attended by 21,105 spectators.

The BBC broadcasted each England's games and nan final, pinch nan Sweden fixture peaking astatine 3 cardinal viewers.

In 2009 nan FA made different large move towards further professionalising nan women's crippled by offering cardinal contracts.

Initially 17 players were granted deals, allowing them to train and play full-time, and get capable remainder time, without nan unit of balancing shot astir replacement full-time employment.

"We dream this will let our girls clip to ore connected helping England suffice for awesome tournaments connected a accordant ground and competing astatine nan very apical level against nan champion teams successful nan world," said caput coach Powell.

England women won a badge for nan first clip astatine a World Cup erstwhile they vanished 3rd successful Canada successful 2015.

It was a superb run arsenic nan Lionesses surpassed expectations earlier being eliminated successful heartbreaking manner arsenic centre-half Laura Bassett's stoppage-time ain extremity settled nan semi-final against Japan.

Nevertheless, Mark Sampson's broadside rallied for nan third-placed play-off, and Fara Williams' extra-time punishment ensured England hit Germany for nan first clip successful 31 years to clinch nan bronze medal.

Despite nan clip difference, nan Lionesses were followed by fans backmost home, pinch up to 2.5 cardinal watching each game and 11.9 cardinal successful full watching immoderate portion of their journey.

In 2022, nan Lionesses became family names arsenic they won their first awesome trophy.

An edgy 1-0 triumph complete Austria kicked disconnected nan run earlier they thumped Northern Ireland and two-time winners Norway to apical Group A.

In nan quarter-finals, Georgia Stanway's rocket completed a singular comeback complete pre-tournament favourites Spain, earlier Sweden were swatted speech successful nan semi-final, Alessia Russo's backheel nan prime of 4 unanswered England goals.

Like Sir Alf Ramsey's 1966 World Cup-winning side, Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses wrote their names into history astatine Wembley.

There were 87,192 successful attendance arsenic they defeated Germany 2-1 successful nan final successful other clip courtesy of Chloe Kelly's toe-poke.

Raucous celebrations followed pinch goalkeeper Mary Earps starring a creation connected nan media convention tables and thousands flocking to Trafalgar Square a time later to watch nan recently crowned champions parade nan trophy.

As reigning European champions England headed to Australia arsenic 1 of nan favourites for nan 2023 World Cup, albeit without injured skipper Leah Williamson and striker Beth Mead, some absent pinch anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.

After 3 wins from 3 successful nan group stage, they battled past Nigeria, Colombia and hosts Australia to scope nan last successful Sydney.

However, their World Cup escapade ended successful heartbreak arsenic they fell to a 1-0 conclusion by Spain.

After winning their maiden title 3 years earlier, and reaching a World Cup last successful nan interim, location was immense unit connected nan Lionesses to present a beardown European Championship defence successful Switzerland.

It started badly, pinch a 2-1 conclusion by chap contenders France, but from that constituent connected Wiegman's broadside accelerated.

Emphatic wins complete nan Netherlands and Wales granted entree to nan knockout stage, earlier a nail-biting shootout triumph against Sweden and a last-gasp triumph complete Italy secured a last rematch against world champions Spain.

It was different tight title that went nan distance, pinch Kelly's publication erstwhile again proving decisive arsenic she scored nan last punishment successful a shootout to take sides England's position arsenic European champions.