How many people watched the 2022 Women’s European Championship?
The game finished 1-1 after 90 minutes but a late goal from Chloe Kelly in extra-time secured an historic triumph for the England players over Germany.
Never mind the pressure that was on the home England team to deliver where their male counterparts have been unable since 1966, the vast majority of those in attendance were just as nervous. And there was a record amount of them in the stadium.
Record attendance for Euro 2022
Wembley Stadium saw an official attendance of 87,192 for Sunday’s Women’s Euro 2022 final between England and Germany where the hosts were pegged back in the closing minutes of normal time only to win it late on in extra-time thanks to a scrappy close range finish from Chloe Kelly. The crowd count beat the highest total recorded in either the men’s or women’s editions of the tournament.
The previous attendance record for a women’s Euros match was when 68,871 fans packed the stands at Old Trafford to watch hosts England take on Austria in the opening match of the tournament earlier this month. The record for a men’s game was in 1964 when 79,115 fans were in attendance for the final between hosts Spain and the Soviet Union at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid.
Last year’s men’s Euro 2020 final between England and Italy at Wembley was attended by a reduced-capacity of 67,000 spectators due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The overall attendance for the competition now stands at 574,875 - more than double the previous record of 240,055 set in the Netherlands in 2017.
Singing England players invade press conference
Following the win, the celebrating players interrupted England coach Sarina Wiegman’s press conference, dancing into the room singing the chorus of the famous ‘Three Lionesses’ anthem. Wiegman had just finished answering a question about tactics and where the game was won and lost when the players made their surprise entrance, with goalkeeper Mary Earps leaping onto the table and being joined by defender Lucy Bronze.
“We haven’t sung this at all, this is something from English culture,” Dutchwoman Wiegman told reporters after the interruption. “I think we won the Cup. I don’t think this is the home of the cup, that’s in Switzerland somewhere with UEFA but we won it and we’re really happy.”
The ‘Three Lions’ song by comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner and band The Lightning Seeds was originally written for the men’s Euro ‘96 tournament which England hosted, and has since been rewritten for the women’s team.
Baddiel retweeted a clip of the England players’ celebrations, writing: “This makes me very proud. Thanks again Lionesses.”