New FA campaign to support girls' football

The Football Association (FA) has announced new plans to make sure girls in England continue to have the same opportunities to play football as boys.

The new campaign called Made for This Game aims to inspire girls of all backgrounds to know that football is a sport where they belong, whether they want to play, coach, or referee.

Sue Day, The FA's Director of Women's Football, said, "No matter your age, ability or background, football is a sport where you belong. The time to convince people that girls should be allowed to play is long gone."

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Promotion for the campaign will be seen during England's Lionesses match against Spain at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday night.

It's the first time England have faced Spain since they lost the World Cup Final in 2023.

The FA says it wants to develop the game for professionals too, aiming for the Lionesses to win another major tournament within the next four years.

And it's already promised to work towards 90% of schools in England providing girls with equal access to football by 2028.

Teachers are also being encouraged to get involved with the 'Biggest Ever Football Session' on Friday 7 March - a special event where schools all across the country will celebrate girls' involvement in the game.

The FA says the day isn't just about playing but also about looking at how girls can have opportunities to coach, referee, and work in sports journalism or the business side of the sport.

The FA says work done in previous years has already had an impact, with a big increase in the number of girls and women playing football.

They say they have seen a 56% increase in the number of women and girls playing football thanks to the Lionesses success and the Let Girls Play campaign which started in 2021.

But the Football Association says there is still "significant work" to do.

"While so much progress has been made to create opportunities for women and girls in football, we know there is so much more to do, so the hard work to create true equality across the game continues," said Sue Day.