England Women's Team Sells Out Wembley for Germany Friendly
Martin Richard/USA Today Sports
The FA has confirmed that England's clash with Germany at Wembley Stadium on Nov. 9 has been completely sold out, ahead of what could become the most watched women's match ever in the country.
The current landmark was set more than seven years ago, when 80,023 fans turned out to watch the United States win 2-1 against Japan at Wembley to claim gold at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
What is definite, though, is that the clash in November will become the most-watched Lionesses game ever, after all the seats were sold at the iconic home of English football. The sell-out match means the attendance on the day is set to far exceed the 45,619 that went to see a clash between the same two nations in November 2014 - a 3-0 win for Germany.
Sue Campbell, FA director of women’s football, said: “This is a magnificent show of support for the squad and staff after a tremendous year of progress for the England team. My thanks go to everyone who has bought a ticket as we never take such support for granted.
“We started the year with success at the SheBelieves Cup, had a wonderful World Cup including securing Olympic qualification and it is only fitting that we get to end 2019 on a high – and can also say our own thank you to those who have backed us all the way.
“What will make it even more special is to see everyone who has bought a ticket turn up on the day to help smash the all-time record on English soil. My message to them is to come and be a part of history.”
The increased hype around the Lionesses' team largely stemmed from the growing interest in this year's Women's World Cup, which saw a record-breaking 28.1 million viewers in the UK, obliterating the figures from the previous tournament in 2015.
However, it hasn't been smooth sailing for the Lionesses in recent months. Since the World Cup third-place playoff defeat to Sweden, Phil Neville's side has won just one of its following four matches - a narrow 1-0 victory over Portugal earlier this month. Furthermore, including the semifinal defeat to the USWNT during the showpiece tournament, England has amassed just one win in its last six games.
That will do little to mask the achievement of the side, however, which can now look forward to a packed Wembley to try to build a new winning streak.
