Euro 2022: 33% Uplift in Women’s Football Interest

Soon after the Lionesses lifted the Women’s Euros trophy in front of a record crowd at Wembley Stadium, many commentators were speculating whether the surge in interest in women’s football would result in growth at grassroots level. 

Euro 2022 Impact

Playfinder, who receive over 100,000 searches a month for sports facilities across the UK, can give an early insight. We’ve seen a growth of 33% of women trying to find somewhere to play when comparing the month before the tournament started on 6th July to the period since (6th July to 1st August).

When it comes to how many of these have converted to bookings, Playfinder has seen a growth of 32% more football bookings being made by women. This has gone from 1,262 bookings in May to 1,661 in July across the UK. 

Growing interest

This is off the back of a pronounced rebalancing in the demand for sports. As recently as 2018 Playfinder saw only 25% of the demand on the platform coming from women. In May 2022 this passed the symbolic 40% mark. Based on the current trend Playfinder expects to see a 50/50 split at the end of 2025 – unless this recent success accelerates the move.

Jamie Foale, founder and CEO of Playfinder, said: “We’ve seen a connection between the professional and amateur sides of women’s football in a way that we haven’t in the men’s game. It’s clear there’s an inextricable link which means the Lionesses’ heroics have even more impact on women and girls getting out and playing. This can only be a good thing but we must remind ourselves that it needs to be supported by ongoing investment in the country’s sports facilities to accommodate the growing demand.

If the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 victory has inspired you, why not see where you can play football near you? Visit our football page for more information.