Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses are through to the Women’s World Cup final after Wednesday’s thrilling 3-1 semi-final win over Australia, with goals from Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo enough to see off the Matildas in front of a highly partisan home crowd.
The European champions will face Spain at Stadium Australia in Sydney at 11am on Sunday morning (BST), their opponents extremely impressive throughout the tournament but only narrowly overcoming Sweden 2-1 in the other semi.
England beat Spain at the quarter-final stage en route to their Euro 2022 triumph last summer in one of their trickiest games of the knock-out stages and this weekend’s grand finale Down Under promises to be every bit as nail-biting.
The Lionesses have seen off Haiti, Denmark, China, Nigeria, Colombia and now Australia to reach the last two, overcoming adversity in the shape of injuries to key players before and during the World Cup and Lauren James’s red card and suspension since the round of 16.
They have grown into the tournament and looked increasingly convincing but will need to be at their very best to conquer a skilful Spanish side packed with promising young players and creative attacking talent.
The big match will be broadcast on both the BBC and ITV in the UK, with the former’s coverage starting at 10am and the latter’s at 10.15am.
If you prefer to catch the final with a crowd, however, there are plenty of fan zones, pubs and bars across the country throwing open their doors early, a selection of which follows.
London
In the capital, Boxpark’s shipping container venues in Croydon, Shoreditch and Wembley have become the place to see international football in recent years, with every England goal celebrated with a ceremonial tossing of pints into the air.
If you prefer a drier experience, both Time Out and Conde Naste Traveller have compiled their own lists of alternative watering holes, from grassroots women’s clubs like Deptford Ravens and Bend It Like Peckham to Brew Dog’s bars across the city and individual pubs catering to the occasion like Big Penny Social in Walthamstow, The Four Thieves in Battersea and The Prince in West Brompton.
There will also be open-air screens in Canary Wharf, Hackney Bridge and Spitalfields Market.
You can also see the match in Victoria Park as part of In the NBHD, an All Points East event.
Birmingham
Birmingham City Council has declined to put up a big screen in the city centre, The Birmingham Mail reports, but points out that punters are “already well-served by a wide variety of commercial premises”.
The newspaper lists a variety of local haunts for supporters to visit instead, from Walkabout and O’Neills to The Distillery in Sheepcote Street and The Brasshouse on Broad Street.
Birmingham City FC will also be showing the game at St Andrew’s prior to its women’s side’s free-entry friendly with Liverpool.
Manchester
Manchester will offer the big screen experience in Piccadilly Gardens, according to The Manchester Evening News, with a 6,000-capacity fan zone opening at 10am.
“Fans will be able to choose whether to watch the big screen action from the strictly no alcohol grassed area, or from the adjoining raised platform area where existing bars will operate in accordance with their usual Sunday licensing restrictions,” the newspaper reports.
Newcastle
A massive fan zone will also be opened in Newcastle’s NX concert venue (formerly the O2 Academy) on Westgate Road in the city centre, according to Chronicle Live.
Doors will open at 10am, with tickets costing £6 and available online in advance from Fatsoma.
Liverpool
With Bootle legend Alex Greenwood taking part, Liverpudlians should be in fine voice for this one.
In anticipation, The Liverpool Echo has compiled a list of pubs showing the game across the city centre, advising punters to book ahead to avoid disappointment as demand is expected to be considerable.
Bristol
You can see the game at the Independence Sports Bar at Bristol City’s Ashton Gate stadium, with tables allocated from 10am on a first-come, first-served basis.
Alternatively, The Bristol Post has its own list of pubs showing the game.
Norwich
If you’re in Norfolk and cheering on local heroine Lauren Hemp, The Norwich Evening News has a rundown of all the pubs and bars showing the final.
Brighton
On the south coast, The Argus has you covered.
For more information on screenings in your area, please check local listings.
