FILE - England players celebrate at the end of the Women Euro 2022 semi final soccer match between England and Sweden at Bramall Lane Stadium in Sheffield, England, Tuesday, July 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Super, File)
The Associated Press
LONDON (AP) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson sent a good luck message to England ahead of its Women's European Championship final against Germany, saying on Saturday the team has shown that soccer 'œis not just for boys.'ť
'œIn any pride, it is the lionesses who ruthlessly hunt as a team and bring their prize back home and I am sure that will be the case against Germany,'ť said Johnson, referring to the England women's team that is nicknamed the 'œLionesses.'ť
The final is to be played before a sold-out crowd of more than 87,000 at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
England has never won a major international title in women's soccer and the team is in its first title match since Euro 2009, capturing the hearts of the nation with its free-flowing style of play.
Women's soccer was banned by the Football Association from English grounds in 1921 and that lasted for a half-century.
'œWhatever happens at Wembley,'ť Johnson said, 'œI know that, come (Monday) morning, the pitches and playgrounds and parks of this country will be filled as never before with girls and women who know beyond any shadow of a doubt that football is not just for boys -- it really is for everyone.'ť
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FILE - England's team players celebrate after scoring their side's second goal during the Women Euro 2022 semi final soccer match between England and Sweden at the Bramall Lane Stadium in Sheffield, England, Tuesday, July 26, 2022. The march to Sunday's final against Germany has energized people throughout England, with the team's pinpoint passing and flashy goals attracting record crowds, burgeoning TV ratings and adoring coverage. The Lionesses, as the team is known, have been a welcome distraction from the political turmoil and cost-of-living crisis that dominate the headlines. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira, File)
The Associated Press
FILE - Young England fans on the stands wave flags before the start of the Women Euro 2022 group A soccer match between England and Norway at Brighton & Hove Community Stadium in Brighton, England, Monday, July 11, 2022. The march to Sunday's final against Germany has energized people throughout England, with the team's pinpoint passing and flashy goals attracting record crowds, burgeoning TV ratings and adoring coverage. The Lionesses, as the team is known, have been a welcome distraction from the political turmoil and cost-of-living crisis that dominate the headlines. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)
The Associated Press