Women’s World Cup final: A list of all the places you can watch England’s Lionesses take on Spain
No more need for dreaming – England are in a World Cup final for the first time since 1966 and the hopes of a nation rest in the boots of the Lionesses who have fought to be there.
Standing in the way of their path to ultimate glory are Spain’s La Furia Roja, who have also defied the odds to reach their first women’s final.
Australia and New Zealand jointly hosted this year’s tournament and the main spectacle will kick off at 11am on Sunday UK time (8pm local time at Stadium Australia in Sydney).
But if you haven’t managed to fly 10,000 miles to watch the game in person, there are plenty of places here to fly a flag… undoubtedly with the rapturous chants of “It’s coming home” reverberating all around you.
More than 13 million people are expected to watch the final either on TV or big screens, with several screening events across London.
Victoria Park in east London will host a free “super screening” which can accommodate more than 12,000 fans.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the atmosphere for the screening would be “electric” and hopes for thousands of fans to “roar on the team in their biggest game yet”.
Wembley Stadium and Trafalgar Square will not be showing the game this year.
Meanwhile, Boxpark venues across the capital will also be rocking as their Wembley and Croydon locations are already sold out, though you can join the waitlist for Shoreditch.
Women’s World Cup 2023 fans at Boxpark Wembley
Boxpark Croydon when England beat Australia in the semi-final
The commercial Canary Wharf will be basking in World Cup fever with a large screen at Canada Square Park, while Vinegar Yard, a few stops down the Jubilee Line in London Bridge, will also be showing the game.
Clapham Grand, Big Penny Social in Walthamstow, Spitalfields Market near Liverpool Street and Clubhouse 5 in Leicester Square will have the final on big screens too.
Fans at Chelsea stadium supporting the Lionesses in their match against Nigeria
In Manchester, thousands are expected to flock to Piccadilly Gardens’ big screens, which will show the full build-up to the match and will have bars nearby to serve alcohol.
Birmingham and Newcastle will be joining the festivities on Sunday.
Birmingham Bierkeller is promising to be a football hotspot with a superscreen as its main attraction plus over 20 screens and two projectors.
Tyneside’s NX fan zone is boasting of a “phenomenal mega screening”, with crowd singalongs and a family atmosphere.
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Other hubs with multiple large screens have been set up around the country including in Sheffield, Nottingham and Bristol – while Jersey’s al fresco’s fan zone will welcome massive LED screens in its capital St Helier.
And churches are set to shift their Sunday services after the Church of England said it was “fine” for them to do so.
This means the likes of St Mary’s Church in Surrey will treat people to “bacon rolls and fizz” following its main morning eucharist, of bread and wine.
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What about a pre-match pint?
Pubs everywhere can choose when they open on Sunday, but the time from which they can start selling alcohol varies depending on each pub’s individual licence.
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England fans celebrate every goal
The British Beer and Pub Association said most pubs can start serving alcohol from 11am – kick off time – but it is calling for the law to be relaxed so football fans can enjoy a drink from 10am.
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has also written to councils asking them to do “everything they can” so pubs can operate earlier on the day of the final.
Temporary changes to licensing laws in England and Wales have been made for special events in the past, such as the Euro 2020 final and the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
… and an extra bank holiday?
The Labour Party is calling for a celebratory bank holiday should the Lionesses lift the trophy.
The government said an extra bank holiday is not currently in its plans, adding it will find the “right way to celebrate” if the Lionesses emerge victorious.
Despite widespread public calls, there has never been an extra bank holiday after a sporting achievement.
A government spokesperson told Sky News: “Winning the World Cup would be a massive moment for the country and make no mistake we’ll find the right way to celebrate.
“As [England manager] Sarina Wiegman herself has said, the first thing to do is focus on the final and the whole country will be rooting for the Lionesses this weekend.”
Pakistan has launched attacks on “multiple targets” across India, according to the media wing of Pakistan’s military.
Pakistan said in a statement that retaliatory attacks are underway in response to what it called “continuous provocation” by India, which fired missiles at three air bases inside Pakistan.
“Multiple targets in this operation are being engaged all across India,” the statement from Pakistan Armed Forces (PAF) said.
Pakistan’s military said it used medium-range Fateh missiles to strike more than 25 military sites, including airbases and weapons depots in the Indian states of Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan, as well as locations in India-administered Kashmir.
Pakistan’s military posted footage on X showing missiles being fired from what appeared to be a mobile launcher.
Pic: MilitaryPakISPR
The AP news agency also said loud explosions have been heard in India-administered Kashmir, in the disputed region’s two big cities of Srinagar and Jammu, and the garrison town of Udhampur.
Meanwhile, an Indian military source told Reuters that India has launched air operations in Pakistan, although no further details were given.
The operations mark the latest escalation in a conflict between the two nuclear-armed rivals, triggered by a deadly attack last month in India-administered Kashmir.
Most of the 26 civilians killed were Hindu Indian tourists. India blames Pakistan for backing the assault, an accusation Islamabad rejects.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called a meeting of the National Command Authority, the body which takes security decisions, including those related to the country’s nuclear arsenal.
State-run Pakistan television said three air bases were struck by India on Friday, although Pakistan insisted most of the missiles had been intercepted.
Despite the military offensive, PAF also posted a message on X in what appeared to represent an opportunity to de-escalate the situation.
“Now that a response has been given we hope the neighbour [India] will move to dialogue and diplomacy like Civilized Nations,” it said.
In recent days, both countries have launched a series of missile and drone strikes, although the scale and impact have been consistently questioned by each other.
On Wednesday, India conducted airstrikes on several sites in Pakistani territory. Pakistan said it shot down five Indian fighter jets.
On Thursday, India claimed to have repelled drone and missile attacks at military targets in more than a dozen cities and towns, including Jammu in India-administered Kashmir. Meanwhile, India claimed it struck Pakistan’s air defence systems and radars close to the city of Lahore.
A damaged house in Jammu, in Indian-administered Kashmir, after a Pakistani drone attack. Pic: AP
The Indian army said on Friday that Pakistan fired about 300 to 400 drones, targeting military installations along the western borders – a claim strongly denied by Pakistan.
The G7 group of advanced economies, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US and Britain, urged maximum restraint from both India and Pakistan.
“We call for immediate de-escalation and encourage both countries to engage in direct dialogue towards a peaceful outcome,” a statement issued on Friday said.
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World
European leaders to meet in Ukraine for ‘coalition of the willing’ talks – and issue call to Russia
Sir Keir Starmer will join other European leaders in Kyiv on Saturday for talks on the “coalition of the willing”.
The prime minister is attending the event alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, recently-elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
It will be the first time the leaders of the four countries will travel to Ukraine at the same time – on board a train to Kyiv – with their meeting hosted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Follow latest updates on the Ukraine war
Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz travelling in the saloon car of a special train to Kiev. Pic: Reuters
Military officers from around 30 countries have been involved in drawing up plans for the coalition, which would provide a peacekeeping force in the event of a ceasefire being agreed between Russia and Ukraine.
Ahead of the meeting on Saturday, Sir Keir, Mr Macron, Mr Tusk and Mr Merz released a joint statement voicing support for Ukraine and calling on Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire.
Sir Keir and Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in March. Pic: AP
“We reiterate our backing for President Trump’s calls for a peace deal and call on Russia to stop obstructing efforts to secure an enduring peace,” they said.
“Alongside the US, we call on Russia to agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace.”
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The leaders said they were “ready to support peace talks as soon as possible”.
But they warned that they would continue to “ratchet up pressure on Russia’s war machine” until Moscow agrees to a lasting ceasefire.
“We are clear the bloodshed must end, Russia must stop its illegal invasion, and Ukraine must be able to prosper as a safe, secure and sovereign nation within its internationally recognised borders for generations to come,” their statement added.
“We will continue to increase our support for Ukraine.”
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The European leaders are set to visit the Maidan, a central square in Ukraine’s capital where flags represent those who died in the war.
They are also expected to host a virtual meeting for other leaders in the “coalition of the willing” to update them on progress towards a peacekeeping force.
This force “would help regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces after any peace deal and strengthen confidence in any future peace”, according to Number 10.
World
Ten explosions near international airport in India-administered part of Kashmir, officials say
Ten explosions have been heard near Srinagar International Airport in India-administered parts of Kashmir, officials have told Reuters news agency.
The blasts followed blackouts caused by multiple projectiles, which were seen in the sky above the city of Jammu earlier on Friday.
Explosions were also heard in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar, in the neighbouring Punjab state, according to Reuters.
An Indian military official told the agency that “drones have been sighted” and “they are being engaged”.
It comes as tensions between India and Pakistan across the line of control around the region of Kashmir have boiled over this week, leading to fears of a wider conflict.
On Wednesday morning, India carried out missile strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered parts of the disputed region.
The retaliation came weeks after 26 people, mainly Indian tourists, were shot dead by gunmen in an India-administered part of Kashmir last month.
The government in India said it hit nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites, while Pakistan said it was not involved in the April attack and the sites were not militant bases.
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Explained: India-Pakistan conflict
Around 48 people have been killed since Wednesday, according to casualty estimates on both sides – which have not been independently verified.
India also suspended its top cricket tournament, the Indian Premier League, as a result of rising tensions, while the Pakistan Super League moved the remainder of its season to the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a conference on Friday that the US is in constant contact with both India and Pakistan.
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