The England women's national football team, commonly known as the Lionesses, played their first match officially recognised by The Football Association (FA), England's football governing body, in 1972. Previous teams are often known as the Lost Lionesses. Still, the women's national team was not organised by the FA for the first two decades of its existence. The Women's Football Association (WFA) was the former association that acted as the governing body for women's football in England. It initially operated independently, between 1969 and 1983, then was a county-level affiliate of the FA until 1993, at which point the FA assumed responsibility for women's football in England and the women's game became formally regulated.
During their time under the WFA, England reached the final of Euro 1984, which they lost on penalties. They won Euro 2022 on home soil and Euro 2025 in Switzerland.
This list encompasses honours won by the England national team, and records set by both players and managers including appearance and goal records. It also records England's record victories.
Carol Thomas was the first women's international footballer ever to reach 50 caps, which she achieved in 1985 before retiring from representative football later that year (having amassed 56 caps). Fara Williams holds the record for England appearances, having played 172 times between 2001 and 2019.
Ellen White has scored the most goals for England, with 52. She surpassed Kelly Smith's record on 30 November 2021, scoring a hat-trick against Latvia during a UEFA qualifier for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup where England won 20–0, the Lionesses' biggest-ever competitive win.
Terms Competitive matches or competitive internationals refer to any matches that are not friendlies, training games, or invitational tournaments, i.e. all of: World Cup qualifiers and finals, European Championship qualifiers and finals, Finalissima, and Nations League group stage and finals. Major competitions refers to the same competitions as above, though results only from the final tournaments; major tournaments refers to these such finals. Due to poor records and a lack of oversight, there may still be limited recognition of matches played under the WFA; records and statistics prior to 1993 are marked as (WFA era).
Honours and achievements
Trophies Sources:
Major FIFA Women's World Cup Runners-up: 2023 Third place: 2015 Women's Finalissima Champions: 2023 UEFA Women's Championship Champions: 2022, 2025 Runners-up: 1984, 2009
Regional British Home Championship Champions: 1976
Minor Mundialito Champions: 1985, 1988 Cyprus Cup Champions: 2009, 2013, 2015 SheBelieves Cup Champions: 2019 Arnold Clark Cup Champions: 2022, 2023
Awards
In 2015, the World Cup squad won the BT Sport Action Woman Awards Team of the Year award. In 2019, the World Cup squad won the GQ Men of the Year Inspiration Award. The 23-player squad and coach Sarina Wiegman who won the 2022 Euro, the women's team's first major international title, received several honours that year, including: Freedom of the City of London (as individuals) Pride of Britain Awards (2022): Inspiration Award BT Sport Action Woman Awards: Team of the Year Northwest Football Awards: Billy Seymour Impact Award Manchester City of Champions Awards: Hall of Fame induction Just A Ball Game? LGBT+ inclusion and visibility award Sports Journalists' Association Awards: Team of the Year BBC Sports Personality of the Year (2022): Team of the Year Award World Soccer Awards: Women's World Team of the Year Laureus World Sports Awards: Team of the Year nomination The 23-player squad and Wiegman who won the 2025 Euro, England's first title retention and first major trophy won outside of England, received further honours: Collectively inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame, housed at the National Football Museum Laureus World Sports Awards: Team of the Year nomination BBC Sports Personality of the Year (2025): Team of the Year Award nomination
Player appearances
Most appearances
#PlayerEngland careerCapsGoalsRef12001–20191724022006–2022161273Lucy Bronze2013–1482242005–20191443252004–20171401262000–2018130671997–2013129198Steph Houghton2007–20211211391981–200011930101995–201411746
Centurions First player to reach 100 appearances Gillian Coultard Fastest to reach 100 appearances As of 14 April 2026. Source as of 27 February 2019: #PlayerFirst cap100th capTime takenRef1Keira Walsh28 November 201714 April 20262Alex Scott18 September 200415 July 20133Jill Scott31 August 200627 October 20154Lucy Bronze26 June 201311 October 20225Karen Carney18 February 200523 November 20146Fara Williams24 November 20011 March 20127Alex Greenwood5 March 20145 July 20258Eniola Aluko18 September 20049 March 20169Casey Stoney14 August 20004 March 201210Rachel Unitt14 August 200031 March 201211Ellen White25 March 201027 November 202112Steph Houghton8 March 200711 November 201813Rachel Yankey23 August 199729 July 201014Kelly Smith1 November 19952 March 201115Gillian Coultard2 May 198127 February 1997
Firsts First player to reach 50 appearances Carol Thomas
First substitute Wendy Owen, 18 November 1972 (WFA era)England Matches – The England Women's Football Team. England Football Online. Retrieved 21 April 2025: (Matches #1–90 [overall, WFA]) (Matches #91–164 [overall]; #91–113 [WFA]; #1–51 [FA]) (Matches #165–275 [overall]; #52–162 [FA]) (Matches #276–414 [overall]; #163–301 [FA]) (Matches #415+ [overall]; #302+ [FA])
Players to debut at the World Cup finals Becky Easton, 8 June 1995 vs. Norway
Players to debut at the European Championship finals None as of 27 July 2025
Consecutive records
Most consecutive appearances Known confirmed appearances:
Of 20+ appearances (the most games England has played in a single calendar year, i.e. players must have played consecutive games for at least a year); only the single longest streak of any individual player is listed. PlayerCarol Thomas51Gillian Coultard50Rachel Daly38Rachel Unitt35Alex Scott33Sue Smith31Jill Scott29Georgia Stanway29Fara Williams28Steph Houghton26Marieanne Spacey25Samantha Britton24Karen Carney24Keira Walsh24Kerry Davis22Mary Phillip22Casey Stoney22Demi Stokes22Eniola Aluko22Karen Walker21Kelly Smith20Nikita Parris20
Most consecutive starts at the World Cup and European Championship finals
Of >7 starts (the most games in a tournament finals, i.e. players must have consecutively started more than all games in a single tournament); players who have multiple streaks appear multiple times; current active streaks listed in italics. PlayerMatchesLucy Bronze28Georgia Stanway19Millie Bright13Mary Earps13Steph Houghton12Ellen White11Lauren Hemp11Keira Walsh10Steph Houghton9Beth Mead8Keira Walsh8
Most consecutive years of appearances Gillian Coultard, 20 (1981–2000, inclusive)
Most tournaments appeared in consecutively Only includes tournaments in which the player did play, minimum of 5 consecutive tournament appearances.
PlayerTournamentsJill Scott82007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022Karen Carney82005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019Fara Williams72005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017Alex Scott72005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017Eni Aluko62005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015Ellen White62011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022Lucy Bronze62015, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2025Alex Greenwood62015, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2025Kelly Smith52005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013Casey Stoney52007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015Steph Houghton52011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, Karen Bardsley52011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019
Most consecutive appearances by an unchanged team On three occasions the England women's football team has fielded an unchanged starting XI for more than two consecutive games: EventMatchesStarting XI6UEFA Women's Euro 20226 July 2022 England 1–0 Austria11 July 2022 England 8–0 Norway15 July 2022 Northern Ireland 0–5 England20 July 2022 England 2–1 Spain26 July 2022 England 4–0 Sweden31 July 2022 England 2–1 GermanyMary Earps, Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright, Leah Williamson, Rachel Daly, Keira Walsh, Fran Kirby, Georgia Stanway, Beth Mead, Ellen White, Lauren Hemp41984 European Competition for Women's Football8 April 1984 England 2–1 Denmark28 April 1984 Denmark 0–1 (1–3 agg.) England12 May 1984 Sweden 1–0 England27 May 1984 England 1–0 (1–1 agg., 3–4 p.) SwedenTheresa Wiseman, Carol Thomas, Morag Pearce, Lorraine Hanson, Angie Gallimore, Gillian Coultard, Liz Deighan, Debbie Bampton, Linda Curl, Kerry Davis, Pat Chapman3UEFA Women's Euro 20259 July 2025 England 4–0 Netherlands13 July 2025 England 6–1 Wales17 July 2025 Sweden 2–2 (2–3 p.) EnglandHannah Hampton, Lucy Bronze, Leah Williamson, Jess Carter, Alex Greenwood, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Lauren James, Alessia Russo, Lauren Hemp
Mosts
Most appearances without ever playing at the World Cup finals Theresa Wiseman, 68
Most appearances at the European Championship finals Lucy Bronze, 16 Karen Carney, 15
Most appearances total at the World Cup and European Championship finals Source as of 22 July 2025: Lucy Bronze, 36 Jill Scott, 35 Karen Carney, 32 Ellen White, 27 Fara Williams, 27
Time spans
Longest England career Gillian Coultard, 19 years and 10 days, 3 May 1981 – 13 May 2000 (including WFA era)
Shortest England career Anouk Denton, 2 minutes, 2 December 2025
Appearances at three World Cup final tournaments The following players have appeared in (at least) three World Cup final tournaments: PlayerWorld Cup appearances20072011201520192023Fara WilliamsAlex ScottEniola AlukoCasey StoneyJill ScottKaren CarneyEllen WhiteSteph HoughtonKaren BardsleyLucy BronzeAlex Greenwood
Appearances in three separate decades The following players have made appearances in three separate decades: PlayerDecades appeared in1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020sDebbie BamptonGillian CoultardMarieanne SpaceyKaren WalkerRachel Brown-FinnisKelly SmithSue SmithFaye WhiteRachel YankeyKaren BardsleySteph HoughtonJill Scott
Youngests
Youngest players Morag Pearce, 15 years, 18 November 1972 (WFA era) Linda Curl, 15 years, 28 April 1977 (WFA era)
Youngest player to feature at the World Cup finals Lianne Sanderson, 19 years and 231 days, 22 September 2007https://web.archive.org/web/20130921184159/https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/womensworldcup/china2007/matches/round=248548/match=56338/report.html
Youngest player to feature at the European Championship finals Hope Powell, 17 years and 171 days, 27 May 1984 (WFA era) Karen Carney, 17 years and 308 days, 5 June 2005 (FA era)
Oldests
Oldest debutante Anna Moorhouse, 30 years 244 days, 29 November 2025
Players capped by another country Players who have made senior international appearances for England and another country Other countryPlayerEngland careerOther careerRef AustraliaKristy Moore2002–20041997 JamaicaDrew Spence20152021–Taylor Hinds2025–2024 NetherlandsJeannie Allott (WFA era)1972–19761985–1987 New ZealandAudrey Rigby (WFA era)19761983–1987 ScotlandSandy MacIver20212023– WalesAlison Leatherbarrow (WFA era)1975–1979?Sian Williams1992–20001985 Rinsola Babajide played two uncapped behind-closed-doors matches with England in 2020, but has not received an official cap. She began representing Nigeria in 2023.
Goalscoring
Top goalscorers
#NameEngland careerGoalsCapsAverageRef1Ellen White (list)2010–2022521132 (list)1995–20154611731982–1998439041988–200341865=2018–40800.505=2001–2019401727=Georgia Stanway2019–33920.367=2004–2017331057=2005–20193314410=2020–306510=1984–20013094
Firsts
First goal Sylvia Gore, 18 November 1972 vs. Scotland (WFA era) Clare Taylor, 25 September 1993 vs. Slovenia (FA era)
First goal in a World Cup finals match Gillian Coultard, 6 June 1995 vs. Canada
First goal in a World Cup qualifying campaign Hope Powell, 17 March 1990 vs. Belgium
First goal in a European Championship finals match