Great Britain qualify for women’s football tournament at Tokyo 2020

The football associations of GB’s respective home nations had agreed last year that they would field a team for the 2020 Olympics.

However, responsibility on qualification fell to England who led the bid, with the Scottish and Welsh FAs allowing players to participate though choosing not to actively promote or support the team, and that qualification depended on England finishing as one of the top three European teams in the tournament.

With the host nation leaving the tournament on Friday courtesy of a 2-1 defeat by the USA, England progress to the semi-finals of the tournament as one of three European teams alongside the winners of the remaining quarter-finals between Italy v Netherlands and Germany v Sweden.

It will be the second time GB have participated in the women’s football tournament, having made their debut at home games, London 2012.

As one of the favourites to win at the outset of the tournament, England were always well-placed to achieve qualification for the Tokyo Olympics at this summer’s World Cup, though it is fantastic that they have now done so.

With women’s sport still only accounting for around 10% of televised sports coverage in the UK, opportunities to promote women’s football to a mass-audience, remain few and far between.

As the star of women’s football continues to rise, it would have been a travesty for the game and for the league to miss out on the unique broadcast opportunity the Olympics provide, showcasing the women’s game on a level-playing field alongside it’s male counterparts.