Why Do Thousands Buy Tickets to Watch the Lionesses and Not Turn Up?
In 2025, England women's football team played eight home games, including three at Wembley, as part of a European title defence. Although nearly 48,000 tickets were sold for these matches, a significant number of spectators did not attend. Wembley was sold out on 29 November for the England vs China match, with 74,611 in attendance. Considering broadcast and operational holds, the sell-out crowd capacity is around 85,000. The cumulative home attendance for England in 2025 reached 302,238 across eight games, averaging 37,780 per match. The final two games held within four days saw combined attendance exceeding 94,000. In comparison, in 2024, England averaged 42,770 spectators across seven home games, with the peak attendance of 78,346 recorded during a friendly against the US at Wembley.
This attendance gap is not unique to women's football; similarly, the men's game experiences sell-outs with notable attendance drops—for example, the England vs Wales match in October had 78,116 attendees despite a sell-out announcement. Several reasons contribute to these drop-offs, including early ticket sales aimed at capitalizing on tournaments, potential schedule changes due to Premier League and FA Cup fixtures, and factors such as affordability, weather conditions, and transport issues affecting turnout.
Ticket prices are kept low to maintain accessibility, evidenced by a family of four paying £40 for the China match; however, these prices do not fully prevent no-shows as other life factors come into play, notably economic considerations amid the cost of living. The Football Association (FA) is exploring solutions such as establishing an official resale platform to help mitigate this issue. A cross-functional group involving commercial, marketing, communications, digital, ticketing, events, finance, and broadcast teams is actively addressing the challenge. Additionally, maintaining a constructive relationship with the Football Supporters’ Association is regarded as key to gaining insights into audience behaviour.
While there is no simple solution, the attendance figures reflect ongoing progress and a strong public interest in England women's football.
