The first ever Women's Finalissima pits England against Brazil at Wembley on Thursday, April 6, 2023.
Who plays the 2023 Women's Finalissima?
England will enter as the winners of the UEFA Women's EURO 2022, which they won after beating Germany 2-1 in extra time at Wembley, on 31 July 2022. England triumphed in front of 87,192 spectators, a European record for a women's national team match, as well as any men's or women's EURO final match.
Brazil earned their spot by winning the 2022 CONMEBOL Women’s America Cup, after beating hosts Colombia 1-0 in Bucaramanga, a day before England's Wembley success. While the European team celebrated their first major trophy, Brazil's victory increased their record number of America Cup titles to eight (out of nine editions).
Previous matches between England and Brazil
England and Brazil met three times at senior women's international level. On October 6, 2018, England beat Brazil 1-0 in a friendly at Meadow Lane, Nottingham, thanks to a second-minute goal from Fran Kirby.
In 2019 they faced each other twice. On February 27, England won the SheBelieves Cup 2-1 in Chester, Pennsylvania, after trailing at half-time due to an Andressa Alves penalty, but turning the game around with Ellen White and Beth Mead goals. On October 5, in Middlesbrough, it was Brazil's time to win a friendly 2-1, with two goals from Debinha, before Beth closed the gap to England.
Brazil also played once at Wembley, in the group stage of the 2012 Olympic Games, against a Great Britain team made up of mostly English players, coached by Hope Powell. Steph Houghton's second-minute goal gave the British team a 1-0 victory in front of 70,584 fans. Both teams had already qualified and would go on to be knocked out in the quarter-finals.
When will the 2023 Women's Finalissima be played?
The match will take place on Thursday, April 6, 2023. Kick-off time will be confirmed in due course.
Where will the 2023 Women's Finalissima be played?
The match will be played at Wembley Stadium in London. It takes place nearly 100 years after the first official match at the original stadium, on 28 April 1923, when Bolton Wanderers beat West Ham 2-0 in the FA Cup final in front of a crowd of 126,047 spectators (although it is believed to be twice as much).
The original stadium was closed in 2000 and its replacement was opened in 2007 with a capacity of around 90,000 fans. It has hosted several major women's games, including the 2012 Olympic final, in which the USA beat Japan 2-1, and the 2022 Women's EURO final, when England beat Germany.
England also played a number of recent home games, including a 2-1 loss to Germany on November 9, 2019, watched by a world record attendance for a women's football match 77,768 spectators, and a 2-1 win against the United States on October 7, 2022, in front of 76,893 fans. Wembley has hosted the FA Women's Cup final since 2015.
Many men's finals have also been staged at the legendary venue, including the 2020 UEFA EURO final and the first-ever men's Finalissima, in which Argentina beat Italy 3-0 on June 1, 2022.
How can I buy tickets for the 2023 Women's Finalissima?
Tickets are on sale at wembleystadium.com/tickets since October 31. Fans are welcome to secure their tickets in advance, as sell-out is expected. Ticket prices start at £7.50 for children up to 16 years old and £15 for adults, meaning a family of four can watch some of the best players in the world for just £45.
Why was the Women's Finalissima created?
The match has been organized as part of a long-lasting collaboration between UEFA and CONMEBOL, which includes especially women's football, futsal, youth categories, referee exchanges and training programmes. The first men's Finalissima match, which pits EURO winners against CONMEBOL America Cup holders face-to-face, took place at Wembley in June 2022. Argentina beat Italy 3-0.
Other similar events so far included the 2022 U20 Intercontinental Cup, held in August – UEFA Youth League winners Benfica beat U20 Copa Libertadores champions Peñarol 1-0 at the Estadio Centenario, in Montevideo – and the 2022 Futsal Finalissima. This four-team event at Parque Roca, in Buenos Aires, involved the best performers from UEFA and CONMEBOL national team competitions. European champions Portugal beat Spain in the final and Paraguay beat South American champions Argentina 3-2 to claim third place.
Have the European and South American champions ever met in a match like this?
This is the first time the Women's EURO and Women's America Cup winners will face each other in an official, scheduled match.
Interestingly, the only meeting between Europe and South America in a Grand Final – when Germany beat Brazil 2-0 to win the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in Shanghai – came in the only period since the Women’s America Cup began in 1991, in which the “Canarinhas” were not champions, as they lost the 2006 final to Argentina (later beaten 11-0 by Germany in the opening match of the 2007 World Cup).
