The stage is set for a historic showdown between England and Brazil in the first ever Women's Finalissima at Wembley Stadium on Thursday night. The match, which will be played in front of a sold-out crowd of 90,000 fans at Wembley stadium, pittingt the champions of Europe and South America against each other in a one-off game that promises to be a spectacle of skill, flair and passion of the higest calibre.
England, who lifted the European Championship trophy at Wembley last summer after beating Germany 2-1 in extra time, will be looking to add another title to their collection and cement their status as one of the favourites for the upcoming Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Sarina Wiegman's side have been in fine form since the Dutch coach took over from Phil Neville last year, winning all six of their games in 2023, including a 4-0 thrashing of Belgium in the Arnold Clark Cup final last month. England are currently ranked fourth in the world and are yet to expierence defeat under Wiegman who took over in April 2021, a run of 29 games. The Lionesses boast a talented squad that features some of the best players in the world.
Wiegman said: "It's a great occasion. There will be 90,000 people, so it's going to be a really exciting environment and two teams who want to play football with a very good history in football."
🏴 The 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐚 has arrived 🇧🇷
👊 @Lionesses vs @SelecaoFeminina
🗓️ Today (6 April)
⏰ 20:45 CET
🏟️ Wembley Stadium#Finalissima | @CopaAmerica pic.twitter.com/a9X09PFUky— Women's Finalissima (@WEURO) April 6, 2023
Brazil, meanwhile, are also a formidable force in women's football, having won the Copa America Femenina for the eighth time last year with a perfect record of seven wins out of seven. Brazil are currently ranked ninth in the world but will be without their most experienced player, Marta who has pulled out through injury. The 37-year-old legend is Brazil's all-time leading scorer, with 115 goals in 175 games, and was part of the side who reached the 2007 World Cup final. She is hoping to play in her sixth tournament finals this summer.
Arsenal and Brazil defender Rafaelle Souza - the only England-based player in Brazil's squad - said, "It is going to be a special night with all these people here. I feel special to have this opportunity. I played in the Olympics with 70,000 people and it was amazing. "This game will be important not just for women's football but for me as a player. I will tell my child I played at Wembley in front of 90,000 and it will be special for me."
🇧🇷 Rafaelle Souza 🤝 Leah Williamson 🏴
Who are you backing in tonight's Women's Finalissima? #UWCL // @ArsenalWFC // #Finalissima pic.twitter.com/8KCzZGvcVN— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) April 6, 2023
The match will also be a historic occasion for women's football as it marks the first time that the Finalissima - a game between the European and South American champions - has featured women's teams. The idea was agreed between UEFA and CONMEBOL following last year's men's Finalissima, which saw Argentina beat Italy 3-0 at Wembley.
The Finalissima has only been played three times before - the first was in 1985, when France defeated Uruguay in Paris, and the last was in 1993, when Argentina beat Denmark in Riyadh.
The Women's Finalissima is expected to become a regular fixture on the international calendar, with plans to hold it every four years after each continental championship. The game will also be a showcase of diversity and inclusion, as both teams will wear rainbow armbands and laces as part of UEFA's #EqualGame campaign to promote respect for all.
"Rafa is a warrior, as an athlete she's head and shoulders above the rest". "Leah is half-Brazilian, she's got the skills, she just needs to learn how to samba!" @ArsenalWFC team-mates @leahcwilliamson and @Rafaelleleone assess each other ahead of the #Finalissima #ENGBRA pic.twitter.com/xtHx4DVd2R
— Asif Burhan (@AsifBurhan) April 5, 2023
The match will kick off at 19:45 local time (19:45 CET) on Thursday and will be broadcast live on ITV in the UK and Ireland, as well as on UEFA.tv and various other channels around the world. If there is no winner inside 90 minutes, the match will go straight to penalties.
