Football legends and players head to Carnaby Street to mark general sale launch for UEFA Women’s EURO England 2022

Today, tickets to the UEFA Women’s EURO England 2022 are officially on general sale and to mark the occasion, tournament organisers celebrated by installing giant women’s table football players on London’s Carnaby Street.

The launch was a star-studded affair, with a range of celebrity women’s football fans and players attending Carnaby Street supporting the launch. Football fans and Women’s EURO ambassadors Rio Ferdinand, Fara Williams, Elz the Witch and Kirsty Gallacher were joined by England Women’s stars Jess Carter, Millie Bright, French International Kenza Dali and German International Ann-Katrin Berger.

With 100 days to go until the biggest European women’s sport event in history kicks off, the installation, featuring nine feet tall women’s players, suspended five metres above Carnaby Street, celebrates the scale and importance of UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 by repurposing the traditionally male-dominated table football game.

The eye-catching installation, which features players representing the top-seeded team in each group (England, Germany, Netherlands and France) will be live from 28 March to 10 April. A smaller traditional-sized Women’s EURO table football game is also on display, which passers-by are free to use, featuring teams from England and Austria, who kick off the tournament at Old Trafford on 6 July.

Rio Ferdinand, ambassador of UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 said of the installation: “I’m really looking forward to the tournament – we’ve already seen ticket records broken and we are looking to break even more this summer. You just have to get down to a game and take in the atmosphere. We’ve seen in the past how tournaments bring families and nations together, so we’re here to push and amplify the women’s game.

“I want the players to enjoy it. They’re the best days of your life and memories that will live with you forever. I went to two games at Euro 96 as a fan and the energy and excitement around that tournament was amazing – that feeling has never left me.”

More than 350,000 tickets of the over 700,000 available have already sold for the tournament in the pre-sale, public ballot and group bookings stage. It means UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 is set to be a record-breaking event already, beating the previous tournament record of 240,000 set at UEFA Women’s EURO 2017 in the Netherlands.

With tickets to all 31 games going on sale, now is the chance for fans of football, women’s sport, and big events to purchase a ticket and be part of a history making tournament that aims to unite football and communities and amplify the growth of the women’s game.

England Women’s player Millie Bright said: “It’s incredible to know that there’s going to be a huge amount [of support], hopefully sell-outs, and it shows how far the women’s game has gone but also shows what sort of atmosphere people can expect at the EURO.

“I’ve always said the fans are the 12th man. Whether it’s the 80th minute and you need that little spur-on, the roar of the crowd, they really make the atmosphere. I think in the women’s game you have a really close connection with your fans and it’s important that we keep that.”

16 nations take part in this year’s tournament which will be played out across England. 10 venues in nine cities will play host to 31 games including Brighton & Hove, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Rotherham, Sheffield, Southampton, Trafford and Wigan & Leigh.

France midfielder Kenza Dali said: “England is the home of football, and it is a dream come true to play in a major tournament in this country”, whilst Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger added: “We have Europe’s finest at this tournament and you will see a lot of different playing styles, a lot of different cultures and football at the highest level. “

England’s highest capped player Fara Williams said: “Every time you put on an England shirt as a player or even as a pundit trying to promote the game, you’re always trying to inspire the next generation of players to get them involved.

“It’s going to be massive. We hosted in 2005 when the women’s game was nowhere near as big as it is now, so this will rocket the game to another level. I played the game for 19 years and I’ve been to many tournaments, but this is the most competitive and the most open we’ve ever seen. Go and buy some tickets!”

This is your chance to be part of the action at UEFA Women’s EURO 2022. For tickets, which are on a first come, first served basis, click here: http://www.uefa.com/womenseuro/ticketing

With thanks to UEFA Women’s EURO England 2022