Is Barcelona catapulting world women's football?
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(CNN) --
UEFA Women's EURO 2022 looks set to be the high point of a record-breaking groundswell of support for women's soccer in Europe this season.
Some 450,000 tickets have already been sold for the 16-team tournament – including 73,200 for England's opener against Austria at Old Trafford and 87,200 for the final at Wembley – far surpassing the previous record of 240,000 set in the Netherlands. four years ago.
The excitement surrounding the tournament follows a season that has seen numerous attendance records broken across the continent.
In Spain, Barcelona set a new world attendance record for a women's match, filling the Camp Nou with 91,648 spectators for the Champions League semi-final first leg against Wolfsburg, breaking a record that had stood since the final of the 1999 Women's World Cup.
Alexia Putellas assures that in five years women's football will have the respect it deserves around the world
Records were also broken in France, where 43,254 fans flocked to the Parc des Princes to watch Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League semi-final against Lyon, while club attendance records were also broken in England, with 49,094 people witnessed Chelsea win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
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The excitement for the start of Euro 2022 is also evident in Sweden, where a record 33,218 people turned out to watch the national team beat Brazil in their final warm-up match.
This season has shown beyond any doubt that there is a huge appetite for women's football across Europe.
For that reason, there is some consternation surrounding UEFA's decision to use stadiums, such as Manchester City Academy Stadium and Leigh Sports Village, which some players and fans consider too small for such a major tournament.
Barcelona twice broke the world record for the highest attendance at a women's football match last season.
The favorites of Euro 2022
England
The host country, England, arrives at Euro 2022 with a real chance of winning the first major trophy in the history of the selection.
Home advantage, in front of a record-breaking English crowd, will certainly play its part, but the side have made a big impression under coach Sarina Wiegman since her appointment in September 2021.
England remain unbeaten under the Dutch, who led the Netherlands to championship glory four years ago.
Under Wiegman, England have scored a remarkable 84 goals, including a record 20-0 win over Latvia, conceding just three.
The Lionesses continued their impressive preparation for the tournament with an eye-catching 5-1 win over Wiegman's old team, and subsequently beat Switzerland 4-0.
A team that boasts the talents of forward Lauren Hemp, outside hitter Ellen White and defender Lucy Bronze can compete with the best, but the main question is whether this group can handle the weight of expectations.
The national team reached the semi-finals in each of the last three major tournaments, but stayed there each time.
This generation of the team is arguably the most talented of them all, and after the men's team reached the final of Euro 2020 last year, English fans are understandably optimistic about seeing their side in a Wembley final for a second. consecutive summer.
Jill Scott celebrates after scoring England's fourth goal in their victory over Switzerland.
Spain
Although the bookmakers give Spain as the favorite by a narrow margin, it is perhaps more accurate to consider this team as the favorite among the dark horses.
The team put that on record with an impressive 7-0 thrashing of a slightly underdog Australia in their penultimate tournament warm-up game, and then drew 1-1 with Italy on Friday.
With Alexia Putellas, winner of the Ballon d'Or, Spain has the most talented player in the world, capable of winning a match with individual brilliance.
Spain's rise on the international scene coincides with Barcelona's conversion into a national and European powerhouse over the past two seasons, and no fewer than nine Barcelona fans have made Jorge Vilda's final 23-player roster.
Interview with the best soccer player in the world 3:18
This team can sometimes struggle to break through the defenses of stronger or more stubborn teams, and will be made even more difficult by the absence of record-scorer Jennifer Hermoso, who suffered a knee ligament injury earlier this season. month.
Spanish fans have also been surprised by the absence of Amaiur Sarriegi and Nerea Eizagirre, two Real Sociedad players who scored 33 goals in Primera last season, and Sarriegi also scored 11 goals in five World Cup qualifiers.
However, despite Spain's shortcomings, few teams will like to face Vilda's side.
players to watch
Alexia Putellas
Spanish superstar Putellas is certainly the name to watch at this summer's European Championship.
The 28-year-old player, winner of the 2021 Ballon d'Or, led Barcelona in a season in which the team won the national treble and came close to winning its second consecutive Champions League, although she was the top scorer in the competition .
Putellas, a world-class scorer and playmaker, is the record holder for appearances for the Spanish women's team and on Friday, against Italy, she became the first woman to reach a hundred appearances.
The midfielder is one of the most technical players on the Spanish team, and Putellas will be the orchestrator who allows the likes of Aitana Bonmatí and Athenea del Castillo to thrive up front.
Alexia Putellas celebrates after scoring the equalizer against Italy.
Ada Hegerberg
Watch out, rival defenses: Ada Hegerberg is back.
The 26-year-old returned to the Norwegian team in April after a five-year absence.
After finishing runners-up at Euro 2013, Norway went into the tournament in the Netherlands five years ago with high hopes.
However, the team finished bottom of their group and Hegerberg subsequently left the national team, saying her experiences with the team left her "mentally broken" and frustrated with the way women's football is viewed in Norway.
Hegerberg continued to excel at her club Lyon, her form leading to her being crowned the winner of the first women's Ballon d'Or in 2018.
But in January 2020, Hegerberg tore her anterior cruciate ligament, sidelining her for nearly two years.
When he returned in October 2021, he hit the ground running and helped Lyon regain the French league title they had lost to Paris Saint-Germain the previous season.
In addition, he scored a goal and an assist in the Champions League final to snatch the crown from Barcelona.
Hegerberg, one of the most lethal goalscorers in women's football - her prowess in front of goal was exemplified by a hat-trick in her first game for Norway in five years - will be looking to make up for lost time on the international stage.
Ada Hegerberg scored on her return to the Norwegian national team.
Vivianne Miedema
In recent years, Vivianne Miedema has become one of the most prolific and feared strikers in world football.
At just 25 years old, the Arsenal star has amassed a staggering 92 goals in 109 appearances for the Netherlands and is the all-time leading goalscorer in her country's jersey, be it men's or women's.
Her exploits for Arsenal in the Women's Super League – she is the top scorer in the league's history – have recently earned her a new contract which reportedly makes her the highest-paid female player in England.
Miedema finished second in the race for the Golden Boot at Euro 2017 – she scored four goals, including two in the final – and the Netherlands won their first major international trophy.
It seems more than likely that this time she will be among the top scorers again.
Vivianne Miedema is now reportedly the highest paid female player in England.
Lauren Hemp
Few players in Europe will lift you out of your seat like Lauren Hemp.
A winger with blistering speed, magical control and a keen eye for goal, the 21-year-old ticks every imaginable box for an attacking player.
Last season, Hemp scored 20 goals and provided 10 assists in 36 appearances for Manchester City, and was voted PFA Young Player of the Year for the fourth time.
Such has been her form, both domestically and internationally, that Hemp went from being the best young player in England to being the best player in England, without further ado.
His goal against Chelsea in the FA Cup final, which City ultimately lost, showed all his skills as he slipped inside with his weaker right foot and sent the ball into the far corner.
Going into this tournament, few players will give opposing defenses nightmares like Hemp.
Lauren Hemp is one of the most exciting players at Euro 2022.
How to watch Euro 2022
In the UK, all Euro 2022 matches will be broadcast on the BBC, the national broadcaster, while ESPN and TUDN will show the tournament in the US.
To see the full list of official UEFA broadcasters around the world, click on this link.
European ChampionshipWomen's Soccer