WHEN the English FA unveiled its Inspiring Positive Change strategy for women’s and girls’ football back in October 2020, it included the “transformational” objective of winning a major tournament within four years.

At the time, the FA officially regarded that as an “ambitious” target despite the women having made it to the semi-finals of 2019’s World Cup, where they lost to eventual winners, the USA.

At their version of the World Cup in 2018, the Under-20s had taken third place.