2025 was a great year for women’s football – what’s next? | The Telegraph Women's Sport Podcast

Key Concepts

• Women's Football Highlights of 2025: Champions League Final (Arsenal vs. Barcelona), Euros (England's win, other nations stepping up), record ticket sales, increased competitiveness and standard.
• Commentary: Instinctive vs. pre-planned, reacting to moments, managing multiple audio feeds (co-commentator, director), informing the director of narrative changes, the technicality of live commentary.
• Player Experience: Evolution from small stadiums/parks to large stadiums, smaller crowds to packed stadiums, difficulty hearing instructions, the shift in atmosphere and preparation.
• Technology in Football: VAR (Video Assistant Referee) and its impact on commentary and decision-making, the debate around its implementation in women's football.
• Refereeing: The difficulty of the role, the need for investment in referees and diverse voices.
• Player Welfare/Style: The debate around holes in socks and its perceived benefits for comfort and performance.
• Future of Women's Football: Increasing league size (14-16 teams), player development pipeline, investment in referees, potential for England to win the 2027 World Cup, Scotland's qualification challenges and hopes.
• Fan Culture: Chants and their significance, creative fan bases.

Memorable Year and Future Prospects in Women's Football

This special episode of The Telegraph Women's Sport Podcast, sponsored by Barclays, brings together former England international Izzy Christensen, Scotland's record cap holder Rachel Corsie, and Sky Sports commentator Ellen Eard to reflect on a significant year for women's football and look ahead.

2025 Women's Football Highlights

The guests shared their standout moments from the year:

• Izzy Christensen: Highlighted the UEFA Women's Champions League final between Arsenal and Barcelona in Lisbon. She praised the high quality of the game and the inspiring manner in which Arsenal, under new head coach Jonas Eidevall, secured the trophy. Christensen, in her new role as a pundit, found commentating on the match to be an incredible and personal highlight.
• Rachel Corsie: Echoed Christensen's sentiment about the increasing competitiveness across Europe, noting Barcelona's strong performance against Chelsea in the semi-finals. She emphasized the special moments of seeing close friends, like Kim Little, lift the Champions League trophy. Corsie also lauded the Euros as incredible, not only for England's back-to-back win but also for the significant step-up and competitiveness shown by many other nations. She noted the amazing atmosphere and record ticket sales, demonstrating the sport's growth.
• Ellen Eard: Agreed with the sentiment of increased competitiveness, specifically mentioning Italy's resurgence and Switzerland's improved performance as marking a new era for women's football. She described the Champions League final as "wow," detailing the immense heat and the scale of the stadium, which she felt was a testament to the growing popularity of the women's game. Eard also recounted a memorable after-party experience with prominent figures like Lucy Ward, Tobin Heath, and Jess Gearing, and the emotional experience of watching Jen Beattie witness her friends' success after her own past near-misses.

The Art and Technicality of Commentary

The discussion shifted to the role of commentators, with Ellen Eard elaborating on the process:

• Instinct vs. Planning: Eard explained that while she used to plan commentary lines more extensively, she now relies more on instinct, especially for goals. She admitted to initially being "scared of goals" for fear of getting it wrong but now embraces them.
• Reacting to Moments: Eard described how the narrative of a goal can change its significance. For instance, Alessia Russo's 50th WSL goal was significant, but its impact was amplified by being an equalizing goal in a crucial match. Similarly, Caitlyn Ford's 50th goal was the focus in a different context. The stage of the game (e.g., a late winner) often trumps individual statistics.
• Multi-layered Audio Environment: Eard detailed the constant stream of information in her ear during a match: her co-commentator, the director calling camera changes, and other production cues. This creates a complex environment where commentators must simultaneously deliver their narrative and process external instructions.
• Disallowed Goals and Narrative Shifts: Eard recounted the chaotic experience of a disallowed goal, where the director was calling camera changes while the commentary team had to quickly pivot and inform the director about the changing narrative. The time lag between a goal being given and then disallowed (around 38-48 seconds in one instance) highlights the technical challenges and the need for rapid adaptation.

Player Experience: From Parks to Packed Stadiums

Izzy Christensen and Rachel Corsie shared their perspectives on the evolution of playing conditions:

• Early Career: Christensen recalled playing in "parks" with minimal facilities, and international games in 2009 were primarily attended by players' families.
• Growth and Adaptation: Both players acknowledged the significant growth in a relatively short period. While larger stadiums and crowds can be daunting, they noted that once the game begins, players enter a natural environment and focus on the match.
• Appreciating the Moment: Christensen expressed a wish to have enjoyed more moments during her playing career, as she was often focused on the next game or aspects she could improve.
• Modern WSL: Corsie highlighted that playing in front of 15,000-20,000+ fans is becoming more common for WSL players, contrasting with her experience at Everton where playing at Old Trafford in front of 38,000-40,000 was a rare, exceptional occasion. She also noted the palpable "undercurrent of football interest" in cities like Manchester, especially around major club fixtures.

Technology and its Impact: The VAR Debate

The conversation turned to technology, specifically VAR:

• Izzy Christensen's Stance: Christensen expressed reservations about VAR in women's football, believing it can "ruin" the emotional highs and lows of the game. However, she conceded that if it leads to the "right decision," she can accept it.
• Ellen Eard's Experience: Eard described how VAR in European competitions (Champions League, Europa League) involves a screen showing "goal check in progress" and a green or red light indicating the decision. This process significantly alters commentary, as commentators must pause their natural flow to acknowledge the check, which can "deflate" the moment. She contrasted this with the WSL, where VAR is not yet implemented.
• Co-commentator's Role: Corsie and Christensen explained that co-commentators have a role in providing initial analysis and speculation (e.g., potential handball) based on live viewing, while also having the humility to admit when they were wrong after the official decision is made. They acknowledged that live viewing can sometimes differ from replays due to the speed of the game and the focus on verbalizing thoughts.
• Investment in Referees: Corsie advocated for increased investment in referees and the development of more young referees with diverse voices before implementing VAR more widely.

Player Style and the "Holes in Socks" Phenomenon

Rachel Corsie lightened the mood by discussing a personal pet peeve:

• The "Holes in Socks" Debate: Corsie expressed her dislike for players wearing socks with holes in them, stating, "I was always like, you got to look good to play good."
• Technical Explanation: Christensen provided a detailed explanation, suggesting that players cut holes in their socks to reduce pressure on their calves, especially when wearing tighter match-day socks compared to training socks. This is to maintain calf freshness during high-intensity play.
• Managerial Perspective: Christensen, now working with England's U23s, stated that if a young player scores with holes in her socks, she wouldn't penalize it, adopting a "You do you" attitude.

Looking Ahead: The 2027 World Cup and Beyond

The final segment focused on future aspirations:

• England's World Cup Potential: Izzy Christensen believes England has the "capacity to win the World Cup" in 2027, citing the exciting emerging talent and the squad's potential strength by then. She acknowledged a current transition phase but expressed optimism about the players coming through.
• Commentator's Dream Match-up: Ellen Eard expressed excitement about the prospect of an England vs. USA final or even a match between them in the tournament, particularly if it involves Emma Hayes managing the USA. She recalled the high-quality, high-scoring matches involving the USA and Germany in a previous tournament.
• England's Adaptability: Eard highlighted England's proven ability to adapt and overcome challenges, citing squad changes before major tournaments as evidence of their resilience.
• Scotland's Qualification Challenge: Rachel Corsie outlined the difficulty for Scotland to qualify for major tournaments, as they often fall into a competitive group with limited qualification spots, frequently coming down to "one-off playoff" matches. She emphasized the need for Scotland to absorb pressure and find a way to succeed, especially under new manager Mel. Corsie expressed a desire to see Scottish fans in Brazil for the World Cup.
• Investment in Referees: Corsie reiterated the importance of investing in referees and developing more diverse voices within the refereeing ranks as a priority before further technological implementation.

The podcast concluded with thanks to the guests and a reminder of Barclays' 25-year sponsorship of football, emphasizing their commitment to supporting the game at all levels.