England name first EVER futsal Lionesses squad as they fight for a place at the first Women’s World Cup in 2025

England have named their first ever Lionesses futsal squad in their hunt for a spot at the World Cup.

The team will take on Finland, Moldova and Slovenia in October in UEFA qualifiers for the 2025 World Cup, which will include 16 teams and be held in the Philippines.

The competition, which was founded by FIFA in December 2022, will include four teams from Europe, three from Asia, two from Africa, two from North America, three from South America and one from Oceania, as well as the host nation.

England named their 14-woman squad on Friday, which includes Mail Sport’s Commissioning Editor Kate McGreavy.

England confirmed in June that they had reached their fundraising threshold for the women’s team and that they would therefore be able to compete in the main round of qualifying for the tournament.

England have named their first ever Lionesses futsal squad in hunt for a spot at the World Cup

There will be four groups of six competing in the initial qualifying stage, with group winners going through to the next stage, where the teams will join Spain and Portugal – two sides with recent success in the European Championship – in two groups of four, with the top two teams in each group qualifying for the World Cup.

Sion Kitson, England Futsal Head of Development and Technical, wrote on X on Friday: ‘This is a monumental moment for everyone linked to English Futsal.

‘@EnglandFutsal are extremely proud to announce this squad. It is a testament to the player’s dedication to the sport. This group has a great blend of youth & experience & I’m excited to see them take to the court.’

McGreavy added: ‘I’m honoured to be selected to represent my country and to be part of such a talented group.

‘This is a pivotal and special moment for England Futsal after huge support, dedication and commitment behind the scenes from so many individuals – and just the start of the journey.

‘We’ve been working hard in recent months to prepare for the upcoming qualifiers and the work continues for Moldova. Let’s go.’

Ben Tadmor, England Futsal Board Member and Performance Manager, said in June: ‘It’s a hugely exciting time to be a part of futsal in England. The implementation of a women’s pathway has been one of the goals since the formation of England Futsal.

‘To have female role models representing England in futsal on the biggest stage will no doubt inspire the next generation of players to join clubs up and down the country.’