Girls’ football is growing but if we ignore drop-out, we’ll lose the momentum

By Anabel Lee - Wragg, Senior Account Executive at We Are Futures

Recently, The FA announced a genuinely game-changing milestone: 90% of schools in England now offer girls the same access to football as boys and they hit this target three years early. More than 20,000 schools are now involved, meaning 2.6 million girls can play football during PE.

It’s an achievement powered by years of effort and undoubtedly boosted by the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 and 2025 successes. Hearing icons like Kelly Smith and Ian Wright celebrate this progress shows just how far we’ve come.

But if we’re honest, access alone won’t fix everything. Because while opportunity opens the door, too many girls are still stepping away from sport long before they reach adulthood.

The drop-out problem isn’t just about pitch time

We know lack of opportunity has historically pushed girls out of football. But even when access improves, drop-out continues. And it’s rarely because they “just don’t like sport”.

Teenage girls face layers of barriers from body image concerns to not seeing themselves represented. Even in 2025, these are huge contributors to girls quietly opting out of team sports.

And I say this not as an abstract theory, but from experience. Like many women in grassroots football, I’m playing in a kit designed for men - baggy in the wrong places, tight in the wrong places - no one wants to be distracted by what they're wearing when trying to enjoy a game!

It sounds funny (and honestly, sometimes it is), but the impact is real: if women and girls don’t feel comfortable, they won’t feel confident. If they don’t feel confident, they won’t stay.

Growing popularity means giving all girls the opportunity

Women’s football is booming. Attendances, visibility and grassroots interest are all climbing. Which means more and more young girls are being exposed to the idea of playing football. But there’s a quote in The FA announcement that stuck with me:

“This was never about girls becoming the next Lionesses, it was about normalising girls playing football, just like boys do.”

Exactly this. Sport shouldn’t only be for the naturally talented or the future trophy-winners. It should be for the girls who want to have fun, move their bodies and be part of a team.

Normalising girls’ football means embracing every level and every journey.

Taking girls from early access to lifelong participation

The FA has opened the door and that matters. But our job now, as organisations, brands, educators, and partners, is to help girls actually walk through it.

That can be from creating programmes that support girls’ confidence and belonging, not just their skill. To helping young people build a positive relationship with sport from the earliest stages.

Because it’s not just about access. It’s about girls and women genuinely believing they CAN take up space in sport.

And if we get that right? We don’t just grow participation, we grow empowerment, resilience, community, and joy.

The FA’s milestone is a huge step. But keeping girls in the game? That’s the real victory we should all be fighting for.