The Northern Ireland game moved to Wembley
England Women will play their first ever competitive match at Wembley when they face Northern Ireland in a World Cup qualifier on 23 October.
The Lions have played at the National Stadium twice before, both of which were friendly matches against Germany in 2017 and 2019.
Autumn is shaping up nicely! ?
@Lionesses are on their way to @wembleystadium for their @ FIFAWWC qualifier against Northern Ireland in October. ?
Ticket information ⤵️
– England (@England) 28 July 2021
Every fixture was well attended and the FA hopes for another audience for the October match – who will be the incoming head coach Sarina Wiegman’s third leader.
As reported by the Daily Mail, FA’s head of women’s football, Baroness Sue Campbell, said: “Having the chance for our England team to play again at Wembley in a competitive match is so important.
“From a performance point of view, it will give us the chance to get close to a big game opportunity of the kind that we hope our team will experience at next summer’s home UEFA Euro. After having such a challenging 18 months, the day will mean so a lot for our players and of course we hope that the chance to play in front of so many fans will be something really special.
“We have missed the supporters and let’s hope that things go in the right direction on that front. We want Wembley to feel at home for our England team and we want the players to be able to flourish when they run out to play.
“We are at the beginning of an exciting season and when Sarina Wiegman comes in as head coach, there is every reason for us to be optimistic in the coming months.”
England Women met Germany at Wembley 2019 / Paul Harding / Getty Images
Both teams are also expected to compete in next summer’s ladies euro. Northern Ireland will appear in their first major tournament ever after securing the qualifiers in a dramatic play-off against Ukraine earlier this year.
Hosts England, however, are among the favorites but will face stiff competition from Germany, France, Sweden and the Netherlands.