England will face Portugal in their final home fixture before the 2023 World Cup on 1 July in Milton Keynes. The European champions take on World Cup debutants Portugal four days before travelling to the finals in Australia and New Zealand. The Football Association (FA) have confirmed that players will be released for international duty on 19 June, following proposals put forward by the European Clubs’ Association (ECA) in May which initially suggested players should only be released for international duty 10 days before the tournament – and then later compromised to between 23-29 June. The FA have expressed their gratitude for the mutual understanding of the clubs, as they have collectively worked towards a solution with the wellbeing of players at the forefront.
England’s meeting with Portugal, their first since the Lionesses beat them 1-0 in 2019, will feature the 23-player World Cup squad announced by manager Sarina Wiegman last month. Wiegman has expressed her pleasure at having a competitive game for their last home fixture, as they had two big games in April against Brazil and Australia where they learned so much. This will be another challenging match against a team that have performed well.
England are in Group D alongside Denmark and China, while Portugal are in Group E with the United States, the Netherlands and Vietnam. The 2023 World Cup kicks off on 22 July when England face Haiti in their opening match.