Lionesses To Make History With First Ever Home Fixtures
The Lionesses will play their first-ever games on home soil in April, as England Futsal welcome Slovakia to Loughborough for a pair of elite international womens’ futsal fixtures.
The England Futsal Group are absolutely delighted to confirm that the Futsal Lionesses national team will play on home soil for the first time ever this April, marking another landmark moment for the women’s game in England. This follows on from England Futsal securing the right to build the Women’s national team and enter UEFA / FIFA sanctioned tournaments where the Lionesses visited Moldova in 2024 to play against the hosts, Slovenia and Finland.
This will also come two weeks after the Lionesses travel to Lithuania to contest Group B of the 2027 UEFA Women’s Futsal Euro Main Round Qualifiers against the hosts, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Serbia.
The announcement comes at a time of unprecedented growth and visibility in women’s sport across the UK, with record attendances, expanded broadcast coverage and growing commercial investment redefining what is possible for female athletes.
The Lionesses will face Slovakia in two international friendly fixtures at the Sir David Wallace Sports Hall, Loughborough University (LE11 3TU), as part of a historic week of elite futsal action which sees a fully inclusive festival of futsal activities, matches, conferences and learning opportunities.
Lionesses Match Day 1 - 9 April 2026 – 1400h
England vs Slovakia
Lionesses Match Day 2 - 10 April 2026 – 1100h
England vs Slovakia
The fixtures form part of the wider FIFA Futsal World Cup 2028 Preliminary Round – Group B tournament week, which will also see the Men’s Futsal team competing in their qualification campaign against Sweden, Switzerland and Northern Ireland.
For the Lionesses, however, the occasion carries a significance beyond competition.
Playing in front of a home crowd for the first time represents a defining milestone in the growth and recognition of women’s futsal in England — a moment that reflects years of commitment from players, staff and volunteers working to elevate the women’s game, and a signal of intent that women’s futsal belongs on the international stage.
The England Futsal Lionesses captain from the 2024 campaign, Emma Tune, said the fixtures represent a watershed moment for the squad:
“This is a really exciting and momentous time for England women’s futsal to have two international fixtures on home soil. For us as players it is a profound honour to have this opportunity to showcase our talent with family, friends and familiar faces in the crowd.
With the Euros coming up the team is stronger than ever and we relish this opportunity to take on Slovakia with home support. We would love to get a sell out crowd so please get behind us and be there if you can.
This is not only huge for the current squad but signifies a huge step forward and shows the determination of everyone involved to grow the game and inspire future generations.”
The fixtures will offer supporters the opportunity to witness elite women’s futsal up close, to be part of a historic first, and to contribute to the continued rise of women’s sport in England.
The historic fixtures also underline England Futsal’s long-term commitment to developing sustainable performance pathways and equal visibility for its national teams.
Stephen Mitchell, Independent Chair of England Futsal, said:
“This is a hugely significant moment for the England Futsal Group and for the women’s game more broadly. The Lionesses playing on home soil for the first time is not just a fixture announcement — it is a statement of progress and recognition for the tireless and thankless work that goes on in the futsal community to light fires in young players who have ambitions to wear the England shirt.
Across the country we are seeing the transformative impact of investment and belief in women’s sport. These fixtures demonstrate our commitment to ensuring futsal is part of that movement, providing equal opportunity, visibility and long-term ambition for our women’s national team, and the broader ecosystem within which high performance operates.
We are proud of the work that has brought us to this point, and this April represents another important step in building a sustainable and competitive future for women’s futsal in England – which continues to be misunderstood and often forgotten.
Working in an under-resourced and under-funded National Governing Body, England Futsal are grateful to the Slovakian Association for their commitment to travel and compete, and would like to put on record their thanks to Loughborough University for, once again, delivering on their mantra with #WhereHistoryBegins. There are a number of pre-existing relationships with female founders and women’s sport brands which have made our endeavours with the Futsal Lionesses possible, and we also thank those partners for their ongoing commitments as without them opportunities and moments like this wouldn’t be possible.
Come and watch the Lionesses in action as part of your Easter holiday plans, we promise you won’t regret it”
Ticket sales for the Lionesses fixtures go live today at 12:00 via the England Futsal website:
With limited capacity available at the Sir David Wallace Sports Hall, supporters are encouraged to secure their seats early and be part of a defining chapter in the Lionesses’ journey. Lionesses fixtures are ticketed separately from the Lions’ FIFA qualifier matches.
The week at Loughborough will also feature a full futsal takeover in partnership with the University, creating a festival atmosphere around the sport and showcasing the strength of England’s national teams across both the men’s and women’s programmes.
As women’s sport continues to deliver compelling audiences and meaningful brand alignment, England Futsal is inviting organisations to be part of this landmark moment. A limited number of commercial partnership opportunities remain available across the Lionesses fixtures and the wider futsal festival week.
To explore partnership opportunities, please contact Andy Hicks at: andy.hicks@englandfutsal.com .
