England are into the Women’s World Cup final for the first time after beating Australia in the semi-final on Wednesday. The Lionesses’ victory became the most-watched game of the tournament and many more are expected to cheer on the team against Spain in this weekend's final.
Despite the time zone difference between the UK and Australia forcing an 11am BST kick-off time, the BBC said a peak audience of 7.3 million tuned in to watch England beat the host nation 3-1 on August 16.
Goals from Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo gave England the win over the Matildas in Sydney – with thousands of fans taking time off work to watch the match.
Royals, celebrities and former players all sent congratulatory messages to the Lionesses after the game. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features. The final will take place on Sunday, August 20 with an early kick off time of 11am UK time.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk