IT'S HEARTBREAK FOR ENGLAND'S BRAVE LIONESSES BUT A BRIGHT FUTURE AWAITS AS THE ROYAL FAMILY LEADS THE TRIBUTES

The Lionesses were the pride of the nation when they made history by becoming the first England football team to reach a World Cup final since 1966.

- KIRA RICHARDS & LAURA BENJAMIN

And while victory eluded the European champions and they narrowly missed lifting the coveted trophy after a 1-0 loss to Spain, millions of fans all over the world praised their fabulous footwork and an outpouring of roaring support has endured long after the tournament.

Despite their disappointment on the pitch, it’s far from over for the England side and they have a great deal to look forward to. The Uefa Women’s Nations League, next year’s Olympics in Paris and the 2025 Euros are all looming and they stand every chance of success.

LOTS TO PLAY FOR

The squad are also winners on the commercial front, with a deluge of golden opportunities: captain Millie Bright is a Walkers crisps ambassador; forward Chloe Kelly modelled for the latest Calvin Klein campaign; Golden Glove winner Mary Earps has starred in campaigns for Adidas; and rising star Lauren James has teamed up with Nike, Google Pixel and Sure deodorant.

“You just have to look at the brands that were cramming themselves into the ad breaks of the semi-final and the final on ITV – they were all beauty, fashion, cars, telecoms and retail,” leading public relations mogul Mark Borkowski tells hello!. “It shows that all those brands are very much the type of brands that want to be involved with the Lionesses.

“The team are also inspiring a whole generation of young girls who want to go into football. In these times when we’re looking for greater voices for diversity and change, they represent it all.