Following an open letter to the government advocating for gender equality in school sport, the Lionesses have secured funding to create equal sporting opportunities within the education system.

Schools in England will now be required to provide equal access to sports and a minimum of two hours of physical education per week. According to the Football Association, only 67% of schools currently offer football to girls in PE lessons, and a shocking 46% offer equal extracurricular sports to both girls and boys.

After England’s historic Euros win last summer, interest in football amongst young girls skyrocketed, but opportunities available to them were incredibly limited compared to opportunities for young boys in the sport. The Lionesses have now changed that.

A key figure in gaining the government's backing, Arsenal’s Lotte Wubben-Moy, said: "by making football more accessible to millions of girls across the nation, we have opened a crucial door for the growth of women's football and women's sport as a whole. I am proud to be part of something that will live on for generations to come."

Over £600m will be utilised over the course of two academic years, and in addition to school sport and after-school activities, an extra £57m will be used to make sporting facilities available outside of school hours.

When all 23 members of the Lionesses' squad penned their open letter, they imagined a world with future England stars on every playground in the country. Thanks to their historic win and continued efforts to revolutionise the game, they're one step closer to that dream becoming a reality. This is what building a legacy really looks like.