The 2022 UEFA Women’s Euro is currently underway in England, providing the country an opportunity to put the women’s game on center stage.

Thanks to the burgeoning popularity of the country’s domestic league, the Women’s Super League, the sport is experiencing a surge in status and enjoying increased investment. The WSL’s expansion was highlighted when the league, Sky Sports and the BBC announced a landmark three-year agreement beginning with the 2021-2022 season.

Lucy Bronze, a veteran English defender, has seen firsthand how far the women’s game has come. Speaking with The New York Times, Bronze recalled working a side job at Domino’s Pizza while balancing her role as a star on Everton.

Now, players are relishing bigger deals and a growing fan base.

“Here we are, in 2022, and players get like helicopters to do appearances,” Bronze told the New York Times. “Do you know what I mean? It’s gone so far, so quickly, and I don’t think anyone could have forecast how huge it was going to be.”

England’s Euro matches will air on the BCC, with record crowds expected throughout the tournament.

The sport, however, is working against substantial obstacles, with a slice of the English public harboring troubling feelings about women’s sports. The New York Times cites a Durham University study from early 2022 that shows two-thirds of 2,000 male soccer fans polled hold “openly misogynistic attitudes toward women’s sports” across age groups.

The Euro tournament has also come under fire for hosting some matches at the Manchester City Academy Stadium, a venue that has a capacity of just 4,700.

Players, though, hope that a home tournament featuring some of the best soccer stars in the world will help the game’s growing popularity.

“We’ve seen, over the years, how much the women’s game has grown,” England’s Lauren Hemp said. “I think having this home tournament is only going to help it grow even more.”

England will continue on its Euro quest when it faces Norway at 3 p.m. ET Monday at Falmer Stadium, a venue with a capacity of 31,800.

England superstar Lucy Bronze is heading to European powerhouse Barcelona, with the club announcing the news Saturday.

The 30-year-old defender signed a two-year deal with Barcelona, joining the team on free transfer from Manchester City.

Bronze made 111 appearances in her two-year tenure with the Women’s Super League club, taking home five trophies.

Representing England at this summer’s European Championship, Bronze will connect with her new team after the tournament.

Bronze joins Barcelona on the heels of a landmark season, with the club completing a domestic treble, winning all 30 of their league matches while making a Champions League final run before falling to Lyon in the title game.

England defender Lucy Bronze is considering a move to the NWSL, according to Telegraph Sport.

Her contract with Manchester City expires this summer, and she reportedly has received multiple offers from NWSL clubs. According to the Telegraph, Bronze is looking to wind up with a club on the West Coast. As of right now, that would mean one of four NWSL clubs: OL Reign, Portland Thorns FC and expansion sides Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC.

Bronze is a three time Women’s Champions League winner with Olympique Lyonnais. She then returned to Manchester City in 2020, helping the team win the FA Cup and this season’s League cup. The team made it all the way to Sunday’s FA Cup final, where it lost to Chelsea in extra time.

Following the loss, Bronze took to Twitter saying she was “absolutely gutted” about the result.

“We really wanted to lift the trophy and fought hard until the last second,” she wrote. “I’m proud of the way the team played and I want to thank the fans for the unbelievable support throughout the whole season.”

The England national team player played college soccer at North Carolina before joining Everton. She had a first stint with Manchester City from 2014-2017 before joining Lyon. Reportedly, Bronze – who won the FIFA Best Player of the Year Award in 2020 – doesn’t want to play for another team in England “because of her respect and fondness for the club.”

If she were to make the move to the NWSL, the 30-year-old’s rights are currently held by Kansas City, according to the Telegraph. So another team would have to acquire her rights before signing her to a contract.

Bronze has played with a few current NWSL players while at City, taking the field with OL Reign’s Rose Lavelle and Kansas City’s Sam Mewis during their stints with the English club.

The move could be further complicated by the fact that Bronze has a busy summer. She’ll be with England trying to help the country win the European Championships — which the team will be playing at home. If she were to make the move, she likely wouldn’t grace an NWSL field until 2023.

Bronze isn’t the first player for an English club to have been in talks to leave. Vivianne Miedema, who has been with Arsenal since 2017, had been linked to reigning UEFA Women’s Champions League title holder Barcelona before returning to Arsenal on a one-year deal.

In this week’s episode of The Soccer Show, Former English international Laura Bassett joins Haley Kopmeyer and Dave Copeland-Smith to break down who we can expect to see from the Super League on Team GB’s Olympic roster.

Lucy Bronze, Manchester City

Bassett says Bronze is an absolute lock for Team GB, even declaring the defender as one of the best players in the world. Her winning mentality, Bassett says, will be critical for the team’s success at the Olympics.

Caroline Weir, Manchester City

The Scottish international gets Bassett’s vote for the Olympic roster because of the versatility and offensive production Weir brings to the midfield, something the team is currently lacking.

Jill Scott, Everton

Scott’s decision to leave Manchester City for Everton will likely pay off with a ticket to the Olympics, according to Bassett. With more minutes at Everton, the English midfielder has shown the energy and leadership she can bring to a team.

Kim Little,Arsenal

Kim Little, the set piece queen (or at least that’s what Bassett calls her) is a lock as well. The Scottish footballer has come up clutch again and again for Arsenal, and for that reason, we should expect to see her on Team GB in the Olympics.

Watch the full episode below: