Media coverage and public opinion of hosting a women’s football mega-event: the English bid for UEFA Women’s Euro 2022

For the second time in history, England was announced as the host for the 13th edition of the UEFA Women’s Euro by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). This study aims to analyse media coverage and public opinion of England’s host bid and the country’s choice as hosts of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022. This research was based on a content analysis of the English newspapers The Guardian, The Sun, and The Times regarding the media, and the social media Twitter to analyse public opinion. After applying filters, we analysed 65 news reports and 480 Twitter interactions. Thus, investigating these two different views on the same subject, we noted a relative consonance of positions: expectations for the organisation of the tournament, the success of the English team and the development of women’s football, and criticism of the regional distribution of the games and the use of modest stadiums.