Women’s football mismatches are happening too often – it is time for action

England’s 20-0 hammering of Latvia was indicative of a trend in international games and pre-qualifiers can be part of a solution

In the past three months 29 European Women’s World Cup qualifying games have concluded with a winning margin of seven goals or more. England’s 20-0 hammering of Latvia broke a record set by Belgium’s 19-0 defeat of Armenia last Thursday to become the highest-scoring Women’s World Cup qualifier ever. These results are not the exception that they are in the men’s game; when the haves and have-nots meet they are increasingly the rule.

The gap is getting bigger and it is not a result of some countries investing and some not (although that is a factor in a minority of countries) but of the rapid but uneven development of international women’s football – of some countries investing at a much faster rate and to a greater extent than others are willing or able to.