What to look out for in 2023 with England and FA competitions

It’s fair to say 2022 was a busy year for our England teams and at the FA, with major tournaments for our men’s, women’s and para sides, a host of youth competitions and much more.

And 2023 is set to be another action-packed campaign, with England Women looking to secure a second major trophy, our youth sides aiming to emulate the men’s Under-19s EURO success from the summer and the likes of our cerebral palsy team and the eLions hoping to go even further this time around.

So with such a busy year ahead, we have highlighted some of our key events taking place in 2023 in one place.

January

2022-23 Emirates FA Cup third round proper – 6 January to 9 January 2023

One of the highlights of the footballing calendar, the third round of the Emirates FA Cup is when the Premier League sides join the world’s oldest club cup competition. A host of World Cup stars are set to be on show across the three days as the third round provides an ideal opportunity to kick off the new year in style. Find out where your nearest tie is taking place here.

February 

2023 Arnold Clark Cup – 16 February to 22 February 2023 

England Women kick off another massive year with their Arnold Clark Cup title defence. The Lionesses will take on South Korea in Milton Keynes on Thursday 16 February, face Italy in Coventry on Sunday 19 February and conclude the competition with a fixture versus Belgium at Bristol City’s Ashton Gate on Wednesday 22 February. The three matches should prove very beneficial to Sarina Wiegman ahead of this year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and tickets are available here.

March 

2022-23 Continental Tyres League Cup Final – Sunday 5 March 2023 at Selhurst Park, London

Last season’s Conti Cup Final at AFC Wimbledon was a record-breaking attendance and there could be another this time around with Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park set to host the competition’s 12th final. With tickets available now and starting at just £10 per adult and £2.50 for kids, with cheaper options available on group bookings, why not head down to South London with friends, family or your football team?

Let Girls Play Biggest Ever Football Session – Wednesday 8 March 2023

Our Let Girls Play Biggest Ever Football Session returns for 2023, with over 150,000 girls registered to take part in the session already. Taking part on International Women's Day, schools up and down the country will participate in the sessions throughout the day, highlighting the importance of unlocking equal opportunities for girls to participate in football in schools and raise awareness for the Barclays Girls’ Football School Partnerships programme.

England men’s senior team EURO qualifiers – 23 March to 26 March 2023

Gareth Southgate’s side return to action on Thursday 23 March when they travel to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples to face Italy in the first of two qualifiers for the UEFA EURO 2024 in March. The Three Lions will then be back at Wembley Stadium connected by EE on the Sunday to take on Ukraine, with tickets still available.

Men’s and Women’s Under-17 and Under-19 EURO qualifying – March and April

There will be four age group teams in EURO qualifying action in March and April. The WU17s take on Croatia, Belgium and Norway (March 11-17), with only the winners progressing to the Finals in Estonia. The MU17s will be facing Denmark, Northern Ireland and Netherlands (March 21-27), with the group winners and seven best runners-up qualifying for the Finals in Hungary this summer.  The MU19s will host Hungary, Iceland and Turkey (March 22-28), with only the group winners advancing to the Malta Finals, and the WU19s are set for games in early April against Spain, Slovenia and Belarus, with the group winners heading for the Finals in Belgium.

April 

UEFA Women’s Finalissima – Thursday 6 April 2023 at Wembley Stadium

The first ever UEFA Women’s Finalissima will see England take on Brazil at Wembley Stadium on Thursday 6 April. As per the men’s event, the Finalissima pits the European champions against the best side in South America and with tens of thousands of tickets already sold, don’t miss out on your chance to see some of the best women’s players in the world go head-to-head.

May

2022-23 Vitality Women’s FA Cup Final – Sunday 14 May 2023 at Wembley Stadium

Can Chelsea make it a third consecutive Vitality Women’s FA Cup? The Blues will be hoping they can be one of the two teams who navigate their way through the rounds to book their spot at Wembley Stadium once again.

2022-23 UEFA European Women's Under-17 Championship Finals – 14 May to 26 May 2023 in Estonia

Qualification for the Women’s Under-17 EURO and Women’s Under-19 EURO is decided via a Nations League-style format with promotion and relegation. There are seven League A groups for each tournament and only the winner progresses to next summer’s finals alongside the hosts. For the WU17s, they will be hoping to top their second round group when it takes place in March (see above).

2022-23 Men’s UEFA European Under-17 Championship Finals – 17 May to 2 June 2023 in Hungary

England men’s Under-17s will be hoping to book their place at the U17 EURO Finals in Hungary next summer. To be one of the 16 teams at the Finals tournament, Ryan Garry’s side will have to qualify from an elite round qualifying group in March (see above).

2023 FIFA Under-20 World Cup Finals – 20 May to 11 June 2023 in Indonesia

Ian Foster’s England men’s Under-19s side booked their place at the U20 World Cup this summer by winning the U19 EURO last year. With the head coach and most of the players now progressing to the Under-20s, the Young Lions will have high hopes heading to Indonesia, looking to emulate the class of 2017, which included the likes of Fikayo Tomori and Dominic Calvin-Lewin.

The Isuzu FA Trophy and FA Vase Finals – Sunday 21 May 2023 at Wembley Stadium

The 2022 combined Finals day for the Isuzu FA Trophy and FA Vase was a star-studded event, with the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Will Ferrell, Kit Harrington and David Beckham among those in attendance. It’s unclear whether the Wrexham AFC crew will be back at Wembley once more but either way, it is sure to be another action-packed day at Wembley Stadium as two of non-league football’s most sought-after competitions come to their conclusion.

2023 IFCPF Men’s European Championship (cerebral palsy) – 29 May to 14 June 2023 in Oristano, Sardinia

Andy Smith’s England CP side suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Iran in the quarter-final of the 2022 IFCPF World Cup and ended up finishing sixth. But they will be hoping to go even further at this summer’s EURO with the Para Lions one of the best sides in Europe.

June

2022-23 Emirates FA Cup Final – Saturday 3 June 2023 at Wembley Stadium

With the unprecedented winter World Cup pushing back domestic calendars, this year’s Emirates FA Cup Final will take place on Saturday 3 June. Liverpool are the current holders as they beat Chelsea to make it three FA Cup Final defeats in as many years for the Blues.

2023 Men’s UEFA European Under-21 Championship Finals – 21 June to 8 July 2023 in Georgia and Romania

The major tournaments keep coming as the MU21s head off to the 2023 Under-21 EURO. The top two from each group will progress to the quarter-finals but it still remains a tough ask for Lee Carsley’s side, with holders Germany, Czech Republic and Israel also in Group C.

2023 FA Disability Cup – at St. George’s Park

Some of the best para-athletes in the country will descend on St. George’s Park in June when the annual FA Disability Cup returns. Held over two days, with this year’s dates still to be confirmed, the 2022 FA Disability up included six impairment-specific cup finals, with a host of England internationals on show.

July

2022-23 Men’s UEFA European Under-19 Championship Finals – 3 July to 16 July 2023 in Malta

The current crop of England men’s Under-19s will be hoping they can replicate last year’s U19 EURO title win. Reaching the U19 EURO Finals in Malta is a tough ask though as only eight teams qualify, with Turkey, Iceland and Hungary lying in wait in the elite round of qualifying and only the winners progressing (see above).

2022-23 Women’s UEFA European Under-19 Championship Finals – 18 July to 30 July 2023 in Belgium

As mentioned above regarding the women’s U17 EURO, the U19 equivalent also involves a Nations League-style format of qualification and only eight teams qualifying for the Finals. England will need to get past Spain, Slovenia and Belarus in a mini-qualification group in April if they are to reach the Finals in Belgium.

2023 Women’s FIFA World Cup – 20 July to 20 August 2023 in Australia and New Zealand

Sarina Wiegman’s England side are one of the favourites for this summer’s World Cup after winning the 2022 UEFA Women’s EURO. There are 32 teams taking part in the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, with the Lionesses drawn against Denmark, China and a play-off winner in Group D.

August 

2023 IBSA Blind Football World Championships and 2023 IBSA Partially Sighted Football World Championships – 18 August to 27 August 2023 in Birmingham, England

England men’s and women’s Blind teams and the men’s Partially Sighted side will all be taking part in a home World Championships this summer as the 2023 IBSA World Games, a multi-sport event for blind and partially sighted athletes, comes to Birmingham, with 1,000 competitors from more than 70 nations set to take part.

September

4th World Deaf Football Championships – 20 September to 8 October 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Covid pandemic hit para sports particularly hard but for the Deaf teams, you have to go back to 2016 for their last World Deaf Football Championship. That year, a Great Britain side won bronze in the women’s competition, with a men’s side coming seventh. England have won a medal in the past too, with the Women’s side securing bronze in the inaugural tournament in 2008. Both the men’s and women’s Deaf sides will be hoping to go even better in Malaysia later this year.

October 

FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup – 16 October to 21 October 2023 in Sydney, Australia

Another sport to be badly impacted by the COVID pandemic was powerchair football. The World Cup had to twice be pushed back by a year but England will be hopeful of securing a medal when the FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup finally gets underway, with the Para Lions currently ranked third in the world.

November 

2023 FIFA Men’s Under-17 World Cup – 10 November to 2 December 2023 in Peru

England men’s Under-17s have the chance to book their place at the U17 World Cup during this summer’s U17 EURO. It is a tournament which England won in 2017, as Phil Foden claimed player of the tournament and Rhian Brewster was top goalscorer.

December 

EURO 2024 Finals draw – in Hamburg, Germany

Should England men’s senior team secure qualification for next year’s UEFA EURO 2024, the draw for the Finals is set to take place in Hamburg. The date is yet to be confirmed but the best 24 teams in Europe will be split into six groups of four for the Finals in June and July of 2024.