Comedian Romesh Ranganathan has defended women’s football and hit out at online trolls following negative comments about Euro 2025.
The popularity of the women’s game has significantly grown over the last five years with record viewing numbers and attendances.
However, the women’s game still gets negative attention online, which only heightens during major international tournaments such as Euro 2025.
In particular, there was a lot of ridicule online following the penalty shootout between England and Sweden in the quarter-finals.
The chaotic shootout saw just five of 14 penalties scored, six saved, one hit the post and two were sent wildly over the crossbar.
Euro 2025 has the worst penalty conversion record in the last 14 years with 58.5%. However, at Euro 2017, the conversion rate was as high as 88.2%.
What did Romesh Ranganathan say about women’s football?
Comedian Romesh Ranganathan has said that hateful comments about women’s football are ‘unwelcome and unwanted’ ahead of the semi-finals of Euro 2025.
The host of sports quiz show ‘A League Of Their Own,’ took to TikTok to send a message to those who post negative comments about the women’s game.
He said: “Everytime there’s a women’s football clip online, you’ll see some comment like, ‘I hate this, why are they sharing this? Why has this been shoved down our throats? I don’t want to see women’s football.’
“And I understand all your arguments if they were showing that instead of men’s football, but they’re not. It’s as well as men’s football.
“So if you don’t like it, don’t watch it. But also, please do not comment. It’s unwelcome. It’s unwanted.
“I’ve gone to a point in my life where I don’t want to call people p****s anymore. But you’re doing a great impression of one.”
The growth of women’s football
The comments made by Romesh Ranganathan come at a time when women’s football is the biggest it has ever been.
This summer’s Euro 2025 has been a resounding success, with a record attendance across the group stage games.
The tournament in Switzerland is also likely to break the total attendance record set at Euro 2022. The tournament in England attracted a total of 574,875 fans.
Euro 2025 has also received some impressive television ratings in the United Kingdom.
England’s Euro 2025 win over Wales attracted more viewers than the men’s Club World Cup final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, even though both games were on free TV and were shown at the same time.
Viewership numbers will be expected to go up in the semi-finals, where England play Italy and Spain face Germany.
The final will take place on July 27th in Basel, and England are expected to reach the final of what would be a third consecutive major tournament.
According to the top betting sites in the UK, England are 1/2 favourites to beat Italy in 90 minutes and reach the final.
