Yes, America beat England by 2-1. Yes, the semi-final knockout is an all-too-familiar ground for British sports teams. And yes, the highest the Lionesses can now be placed is third or fourth position.

But considering that my brother had been indifferent about the women’s tournament just a few weeks ago (let’s face it, along with many others), the fact that he became so invested that he now considers them “heroes” and “amazing” proves that the Lionesses achieved something incredible.

They made sure that the female game finally got the attention it deserves. People are sitting up, kicking themselves for not noticing before. And everyone is now fully behind supporting women in football.

World Cup 2019: “How the Lionesses brought football home, without winning the trophy”