USA still world leaders in women’s football despite England closing gap

Megan Rapinoe suggests a major gulf in quality no longer exists but Friday's opponents must still prove this at a World Cup

Midway up the stands inside Wembley, the signage flashes with European v world champions". The buildup to England's showdown with the USA has been overshadowed, rightly, by the weight of the findings of the Sally Yates report into abuses in women's football in the States and the burden of it on the US players, but the narrative of the match itself is hugely exciting.

The USA have been the world leaders in women's football for a long time. The gap to the rest has been vast, but it is closing. Megan Rapinoe went as far as to say on Thursday that she feels there isn't really a huge gap any more and there hasn't been for a long time".