Like millions of other across the country on Sunday morning I nervously sat down to watch the Lionesses’ take to the field in the world cup final against Spain with the opportunity to be crowned both World and European champions.

Sadly, it was not to be. Spain were always going to be strong opposition and ultimately, despite a fantastic penalty save and tenacious and spirited England performance, the only goal of the game was enough to win Spain the title.

While this is of course disappointing, this England team have done us proud both on and off the pitch. They have inspired a new generation of young female footballers who for so long have been starved of opportunities to get involved in the nation’s most popular game, and have been fantastic role models for millions of young girls in this country and beyond in their performances and professional conduct.

The benefits of being involved in a sports team are immense. It keeps children fit and active while teaching them how to be a part of a team, giving them a sense of identity and belonging to a wider group and building up networks of friendships across the community.

But sadly, access to these opportunities remains unequal. Research from the FA reveals that only 40% of secondary schools across the UK offer girls the same opportunity to play football as boys. While football is not the only sport that offers these benefits, these statistics provide us an insight into the barriers that continue to face girls who are just as enthusiastic and willing to be involved as their male counterparts.

Gender is not the only divide when it comes to unequal opportunities to be involved with sport. Research done by Sport England finds a sharp divide in inactivity levels amongst different socio-economic groups, and a study conducted by Sheffield Hallam university found that deprived areas continue to lag behind with access to sports clubs and facilities.

There are complicated reasons why this may be the case, but undoubtedly the mental and physical pressures of poverty are significant, as are the financial costs of being a member of a sports team, including equipment, travel, and coaching costs, that prices many children out of participating.

All of this serves to exacerbate existing inequalities. We need to make more effort to ensure that everyone has equal access to opportunities to get involved with sport so everyone can enjoy the wealth of benefits that come with it.