• e-mail

England have been drawn in the same group as Northern Ireland, Norway and Austria for the 2022 Women’s Euros.

The delayed competition will begin on July 6 when hosts England take on Austria at Old Trafford. The Lionesses will then play Norway at The Amex, home of Brighton, and Northern Ireland at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium. The top two teams in the group are guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals.

Northern Ireland are making their tournament debut and are the lowest ranked team in the competition. England recently beat Kenny Shiels’ side 4-0 in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley and will face them away from home in April, just three months before they meet in the Euros.

England recently beat Northern Ireland 4-0 in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley

Austria are also in the same World Cup qualifying group as England and Northern Ireland. They were held to a 2-2 draw with Northern Ireland earlier this week and will face the Lionesses at the Stadium of Light next month.

Norway, who England beat in the quarter-finals of the 2019 World Cup, are likely to be England’s toughest game. They are ranked 12th in the world, four places behind England in eighth.

Holders Holland are in Group C and will face Sweden, who are ranked second in the world, Russia and Switzerland while Germany and Spain have been drawn together in Group B. They are joined by Denmark and Finland. France, Italy, Belgium and Iceland make up Group D.

England boss Sarina Wiegman was Holland manager when they won the competition on home turf in 2017, which included a semi-final victory over the Lionesses.

England boss Sarina Wiegman was Holland manager when they won the competition in 2017

The 52-year-old has enjoyed a perfect start to her reign in charge with four wins from four games and will be hoping that form continues into next summer.

The final will take place at Wembley on July 31 with the semi-finals to be held at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane and Stadium MK, home to Milton Keynes Dons.

England last hosted the women’s Euros in 2005 but Hope Powell’s side were knocked out at the group stage after defeats by Sweden and Denmark. That tournament consisted of just eight teams with two groups of four but the number of countries rose to 12 in 2009 and 16 in 2017.

The Lionesses’ have never won the competition but reached the final in 2009, where they were defeated by Germany. They also reached the final of the unofficial Euros in 1984 but were beaten on penalties by Sweden.

UEFA are hoping for record crowds next summer and a ticket ballot is now open until 6pm on November 16, with prices ranging from £5 to £50. Any remaining unsold tickets will go on sale in February.

Juan Mata, Ruben Dias, Kelly Smith and Karen Carney helped make the draw in Manchester