Last week, England’s women’s national football team secured their place in the Euros final, which is being played today. The Lionesses are honestly a phenomenal team. They made the Women’s World Cup final in 2023, and they won the 2022 Euros at home, beating the German team. They’ve put themselves in the position to defend their Euros title, even though there were some touch-and-go moments in the round-robin matches, quarterfinal and the semifinal. Speaking of, one of the stars of this year’s team is a 19-year-old named Michelle Agyemang. She’s been the difference-maker in several of the Lionesses most important matches this season. She’s also a young Black woman. So, obviously, when King Charles sent his congratulations to the Lionesses for making it to the final, he and his social media team decided to use a photo of the team which did not include Michelle Agyemang. Don’t you know? They are very much not a family which acknowledges the achievements of Black women.
Lionesses fans have voiced frustration after the Royal Family posted a good luck message ahead of the Euros final, but player Michelle Agyemang appeared to be missing from the post. England’s Women’s team is heading into Sunday’s final match against Spain following their heartbreaking World Cup final loss in 2023.
To mark the occasion, King Charles offered words of encouragement on social media, praising the team’s “remarkable” journey and “inspiring” achievements, alongside well-wishes for the final. Attached to the post was a celebratory graphic featuring smiling members of the Lionesses squad; however, fans immediately noticed Agyemang was absent.
“Where is Agyemang?” wrote one eagle-eyed supporter, sparking a wave of similar comments.
Agyemang, 19, has been instrumental in England’s progress through the knockout rounds. She scored an 81st-minute equaliser in the quarter-final against Sweden to send the match to extra time and penalties, and again came to the rescue in the semi-final, netting a dramatic 96th-minute leveller against Italy. That goal paved the way for Chloe Kelly to complete the comeback deep into extra time, securing a 2-1 win and sending England into their second consecutive Euros final.Despite Agyemang’s crucial contributions, she was not featured in the Royal Family’s celebratory image. While she is a newer member of the squad – making her debut as recently as April when she scored 41 seconds after coming on against Belgium – fans were quick to point out her importance. Some also noted that other players, such as back-up goalkeepers Khiara Keating and Anna Moorhouse, were also missing from the graphic. However, neither has featured in the tournament so far, whereas Agyemang’s goals were decisive.
It’s really shocking, honestly. This kind of racist snub would be awful no matter the circumstances, but to do it to such a young woman, a teenager who is working her ass off for the national team, it’s really despicable for Charles and his staff. It’s not like there are very many women of color on the national team either. Think about that kind of environment where a Black teenager has come onto an overwhelmingly white team, and she’s trying so hard to show why she belongs there. And she does just that, she’s a huge part of why the team made it to the final… and then the king and his staff are too lazy to use a team photo which includes her.
Photos courtesy of BP’s social media and Avalon Red.
