They’ve made it: the Lionesses are in the 2023 Women’s World Cup final and while there’s one more game left to play in the tournament, it goes without saying that Manchester is the best place to watch the Lionesses bring it home.
As a city brimming with not only some of the richest sporting heritage in the world but housing many of the brightest and best talents in the women’s game, Manchester is and always will be the UK’s biggest football city in our eyes.
You only had to walk into a pub during the Euros last year to see how much us Mancs showed up, not to mention the fact that we hosted multiple games at Old Trafford, Manchester City Academy Stadium and Leigh Sports Village.
The 2022 Euros was a truly special time for this city, the country and women’s sport on the whole, and with the Lionesses still reigning European champions, we can’t wait to see them do the double and bring home the 2023 World Cup too. So, with that in mind, here are all the best places to watch the Women’s World Cup final.
10 best places to watch the Women’s World Cup final in Manchester
It goes without saying that we have a deep affection for pretty much every pub and bar in our city, but we can’t include everyone on this list, otherwise it could go on forever. So, in no particular order, here are The Manc‘s best picks for where to watch the final game of the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Manchester.
ADVERTISEMENT
1. BOX – Deansgate
To kicks things off, where better than BOX on Deansgate? Buzzing every single weekend, this two-storey sports bar complete with live music, shuffleboard tables and giant steins of cocktails is one of the best places to spend a night out full stop, let alone to watch the footy. You can book HERE.
Next up, no list of sports bars would be complete without the one and only Tib St Tavern. A Northern Quarter and matchday favourite, large screens and big booths for you and your mates make this a perfect spot. We’ll warn you, this place fills up quickly, so you best reserve your table now.
Just like the above, there aren’t many sports bars we love more than The Directors Box. It might not be the biggest place on this list either, but with a great beer selection, big sharing platters of solid scran, plenty of screens and a pool table, you can’t go wrong with this city centre location. Book HERE.
Still one of our favourite new additions to the city is Calcio!, the Italia 90s-themed sports and retro gaming bar. How’s that for a sales pitch? With some of the best burgers in town from What’s Your Beef, table football and old-school games console to keep you occupied at half-time, we love this place.
Another place that’s showing the Women’s World Cup final this year is Brickhouse Social, which has really come into its own as a place to watch sport over the past year. With big screens, cocktails, slices of pizza and an upstairs terrace for when the sun comes out, we’re definitely going to be back in here a fair bit even after the games end.
It might be a slightlysurprising addition to the list but the Contact Theatre, situated just off Oxford Road and just behind Manchester Academy and the University of Manchester, it’s proving a decent left-field pick for students and those that want a less pubby vibe to watch the games. Book tickets HERE.
An old favourite we’ll never get tired of is Bierkeller and Shooters Bar in the Printworks, two long-standing Manc institutions that have remained a regular stomping ground for sport fans for decades now. We don’t even have to give you the sales pitch on this one — if you know, you know. Book HERE.
8. Walkabout Printworks
Whilst we’re on the subject of Printworks, another place that’s been there from pretty much day dot and is practically built for watching sport of all kinds is Walkabout. You might not want to be to braggy after that semi-final win against the Aussies, but this place will still be packed out with a great international crowd as it always is. You can sort your booking HERE.
Second to last on our list is a place that people always seem to forget but that we’ve watched multiple international tournaments in now: Gasworks. The First Street brewery has some of the best guest ales you’ll find anywhere in town, a great street-food menu from Thief Street, shuffleboard, as well as a big projector. What’s not to like?
10. The Footage – Oxford Road
Last but not least, we like to roll back the years every now and again and we can’t think of many places more affordable than The Footage. The popular student venue has different deals on food and drink every night, large screens on nearly every wall — including the big projector — and games to keep you busy before, during and after. We’ve spent many a footy match in here at uni and it never disappoints.
We couldn’t give you a list of places where to watch the Women’s World Cup final in Manchester without giving a shout-out to the big screen over on First Street: a totally free viewing space where supporters from all manner of countries have been coming to watch the games together.
With Gasworks just behind you and HOME right next to you, Bunny Jackson’s just a few metres away and the little pop-up van serving pints and coffees right outside, sitting on those deck chairs on a big bit of astroturf is a little slice of heaven.
And finally, one last place we wanted to include was Nell’s at Kampus who, after showing the opening game of the tournament, have been backing the girls ever since.
With the bar open from 10, free slices of breakfast pizza being served and DJs playing throughout, they’ve got it all going on here.
Featured Image — Gasworks/Lionesses (via Instagram)/The Footage (via Facebook)
Sport
Jamie Carragher fires back at journalist after being turned away from Etihad away end
Danny Jones
Jamie Carragher has fired back at a tabloid journalist after he reported on the ex-footballer being turned away from the Borussia Dortmund away end during their meeting against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium this week.
The former Liverpool and England player was reporting on the Champions League match as part of his usual ‘Golazo’ duties for the US on Wednesday, 5 November, and was hoping to join in with travelling fans during the game.
Carragher became part of the ‘yellow wall’ last year during their UCL fixture against Chelsea, being adopted as a Dortmund supporter for the day, but was not granted the same privilege upon arriving at the Etihad this time around.
Daily Mail journalist Mike Keegan wrote a piece explaining how the working presenter was turned away due to safety concerns raised by security at Man City, but the 47-year-old has now given his own retort.
Just trying to have a good time with the Dortmund fans Mike, it was no problem it wasn’t allowed. Next time message me & I’ll tell you all you need to know, rather than Simon at Man City giving you a story. Probably explains why you’re so sympathetic around the 115 charges.
As you can see, the retired defender turned Sky Sports and CBS pundit was less than pleased with the piece, clarifying that there was “no problem” over the decision, asking instead why he didn’t contact him directly for a comment.
In addition to seemingly naming names, he also couldn’t resist the urge as a rival Red to take a jab at City’s ever-looming FFP breaches, suggesting that the outlet has been somewhat biased in its coverage of the ongoing saga.
However, Keegan didn’t let the spat pass without his own right of reply.
Reacting directly underneath the response, the sports writer added: “I already knew the facts, Jamie, but you clearly don’t.
“Next time you’re covering a game at City, you should probably apologise to Simon for wrongly accusing him of being the source on the story.”
Either way, this is as far as Carragher got on his way to the ground:
While it is still unclear as to who exactly ‘Carra’ and Keegan are referring to in their exchange, many have speculated that it could be Simon Pearce: a non-executive director at the club and part of the CFG (City Football Group) board; he has been tied to the ongoing allegations of financial deception.
Onto the action pitchside, not only did scoring machine Erling Haaland come back to haunt his former team once again, but the Blues ran, maybe not riot, but much closer to their vintage best, with Stockport’s very own bagging a brace and Rayan Cherki scoring his first UCL goal under Pep Guardiola.
Professional cricketer wins University Campus of Football Business grand prize at Old Trafford
Danny Jones
British cricketer, Marie Kelly, has won the prestigious University Campus of Football Business (UCFB) Sports Entrepreneur Competition for 2025.
Winning the whopping grand prize of up to £50,000, the Blaze – Nottinghamshire women’s team, formerly known as ‘Lightning’ – and Northern Superchargers star took home the potentially game-changing investment for her own apparel company, Versatail.
Being given the substantial grant late last month, the professional cricket player was presented as the lucky recipient following an intense deliberation process.
Expert judges chose the Birmingham-born young businesswoman from a shortlist of nine finalists selected from countless submissions.
At 29, Kelly fell just within the eligible 18-30 age bracket for the new UFCB Sports Entrepreneur Competition, with 2025 marking a decade of the further education institution here in Manchester.
Held at Man United’s home stadium, Old Trafford, it’s safe to say that the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ felt like a fitting venue to deliver news.
The judging panel was comprised of UCFB Founder, Brendan Flood; Andrea Chilton, CEO of the English Schools Football Association; Eni Shabani, Founder of Rising Ballers; Adrian Harris, Chief Supply Chain Officer of Castore, as well as the CEO of Altrincham FC, Sam Mackenzie.
As the founder of Versatail UK, which specialises in women’s and active headwear, including lifestyle caps and bobble hats, Kelly has taken her sporting background to create products that cater specifically to long hair and female-centric styling.
For instance, her label has helped oversee the design ‘Magni-Strip®’ trademarked technology, which allows people to adjust their ponytail heights.
Learn more about the inspiration behind the project here:
Votes were based on five criteria: market opportunity, innovation of the idea, feasibility, the pitch quality, and sustainability/impact of the idea.
Other runners-up included a non-league football app called Touchline, and even an anti-bacterial boxing glove liner conceived by a brand specialist at Amazon.
Speaking on the momentous milestone for her still relatively small start-up, Kelly said: “My main emotion is shock. I really didn’t think I would win – I was here for the experience.
The process really helped me strategise the business and really think about where I wanted to go with it. To be named the overall winner, I’m really delighted.”
“The financial prize takes a bit of the weight off my mind about how to supply the demand that I’ve already got for my products and my caps. Hopefully, I can just really develop the product so it’s even better and service even more women and girls in sports.”
As for UCFB, aforementioned CEO Flood went on to add: “As we celebrate 10 years in Manchester, we want to celebrate not just our own journey but empower the young entrepreneurs who will shape the future of sport.
“This competition reflected everything UCFB stands for: ambition, innovation, and the belief that the sports industry is powered by creative ideas. The calibre of the entries was incredible, so everyone who made the final judging stage deserves immense credit, but Marie was the unanimous choice overall.
“She has done an incredible job establishing her brand, and we hope that this financial reward can help Versatail continue to cater for the diverse needs of women and girls in sport at an even greater scale.
You can see the full video from the most recent event down below.
If you’re looking to make moves in this space, keep your eye out for when entries open for the UCFB Entrepreneur prize in 2026.