All the naps and electrolytes in the world couldn’t heal the emotional hangover we’re collectively suffering after England’s defeat in the Fifa Women’s World Cup final on Sunday. The heartbreak of seeing the Lionesses fall at the final hurdle, combined with the sadness of an epic and historic tournament coming to a close, is hitting hard and, despite the immense pride, the consensus is that we’re all just feeling a bit gloomy.

The best remedy for a lingering hangover, so we’ve heard, is to fill up on all the good stuff – water, nutrients, fresh air and quality kip. But, we’re going to need something with a bit more spark to shift an emotional hangover as stubborn as this. So here are eight things to lift the fog.

1. Katarina ​​Johnson-Thompson won gold at the World Athletics Championship

She’s an icon, and now she’s also a two-time heptathlon world champion. Johnson-Thompson didn’t get off to the start she had hoped for in Budapest, finding difficulty in the 100m hurdles opener, but gained momentum after a solid shot put and 200m.

She secured victory on Sunday after concluding her campaign with the 800m to win her second gold medal at a World Athletics Championship.

“It’s the best day of my life,” Johnson-Thompson said of her win. “It’s more special [than winning in Doha in 2019]. I can’t believe it. It’s like being in a dream.

“I have been thinking about this for months and months. Nobody else could see the vision apart from me and my team. I’m just so happy that it’s come true.”

Bring on the Olympics next summer, we say.

2. Team GB & NI is currently placing 4th at the World Athletics Championships

Johnson-Thompson isn’t Team GB & NI’s only medal-winner at the World Athletics Championships. At the time of writing, we’re currently placing fourth in the medal table, behind the USA, Spain (give us a break, won’t you?) and Ethiopia.

In addition to Johnson-Thompson’s heptathlon gold, we’ve secured a silver in the 4 x 400m relay and a bronze for Zharnel Hughes in the men’s 100m. The event concludes on Sunday 27 August, and we’ve got everything crossed for a few more medals in the meantime.

3. Mary Earps won the Golden Glove at the Fifa Women’s World Cup

We might’ve missed out on gold, but there’s still so much to celebrate where the Women’s World Cup is concerned. Notably, for England fans, Mary Earps was named best goalkeeper of the tournament and awarded the Golden Glove.

And deservedly so. She kept England in the final after saving Spain’s penalty in the second half and blocked on-target attempts all tournament long from some of the world’s greatest attacking players.

She’s consistently a safe pair of hands for club and country, and we can’t wait to watch her between the sticks for the Lionesses again.

4. The Lionesses are playing again next month

Speaking of which, we get to watch our favourite footballers reunite for the Uefa Women’s Nations League, which kicks off on Friday 22 September when England take on Scotland at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland.

Folowing the match against Scotland, there are a further five games for the Lionesses scheduled before the end of the year, and we’re counting down the days.

5. The WSL kicks off in October

If the Women’s World Cup unearthed the football fan inside of you then, good news, you can watch and support the Lionesses year-round as they play for their respective clubs. 20 of the 23 squad members, including captain Millie Bright, play in the Barclay’s Women’s Super League (WSL) – England’s highest league – so you can watch them pounding the pitch week-in, week-out.

Games are aired on the BBC, Sky Sports and The FA Player, which is free to download, and the season starts on Sunday 1 October.

Which team will you support?

6. The Arsenal WFC doc just dropped

If you simply cannot wait until next month for another football fix, allow us to point you in the direction of the Arsenal website, where you can watch Togetherness, a five-part docuseries following the Arsenal women’s team during the 2022/23 season. (Biased? Us? Never.)

It was a wild season for the Gunners, with huge highs and crushing lows. Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema, Leah Williamson and Laura Wienroither all suffered ACL injuries, but despite the many hurdles, the team still made it to the Uefa Champions League semi-final and placed third in the league at the end of the season.

Watch it all unfold in the doc in preparation for a fresh new season – episode one dropped yesterday, and the rest will follow over the course of this week.

7. The Hundred is heating up…

The football may have finished for now, but things are getting exciting as we approach the final of The Hundred.

The 100-ball cricket tournament features eight women’s and men’s teams from across England and Wales, and each day is a double-header, where a women’s match precedes a men’s.

Teams play eight group games, including two games against their most local rivals, and the team at the top of the table progresses to the final, which takes place on Sunday 27 August at Lord’s, while the teams which place second and third in the table meet on Saturday 26 August at Kia Oval for ‘the Eliminator’.

The competition has already been a history-making and record-breaking one, with over half a million fans attending matches. Tickets to the Eliminator are still available to purchase, while all remaining games can be watched on BBC 2 and Sky Sports over the coming days.

8. Women’s sport is on the up

We watched as WSL attendances catapulted following the Lionesses’ Euros victory last summer and now, thanks to the World Cup, women’s football has been brought to the fore worldwide.

Almost 2 million fans attended the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand – an increase of more than 600,000 from the previous record. And, 12 million tuned in to BBC One to watch England take on Spain in the final, making it the second most-watched BBC TV event of 2023.

It can only get better from here.

Image: Getty