England have had wild year of World Cup prep since Euros win - ESPN

BRISBANE, Australia — After the blinding spotlight and rock 'n' roll stardom of last summer when the Lionesses were the most recognisable faces in the country, England are building ahead of their Women's World Cup campaign in the comparative quiet in Brisbane.

The reigning European champions flew into Australia the start of July and trained on the Sunshine Coast, a haven 60 miles of Brisbane, with their hotel just 30 seconds from the beach. It was calm, with the serenity having a profound effect on one of last summer's stars. Ella Toone ditched lie-ins to watch sunrises, took up reading (Jamie Vardy's autobiography) and swam in the Coral Sea.

All the while they trained, hacked through the jet lag and continued with the same meticulous preparation that served them so well when they won the Euros at home last summer. Upon relocating to Brisbane, their hotel is in the middle of the city, yet they can still head out and enjoy near-total anonymity, only occasionally getting stopped for autographs as they try out the local coffee scene.

— Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) — Women's World Cup: Landing page | Schedule | Rosters | News

But life as Lionesses is far from quiet. The build-up to the tournament has been as much about getting fit for Saturday's opener against Haiti as it has been trying to sort off-field matters. It took until Tuesday for the Lionesses to call a halt to discussions with the English Football Association (FA) over bonuses and commercial structures. All this after there was a risk of a club-vs.-country row over when players would be released for international duty after a hectic domestic schedule.

It's all part of being a Lioness in 2023. This is a group bringing together the crux of last