Over the past five years, we have been tracking how increased visibility of elite women’s sport is shaping young girls’ dreams.
Iconic moments such as the Lionesses’ first Euros win, Emma Raducanu’s 2021 US Open triumph, and Keely Hodgkinson’s Olympic gold in 2024, have inspired girls everywhere.
In 2026, a worrying trend has emerged. Despite the huge success of the Lionesses and Red Roses last summer, girls’ dream rates have dropped to the lowest level since we started reporting.
Why is this, and what are girls trying to tell us? Explore the full report below.
Explore how girls’ dream rates have changed over time
Hover over points on the graph with your mouse to discover girls’ and boys’ dream rates over the last five years.
There was an issue displaying the chart. Please edit the chart in the admin area for more details.Our latest Let Her Dream findings
- The number of girls who dream of reaching the top in sport has dropped from 38% in 2024 to just 23% in 2025
- A gender dream gap persists with 53% of boys dreaming of becoming top sportspeople
- 45% of girls agree that “people think sport is for boys and doesn’t matter for girls” compared to just 5% of boys believing the opposite is true
If women’s sport is bigger than ever before, why are girls’ dreams fading? Read the full report to find out.
Dream rates over time
| Year | Girls | Boys |
| 2020 | 29% | 58% |
| 2022 | 31% | 53% |
| 2023 | 29% | 52% |
| 2024 | 38% | 59% |
| 2025 | 23% | 53% |
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