Holders England, favourites Spain and 5 key questions ahead of Euro 2025

The 42

16 hours ago

UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2025 gets underway in Switzerland this coming Wednesday, 2 July. Here's five key questions ahead of kick-off.
1. How are England shaping up for title defence?
The build-up has been far from ideal for the reigning champions. England won their first European Championships on home soil in 2022, and followed that up with a World Cup final appearance the next summer, but whether Sarina Wigeman's side can hit the same remarkable heights remains to be seen.
How the Lionesses can cope with pre-tournament upheaval is one big question. Former number one Mary Earps announced her shock retirement last month, while star defender Millie Bright withdrew from selection. 'I'm not able to give 100% mentally or physically,' Bright wrote in a statement before undergoing knee surgery. Fran Kirby also called time on her international career after being informed she wouldn't be selected, putting the England camp firmly in the spotlight.
Wiegman has named a strong 23-player squad: 13 were involved in 2022 when Leah Williamson lifted the silverware at Wembley. England's recent form has been mixed, but their major tournament experience is crucial. Arsenal youngster Michelle Agyemang and in-form Chelsea forward Aggie Beever-Jones are among seven players set for their first Euros, while Lauren James is on the plane despite recent injury concerns. They face France, Netherlands and Wales in a testing Group D.
2. Can Spain back up World Cup title with first Euros?
Short answer, yes. Spain come in as favourites. World champions from Australia and New Zealand 2023 and inaugural Nations League champions, La Roja will be looking to win their first European Championships in Switzerland.
Bonmati with the Golden Ball award at the 2023 World Cup. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo
Back-to-back Ballon d'Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas spearhead a star-studded squad — though Bonmati is currently in hospital with viral meningitis — with Mariona Caldentey, Salma Paralluelo and Claudia Pina among their other top talents. Backboned by a brilliant Barcelona contingent, their strength in depth underlined by the fact that top goalscorer Jenni Hermoso — of the World Cup kiss scandal — has been overlooked.
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The ship appears to have steadied after a controversy-laden few years for Spanish women's football; their preparation for this tournament smoother than the last, as several players made themselves unavailable for selection under former manager Jorge Vilda. Montse Tomé has been leading the charge since his exit, and is now gearing up to face Portugal, Belgium and Italy in the group stages. England sent them home at the quarter-final stage last time, but the general expectation is they can go all the way. France, Netherlands, Sweden and Germany are among other big hitters.
3. What about Ireland's past and future rivals, Wales and Belgium?
The sense of Ireland's missed opportunity will heighten as the tournament gets underway, Wales having prevailed from the two-legged playoff last December.
Rhian Wilkinson's side are in a tough group with England, France and Netherlands as they make their major tournament debut, but they will be looking to make a splash as rank outsiders. England and France were of course in Ireland's qualifying Group of Death, along with Sweden.
'My first reaction (to the draw) was, well, 'Ah yikes,'' Sophie Ingle recently told ESPN. 'But we go there with zero pressure and have an incredible chance to enjoy ourselves.' The Chelsea midfielder has returned from an ACL injury in a major boost, while Jess Fishlock, Angharad James and Ceri Holland are other key players.
Hannah Cain celebrates scoring against Ireland at Aviva Stadium last December. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo
Belgium, meanwhile, will be worth keeping an eye on as Ireland's future rivals in October's Nations League A/B promotion/relegation playoff. The Red Flames are pitted against Spain, Italy and Portugal in Group B. Ranked 20th in the world and 66/1 shots for the tournament outright, Belgium will be set on progression to the knockout stages.
The October playoff, for which Aviva Stadium has been confirmed to host the first leg, won't be on their minds, but Ireland will be watching from afar with a view to that as they rue the Welsh defeat.
4. Which other storylines should I be keeping an eye on?
As with any major tournament, the storylines are endless. There will be thrills and spills aplenty as 16 teams battle it out for the crown. Traditional heavyweights Germany will be looking to bounce back on the big stage after their shock group stage exit at the 2023 World Cup. The loss of talismanic striker Alexandra Popp through retirement last October was another blow, but the eight-time champions will be set on going deep like 2022, losing the final after extra-time.
France are viewed as perennial underachievers: can they finally win a major tournament? Norway, winners in 1987 and 1993, have been reestablishing themselves with huge attacking threats like Caroline Graham Hansen, Ada Hegerberg, Guro Reiten and Frida Maanum. Italy and Iceland are among the rising outfits backed as dark horses.
There is always huge interest in the hosts, and Switzerland will be looking to make history by reaching the knockout stages for the first time. Coaching rivalries will be seen throughout, with England boss Wiegman again facing her native Netherlands. Magdalena Eriksson (Sweden) and Pernille Harder (Denmark), and Beth Mead (England) and Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands), are among the romantic partners going head to head.
England manager Sarina Wiegman at training last week. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo
From a negative standpoint, the impact of injuries could be huge. Some top players are missing out, and others will inevitably spend time on the sidelines as the tournament progresses. The ACL crisis in women's football has been well documented, while the bloated calendar has been in focus of late.
5. What are the main things to note off the pitch?
Stadium capacities and lower attendances have been among the talking points in recent months. The biggest venue across the eight is Basel's St Jakob-Park, which has a maximum capacity of 34,250. 87,192 fans watched the Euro 2022 final at Wembley.
St Jakob-Park will stage the final on 27 July — and Switzerland's opener against Norway on Wednesday — but no other stadium holds over 30,000. Stadion Wankdorf, home of Young Boys, is just under at 29,800 and is one of three venues in the 20,000s, but the rest are below 16,300. Two are around 8,000 capacity.
Yet, the overall attendance record looks set to be broken again: almost 575,000 at England 2022 was more than double that of Netherlands 2017. Over 550,000 of all available 677,000 tickets had been sold as of May. It was projected last year that 80% of fans attending the matches will be Swiss.
As women's football booms worldwide, the pre-impact report makes for interesting reading. The overall prize money, meanwhile, has doubled to €41 million, an increase of 156% but still almost €300m less than the men's equivalent.
RTÉ will show every game here. An interesting three and a half weeks lie in wait.