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The Guardian
10 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
England gear up for Euro 2025 title defence as Wales prepare for historic debut – Women's Football Weekly
On the podcast today: with just five days to go until kick-off in Switzerland, the panel preview Euro 2025 with a deep dive into England's title defence and Wales' first-ever major tournament. Can Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses navigate their tough group? Will Lauren James be ready and get back to full form for the tournament? Will Hannah Hampton live up to Mary Earps' legacy? Plus, in part two, the panel is joined by special guest Laura McAllister, a former international player, vice president of Uefa's Executive Committee, and professor of Public Policy at Cardiff University's Wales Governance Centre, to dissect Wales' chances and the mood across the nation ahead of their debut major tournament. A reminder to pick up a copy of the Guardian's Women's Euro 2025 supplement with this Saturday's paper. Your guide to all 368 participating players at Euro 2025. Sign up for our weekly women's football newsletter – all you need to do is search 'Moving the Goalposts sign up' or follow this link. Support the Guardian here.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Women's Euros 2025: Guide to Group D – can England escape toughest group?
One of the teams in this group will be going home far earlier than they had hoped. Three does not go into two and France, the Netherlands and England will expect to make the knockout stages. The Netherlands and England are the two most recent winners of the European Championship, with both achievements being accomplished under the same manager, Sarina Wiegman. Spare a thought for poor Wales, who are being thrown in at the deep end for their first international tournament. The favourites are… They have not been at their best in recent months and the disruption leading into this tournament — the retirements of Mary Earps and Fran Kirby, plus Millie Bright making herself unavailable and having surgery — has not helped, but it is still hard to look past holders England as the leading contenders to get out of this group. Advertisement Wiegman's side have lost to the Netherlands and France in the past two years but they have also pulled out crucial wins against both teams when they have needed to. Wiegman has repeatedly shown she is a manager who can weather the storms of international tournaments, having reached the final of every European Championship and World Cup in which she has managed. That is not to say it is impossible England are on the wrong end of a shock here — it just feels hard to bet against them. The standout match will be… England vs Netherlands This whole group is pretty mouthwatering but the game between England and the Netherlands on the second matchday (July 9) will be pivotal. There is plenty of European Championship history between these teams — the Netherlands knocked England out at the semi-final stage in 2017 — with Dutchwoman Wiegman now managing England only adding to the fun. Advertisement Meetings between these sides have seen plenty of drama in recent years. In their Nations League group in 2023, Renate Jansen scored a late winner for the Netherlands, then in the reverse fixture at Wembley, Ella Toone did the same for England. Expect this one to go down to the wire. The group's galactico is… Lauren James (England) When fit, Lauren James is one of the best players in the world. England look like a different side when she is playing, and their success this summer may very well depend on whether they can keep the Chelsea forward healthy. She set the World Cup alight in 2023 until she was sent off in the round of 16 — she will be hoping she can harness the more positive aspects of that tournament in Switzerland. Advertisement Whether it is her ball-carrying, passing, shooting or even her defensive work rate, James has become the complete forward. Wiegman can use her off either wing or as a 'No 10' through the middle, adding to her unpredictability. James is so good that this England team could be built around her for years to come, but she needs to deliver this summer. The player who could make a name for themselves… Veerle Buurman (Netherlands) When Chelsea announced a transfer deadline-day signing last September, plenty of people asked, 'Who?', when they saw the name Veerle Buurman. The left-sided centre-back was immediately loaned back to her previous club, PSV, then broke into the Netherlands team at the start of the season. Advertisement She has looked very comfortable at senior level and her ability to vary whether she carries the ball or passes it out from the back makes her unpredictable in build-up. She also contributes in attack. She registered two goals and an assist at the most recent Under-20 World Cup, and has a goal and an assist in her senior international career already too. A story to look out for Wales For several of Wales' players, this summer will mark the culmination of years of work, none more so than Jess Fishlock, the 38-year-old who has amassed more than 160 caps for the national team. Widely regarded as one of the best midfielders ever in the women's game, Fishlock has been a dedicated servant to the Wales national team. Advertisement But it is not just her. Angharad James, Hayley Ladd and Sophie Ingle are some of the other names who have spent years striving for the opportunity to play in an international tournament for Wales. Ingle is in the squad but missed the whole of the 2024-25 season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in Chelsea's pre-season. Under former Portland Thorns manager Rhian Wilkinson, Wales have become a well-organised defensive side with a penchant for a quick counter-attack, powered by the speed of Bristol City winger Ffion Morgan and the sharp finishing of Leicester City forward Hannah Cain. They could hardly have been drawn into a tougher group but it also represents a free hit — and the opportunity to spoil England's summer. You might not know this Netherlands captain Sherida Spitse recently became the most-capped international player in European football history. In April, she played her 241st game for the Netherlands in a 3-1 win against Austria, surpassing Caroline Seger, who made 240 appearances for Sweden before retiring in 2023. The men's record is held by Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 221. Advertisement Spitse made her debut as a 16-year-old in 2006, in a 4-0 defeat against England. She has since gone on to feature in seven international tournaments, with this summer's Euros being the fifth one she has been selected for. Fixtures in full 5 July: Wales vs Netherlands, 17:00 BST, 12:00 ET 5 July: France vs England, 20:00 BST, 15:00 ET 9 July: England vs Netherlands, 17:00 BST, 12:00 ET 9 July: France vs Wales, 20:00 BST, 15:00 ET 13 July: Netherlands vs France, 20:00 BST, 15:00 ET 13 July: England vs Wales, 20:00 BST, 15:00 ET This article originally appeared in The Athletic. England, Wales, France, Netherlands, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Euro 2025: England team guide – what can we expect from the defending champions?
This England team head into the tournament with the kind of pedigree they have never had previously: reigning European champions and 2023 World Cup finalists. On their day, the Lionesses have the talent, know-how and experience to beat any European side, but their form has been patchy to say the least. Gone is the time when England went on an unbeaten 30-game streak and were a relentless winning machine — but they have proved they can get results in tournament football. Sarina Wiegman has been in charge of England since September 2021 and signed a contract extension in January 2024, keeping her with the Lionesses until after the 2027 World Cup. Known for her directness and honesty with players, the former Netherlands international makes decisions based on what is best for the team. After triumphs with the Netherlands in 2017 and England in 2022, she could become the first manager, in the men's and women's games, to win three Euros titles in a row. Wiegman normally uses a 4-2-3-1 out of possession and then, in possession, pushes her box-to-box midfielder up the field to form a 4-3-3. In England's third group game of the 2023 World Cup, however, she showed her flexibility by going to a 3-4-1-2 after Keira Walsh's injury and even maintained that formation on the midfielder's return as England made it to the final. Walsh and Georgia Stanway are the heart of England's midfield. Walsh is the lynchpin connecting defence and attack and Stanway is the engine. Should they miss a game, England's level would surely drop significantly given the lack of backup options. Lauren James brings a sense of unpredictability and her mere presence can trouble opponents. Her two-footedness makes her a versatile option for Wiegman as she can pop up in pockets across the front line. England have depth in the No 10 (attacking midfield) role and in wide areas but no one can replicate James' talent. England field a very strong starting XI with some of the best players in the world. They have leaders on the pitch and a coaching staff off it who have been there and done it. They know what it takes to win. When England start slowly, a habit of late, they make life very difficult for themselves and struggle to get into a rhythm. Their substitutes have been having less impact than at Euro 2022, preventing them from killing the game. Millie Bright, Mary Earps and Fran Kirby are all missing for different reasons. Bright, the captain at the 2023 World Cup, withdrew from selection as she was unable to 'give 100 per cent mentally or physically', while Earps and Kirby have retired from international football. Neither would likely have made the starting XI, but the trio leave a notable void in the dressing room, especially in leadership and experience. Great Britain failed to qualify for the 2024 Olympics and a summer off for England's players was seen by some as a blessing in disguise. But they have struggled to string together consecutive convincing performances. They have been making errors and losing control of games, including in the 4-3 defeat against Germany in the autumn at Wembley, and away to Belgium in April, when they lost 3-2. That said, they have kept clean sheets against the world's best, with a 0-0 draw against the United States in November and a 1-0 win over reigning world champions Spain in February. Their most fluid performance came at the end of May, when they beat Portugal 6-0. But they could not back up those levels against Spain a few days later, losing 2-1 in early June. England will want another trophy but with such a mixed bag of recent results, it is uncertain which version of this team is going to turn up. They do not have the luxury of easing themselves in with a straightforward fixture — they kick off their tournament against France, then face the Netherlands. There is a realistic possibility they do not make the knockout stages. England assistant Arjan Veurink will leave the Lionesses to become the Netherlands head coach after the Euros, returning to his homeland. Going the other way, Netherlands assistants Janneke Bijl and Arvid Smit will join Wiegman in England.
BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Download your Euro 2025 wallchart
The wait is almost over. Euro 2025 kicks off on 2 July, with England and Wales among the 16 teams going for glory in that is left to do is study the fixtures, consider the permutations and keep track of the results using your essential piece of kit - the Women's Euro 2025 not print out your own, follow the fixtures and fill in the results as the tournament plays out?You can download yours here.
Sky News
2 days ago
- Sport
- Sky News
Jess Fishlock: Mural of Wales star unveiled in 'European first'
A mural of Wales star Jess Fishlock has been unveiled in what organisers say is a European first. The artwork in Splott, Cardiff, is believed to be the first five-a-side football pitch-sized mural of a female footballer in Europe, according to organisers. With 47 goals to her name, Fishlock is Wales 's all-time record goalscorer. The 38-year-old will be part of the team making history for the nation at the UEFA European Women's Championship in Switzerland. The upcoming competition marks the first time the women's team has qualified for a major tournament. The team will face off against reigning champions England, as well as 2017 winners The Netherlands and 2022 semi-finalists France. The squad of 23 chosen to represent their country was revealed at the summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) last week. 2:01 On Thursday, Fishlock's mural, which was designed by Regan Gilflin and created by Shawqi Hasson and Yusuf Ismail from the Unify project, was unveiled in front of community representatives and children from local schools. The footballer's sister, Francesca Fishlock, told Sky News that she was "super proud" of her older sibling and that it was "lovely" to have a mural dedicated to her on her first home ground. "She's tried her hardest to get to a major tournament with Wales, the whole group has, so to be able to go over there and just experience it with them is amazing," she said. "They've got nothing to lose and nothing to prove, so they're just going to go out there and give their all really and do the best that they can. Hopefully get out of the group, but if they don't, they're there, and that's what matters." Members of the local football team, Splott Albion FC, attended the launch event of the mural, which has been supported by funding from the Welsh Government and Wales Arts International. Lola, 15, said the women's team was "inspiring many younger girls to start playing" in Wales. Gracie, 14, added that the mural was "a good representation of women's football" and was confident of the team's chances, adding: "We're going to win". Lilly, 14, said the team were "someone to look up to" and are giving potential future Wales stars "an opportunity to see how far they can come". Aliyah, 14, whose cousin is also part of the Wales squad, said it was "really cool" to have a relative representing her country, and the advice she had given her was to "just smash it". One person who knows more than most what it's like to represent Wales is Professor Laura McAllister, who made 24 appearances for her country between 1994 and 1998. Professor McAllister told Sky News that it was a "fabulous opportunity" to see Wales represented on the world stage. "I was at the Men's Euros last year, and of course, Wales weren't there, and that was quite painful. So this time I'm really excited about being there when my own nation is represented on the global stage," she said. The women's game in Wales has "come a long way" since she was representing her country, Professor McAllister's added. "We didn't have everything we needed to perform at the highest level, and there's still a journey to go" "Let's not get carried away, we don't have full equality between men's and women's football or the same opportunities for girls as we have for boys. "So we're very mindful that there's more work ahead, but for now, let's celebrate the important steps we've made on the journey."
