France v England
Group D, UEFA Women's EURO 2025
8pm BST, Saturday 5 July 2025
Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland

England head coach Sarina Wiegman and captain Leah Williamson faced the press ahead of tomorrow's EURO 2025 opener against France.

They discussed preparations, defending their European crown, support from the fans, and much more.

Wiegman on England's preparations...

"The team looks really good, we’re ready. We had a session this morning and came through really well.

"We had some good weeks where we trained and we could do some tactics. I think we're very well prepared. You can see the bonding in the team, we've worked really hard and I think we're ready to go tomorrow."

On Lauren James' availability...

"She's in a good place. Of course she came on against Jamaica last week and she's ready to get some more minutes tomorrow. She played 30 minutes last week and she could play more than that now."

On handling pressure…

"It doesn't feel that different because it's always been there. We have high expectations of ourselves. We know exactly where we want to go to but we have to be the best prepared, have the best game plans, be able to adapt. We will keep working very hard and that's what we can control."

On the 'new England'…

"The team has achieved so much before and we cherish those memories, we never forget them. But the team has been in transition and you have to move on. Things can change very quickly. We came together in February and we called it the 'new England'."

Blink and you'll miss them. 🏃‍♀️💨 pic.twitter.com/A3qVvXjo8L

— Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 4, 2025

Leah Williamson on partnering Alex Greenwood...

"Alex is an exceptional player. She sees things that not many do. She’s always at such a high level and she demands so much of herself – and me, too. She’s one of my best mates and I have a great time playing with he."

On whether missing the 2023 World Cup with injury motivates her…

"Yeah, I’ve probably felt some anxiety up until this moment because I wanted be here and experience another major tournament. Being away from home, coming to another country to represent your country, is special. It's a bit different to 2022 when we were at home so I'm just taking everything in. I'm very excited.".

On attempting to make history by winning a trophy overseas…

"It’s new territory. We are not necessarily looking at it as a defence but a new challenge and opportunity. We'll take any challenge that comes our way but it's more about focusing day to day. Every team has a dream but we need to focus."

On how Wiegman inspires the team…

"Sarina is a winner. She doesn't like to lose, she wants to do things the right way, she's a good person. As a player you want to respect the person you play for, which we do. She will push you and challenge you. We’ve had some hard conversations at different stages, at different highs and lows, so I think first comes the respect for her as a human and as a coach. It’s comforting, to say the least."

On the support from the fans…

"We were talking about the atmosphere at Leicester [against Jamaica]. It was great, we could hear them. It does make a difference, particularly when it’s tight. They bring a nice pressure, the people who travel to watch. We're very excited to get in front of them."

France in profile

Nickname: Les Bleues
Coach: Laurent Bonadie
Captain: Wendie Renard
FIFA Women's World Cup best performance: Fourth in 2011
UEFA Women's EURO best performance: Semi-finals in 2022
Last encounter: France 1-2 England, 4 June 2024

Match Stats v France

● England have won three of their last six matches against France in all competitions (L3), more than they’d won in their first 21 games against them (W2 D9 L10). Following a 2-1 win in June 2024, the Lionesses are looking to win back-to-back games against Les Bleus for the first time since November 1974.

● There has been two previous meetings between France and England at the UEFA Women’s EURO, with Les Bleus winning 3-0 in the group stage in 2013 while the Lionesses won 1-0 in the 2017 quarter-final thanks to a goal from Jodie Taylor.

● Following their 2-1 win over France in qualifying for this competition back in June last year, England will be looking to win back-to-back matches against them for the first time since November 1974.

● England come into the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 as reigning champions, winning the 2022 edition on home soil. No reigning champion has ever lost their first game at the next tournament (W7 D5), though the last three have all drawn – Germany in 2013 (0-0 vs Netherlands) and 2017 (0-0 vs Sweden) and Netherlands in 2022 (1-1 vs Sweden).

● The Lionesses have kicked off each of their last four major tournaments with a win (6-0 v Scotland at EURO 2017, 2-1 v Scotland at the 2019 World Cup, 1-0 v Austria at EURO 2022, 1-0 v Haiti at the 2023 World Cup), since losing to France in their first game at the 2015 FIFA World Cup (1-0).

● England are looking to become the third European team to reach the final of three consecutive major tournaments (World Cup/EUROs) after Germany (3, 1995-1997 and 5, 2001-2009) and Norway (5, 1987-1993).

● The Lionesses won at least three more games and scored eleven more goals than any other European nation across EURO 2022 and the 2023 FIFA World Cup (W11 D1 L1 F35 A6).

● France haven’t lost their opening game at any of their last nine major tournaments (EUROs/World Cup – W8 D1), since losing their opening group game at the 2003 FIFA World Cup (2-0 v Norway).

● France haven’t lost any of their last ten group stage matches at the UEFA Women’s EURO (W6 D4) since suffering a 5-1 defeat to Germany in 2009.

● France come into this tournament on an eight-game winning streak across all competitions, their longest winning run since securing 16 consecutive victories between June 2021 – July 2022.

● Since England lost 3-0 to France in their final group game in 2013, they’ve won ten of eleven matches at the UEFA Women’s EURO, with the exception a defeat against a Netherlands side managed by Sarina Wiegman in 2017 (0-3 in the semi-final).

● England have won their most recent meeting with each of their UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 Group D opponents: France in June 2024 (2-1), Netherlands in December 2023 (3-2) and Wales (3-0 in August 2018). They are the only team that can boast that feat over their EURO 2025 fellow group members.

● France have played the most matches at the UEFA Women’s EURO without ever reaching a final (26), while only Italy (35) and Denmark (33) have played more games without winning the trophy.

● England manager Sarina Wiegman has an unblemished record at the UEFA Women’s EURO, winning 12 out of 12 matches with the Netherlands (6/6 in 2017) and England (6/6 in 2022). She’s the only manager with a 100 per cent win record in the competition, while only Tina Theune (13 wins in 15 games with Germany) has won more games at the tournament.

● Only two players created more chances at the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 than France’s Clara Matéo (13), while Matéo was directly involved in 25 goals in 20 league games in 2024-25 for Paris FC (18 goals, 7 assists), a total only two players could better across Europe’s big five leagues.

● At the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022, England’s Beth Mead created the most chances (16) of any player, while she was involved in ten goals in total (six goals, four assists), a record by a player at a single major women’s tournament (World Cup/EURO) that Opta has on record since the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

● France are one of three teams (also Germany and Sweden) that have qualified for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women’s EURO in all four editions since their introduction in 2009, but have only progressed once to the semi-finals, that was in the latest edition in 2022 (lost 1-2 v Germany).

● No team recorded more shots than France at the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 (108 – level with Germany) but only three teams had a worse shooting accuracy (42.0%).

● No player scored more goals in the 2025 UEFA Women’s Nations League group stage than Sandy Baltimore (five), who netted in each of France’s games between matches two and six. The versatile Chelsea player is the first to score in five straight outings for France since Marie-Antoinette Katoto between September and November 2021.

England Squad News

Ticket Information for England women v France at EURO 2025

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Where to watch or stream England women v France?

This game will be broadcast in the UK on ITV Sport.

Sarina Wiegman has named her team to face France in England’s opening game of UEFA Women’s EURO 2025.

There is a tournament debut for goalkeeper Hannah Hampton while Lauren James starts as the only change from the send-off fixture against Jamaica last week.

England: 1 Hannah Hampton, 2 Lucy Bronze, 4 Keira Walsh, 5 Alex Greenwood, 6 Leah Williamson (C), 7 Lauren James, 8 Georgia Stanway, 9 Beth Mead, 11 Lauren Hemp, 16 Jess Carter, 23 Alessia Russo

Substitutes: 3 Niamh Charles, 10 Ella Toone, 12 Maya Le Tissier, 13 Anna Moorhouse, 14 Grace Clinton, 15 Esme Morgan, 17 Michelle Agyemang, 18 Chloe Kelly, 19 Aggie Beever-Jones, 20 Jess Park, 21 Khiara Keating, 22 Lotte Wubben-Moy

England’s defence of their European Championship title got off to an unwelcome start in Switzerland as they fell to 2-1 defeat to France in the opening match of EURO 2025 at Stadion Letzigrund.

The Lionesses appeared to take the lead after just 16 minutes when Alessia Russo turned home from Lauren Hemp’s rebounded shot, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR check for offside in the build-up.

While England had further chances, momentum swung towards their opponents as Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore’s double salvo before half time gave the holders a mountain to climb.

While Keira Walsh’s strike from range gave England a lifeline at the death, they succumbed to opening day defeat in Group D.

England got off to a promising start in Zurich with Lauren James, who was starting a game for the first time since April, proving a key threat early on.

She found space to shoot in the box inside two minutes, but fired over from a tight angle, before delivering a dangerous cross moments later that just evaded the onrushing forwards.

It was James once more who played the instigator in the 16th minute, this time cutting in off the left before finding Beth Mead on the edge of the box.

Mead found the run of Hemp to her left who saw the rebound from her shot turned in by Russo, only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside by the very finest of margins.

Soon momentum would turn towards the French and their pace saw Les Bleues find joy down the wings as Selma Bacha clipped a looping shot towards goal that Hannah Hampton was able to claim well.

But Laurent Bonadei’s side proved relentless on the half hour mark and as England failed to clear in the box, Hampton was once more called upon to block Elisa De Almeida’s low strike with a reactive outstretched leg from close-range.

There was only so much Hampton could do to stave off French pressure and they were eventually rewarded when De Almeida found Delphine Cascarino in behind on the right.

Cascarino surged to the edge of the box before firing a low cross in front of goal that was turned in by Katoto at the far post on 36 minutes.

And things went from bad to worse for England as Lucy Bronze struggled to recover from a turnover in midfield, allowing Baltimore into the box to fire in a second from a tight angle just three minutes later.

Less than ten minutes after the restart, France were nearly gifted another as Mead’s pass was cut out in the final third to set Grace Geyoro free, but Hampton did just enough to prevent it crossing the line.

England struggled for chances for most of the second half but when a corner fell to Walsh on the edge of the box in the 87th minute she made no mistake to fire only her second-ever international goal home from range.

It sparked a resurgence for England as France were left scrambling to clear the ball off the line in a grandstand finish, but the effort was too little too late for the holders.

England: 1 Hannah Hampton (Chelsea); 2 Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), 6 Leah Williamson (Arsenal), 5 Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), 16 Jess Carter (Gotham FC); 7 Lauren James (Chelsea), 4 Keira Walsh (Chelsea), 8 Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich); 9 Beth Mead (Arsenal), 23 Alessia Russo (Arsenal), 11 Lauren Hemp (Manchester City)

Subs: 3 Niamh Charles (Chelsea) for Carter 60, 10 Ella Toone (Manchester United) for James 60, 18 Chloe Kelly (Arsenal) for Mead 60, 14 Grace Clinton (Manchester United) for Stanway 77, 17 Michelle Agyemang (Arsenal) for Greenwood 86

Subs not used: 13 Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride), 21 Khiara Keating (Manchester City), 12 Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), 15 Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit) 19 Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea), 20 Jess Park (Manchester City), 22 Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal)

Goals: Keira Walsh 87

Yellow cards: Ella Toone 75

France: 16 Pauline Peyraud-Magnin; 5 Elisa De Almeida, 2 Maelle Lakrar, 4 Alice Sombath, 13 Selma Bacha; 7 Sakina Karchaoui, 18 Oriane Jean-Francois, 8 Grace Geyoro; 17 Sandy Baltimore, 12 Marie-Antoinette Katoto, 20 Delphine Cascarino

Subs: 11 Kadidiatou Diani for Cascarino 62, 9 Melvine Malard for Baltimore 62, 14 Clara Mateo for Katoto 62, 6 Sandy Toletti for Karchaoui 80, 22 Daudet N’Dongala for De Almeida 80

Subs not used: 1 Justine Lerond, 21 Constance Picaud, 3 Thiniba Samoura, 10 Amel Majri, 15 Kelly Gago, 19 Griedge Mbock Bathy, 23 Lou Bogaert

Goals: Katoto 36, Baltimore 39

Yellow cards: Peyraud-Magnin 92