England and Wales Drawn into Demanding Euro 2025 Group

The opponents for England and Wales were revealed at Monday’s Women’s Euro 2025 draw, held in Lausanne, Switzerland. Defending champions England and tournament debutants Wales have been allocated to the same group for Euro 2025 in Switzerland, joined by France and the Netherlands. As the Lionesses were positioned in pot two for the draw, they were guaranteed to face either host nation Switzerland or one of the other top-ranked teams. While they avoided being grouped with the 2023 World Cup winners Spain or Germany, who have won the Euros eight times, they still anticipate a demanding challenge before the knockout phase. The encounter between England and Wales is scheduled for the concluding round of Group D matches on Sunday, 13 July, in St Gallen. Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses hold a world ranking of fourth, while Wales is ranked 30th, the Netherlands 10th, and France 11th. This grouping signifies that Wiegman will compete against her home country, the Netherlands, a team she previously guided to a Euro 2017 triumph and a second-place finish at the 2019 World Cup. England’s manager, Wiegman, expressed her “excited” for Euro 2025. Concurrently, Wales midfielder Jess Fishlock, recognized as her nation’s most-capped player, stated that qualifying represents “exactly what we deserve and a really special moment”. Under Rhian Wilkinson, Wales secured their spot in their inaugural major women’s tournament by defeating the Republic of Ireland 3-2 on aggregate in a play-off match. England secured their qualification by concluding their group stage as runners-up, trailing France. The European Championship, featuring 16 teams, will be hosted across eight venues in Switzerland from 2-27 July. The prize money for the tournament has seen an increase of over double, with the total fund now amounting to £34m (41m euros), marking a 156% rise compared to Euro 2022. Group A consists of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Finland. Group B comprises Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Italy. Group C includes Germany, Poland, Denmark, and Sweden. Group D features France, England, Wales, and the Netherlands. Commenting on the Euro 2025 draw, England boss Wiegman described it as “Very tough, very exciting”. England’s manager Wiegman stated that it is impossible to assess satisfaction with a group until the tournament concludes, but she acknowledged that Group D is “very interesting and very exciting”. Wiegman further expressed her “confident” in her squad and her anticipation for the summer, notwithstanding numerous alterations since their Euro 2022 victory. The Lionesses manager informed BBC Sport, “Things have changed so much in international women’s football and our team has changed a bit too – players retired, new players coming in,” adding, “I think we are in a pretty good place.” In parallel, Wales midfielder Fishlock conveyed that she has been “walking around with a smile on my face 24/7” since her team secured qualification for their debut major tournament, and she “can’t wait” for the Euros. Fishlock declared, “We’re going to go there, we’re going to give everything that we have no matter who the team is, no matter what their history is.” She continued, “Two of these teams have won the last two Euros – what a great thing to think about when you go in there. We’re playing the best and I can’t wait.” Fishlock’s reaction to the Euro 2025 draw was encapsulated by her statement, “Can’t wait to play the best”. The first matchday of the group stage is scheduled for 2-5 July. Matchday two of the group stage will occur from 6-9 July. The third matchday of the group stage is set for 10-13 July. The quarter-finals are slated for 16-19 July. The semi-finals will take place on 22-23 July. The final match is on 27 July.