Three years after England Women achieved a historic first trophy, winning the European Championships on home soil, it is now time for them to begin their defence.
The Euros begin in Switzerland on Wednesday, before the Lionesses’ campaign gets under way on Saturday. Retaining their title requires them to first get over a significant hurdle; they are in the tournament’s toughest group, with France, the Netherlands and Wales as their opponents.
England’s preparation has been far from ideal, with goalkeeper Mary Earps retiring from international football after Hannah Hampton became the Lionesses’ first-choice, Millie Bright withdrawing from selection and mixed performances over recent months.
Without home advantage and with other nations – including Spain, who beat England in the 2023 World Cup final – arguably being in better form, will the Lionesses have what it takes to lift the title once again?
As the Euros approaches, here is everything you need to know about the 16 teams who are competing, the players to watch and how each side may perform.
Group A
Switzerland
Switzerland have never made it past the group stage at a European Championship, but the hosts will hope home advantage is on their side this time around.
They are arguably the strongest team in their group, yet they were unable to beat Norway or Iceland in the Nations League. Striker Ramona Bachmann, who has been sidelined with a serious knee injury, will be a big miss but they are strong nevertheless and performed well in qualifying.
Player to watch: Arsenal midfielder Lia Walti is her country’s captain and a true stalwart. Coming into the tournament off the back of winning the Champions League and having impressed once again in the Women’s Super League, her ability to dictate play in the middle of the park could be important.
Norway
Norway were surprising at the last Euros, but for all the wrong reasons: they didn’t make it past the group stage and lost 8-0 to England.
With Englishwoman Gemma Grainger now in charge, they will want to put their past behind them and recent results augur well, with them having beaten Switzerland twice in the Nations League, drawn twice with Iceland and only narrowly lost two games to France. They seem favourites to win Group A.
This is a team who are brimming with talent – including the likes of Chelsea’s Guro Reiten, Arsenal’s Frida Maanum, Manchester United’s Elisabeth Terland and Lyon striker Ada Hegerberg – and they have a point to prove in Switzerland.
Player to watch: Barcelona winger Caroline Graham Hansen is one of the world’s best forwards. She was the Ballon d’Or runner-up last year and has enjoyed a career filled with silverware. In a partnership with Hegerberg up top, she should be a significant danger for defences.
Iceland
Iceland drew all three of their games at Euro 2022 and were defensively solid, but they struggled to find a way to win games. They have never reached a knockout stage before.
They are winless in their past 10 fixtures and with a squad slightly depleted by injuries they may struggle to pick up the needed points in Switzerland. But, if they manage to sort things out up top, then they are definitely capable of causing trouble in their group.
Player to watch: Forward Sveindis Jane Jonsdottir provides Iceland’s best chance of finding match-winning goals. The former Wolfsburg striker has just joined American side Angel City and is definitely talented. Make sure to keep an eye out for her long throws.
Finland
Marko Saloranta is taking charge of his first major tournament as Finland boss and will be hoping his side can set aside some of their recent hit-and-miss form in Switzerland.
They scraped through by beating Scotland in their play-off final and have not been too disappointing in their Nations League fixtures – but they drew with and suffered a defeat by Serbia. They have had injury troubles recently and their squad may lack some sharpness, but they will hope to make the most of a relatively open group.
Player to watch: Leicester striker Jutta Rantala has recovered from injury and if she finds form then she could be Finland’s greatest asset up top. In a side otherwise lacking attacking strength she could be crucial.
Group B
Spain
Spain are among the favourites to win the Euros and it is no surprise. They won the 2023 World Cup and have some of the world’s best players at their disposal.
Anything less than winning their group would come as a major surprise. This is Montse Tome’s first tournament in charge but there are no worries about how she has managed the squad: they have only lost one of their past 10 games.
Boasting the likes of Ballon d’Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas, Salma Paralluelo, Irene Paredes and Mariona Caldentey and many more in their squad, Spain are a frightening prospect.
Player to watch: It’s tough to pick just one Spain player to keep an eye on, but 23-year-old Barcelona forward Claudia Pina is one who may excel in Switzerland. She turned the game on its head as Spain came from behind to beat England last month and provides an excellent creative presence.
Portugal
Portugal have not made it past the group stage in their past three major tournaments but will hope they can come out on top in a group where it looks relatively open in the battle for the runner-up spot.
They were excellent when they held England to a 1-1 draw back in February but have since suffered a 6-0 defeat by the Lionesses and a 7-1 drubbing by Spain. At the back, they look notably shaky.
Player to watch: Forward Jessica Silva is back to being available for her country after recovering from a serious eye injury and could provide the goals her side need to win their crucial matches against Italy and Belgium.
Belgium
Elisabet Gunnarsdottir is leading Belgium into a major tournament for the first time, marking the start of a new era after 14 years with Ives Serneels in charge.
They finished third – behind Spain and England – in their Nations League group and recorded an impressive win at home to the Lionesses, albeit they lost the reverse fixture 5-1.
It is tough to judge how they will do with a manager who has been at the helm since January, but the Red Flames have already proven they were better than Portugal in their Nations League group which is a positive going into the Euros.
Player to watch: Captain Tessa Wullaert is her country’s best attacking option and if the 32-year-old finds form then Belgium can be tough to deal with. Also keep an eye out for the threat Justine Vanhaevermaet’s height poses from set pieces.
Italy
The Azzurre have a habit of being tipped as dark horses before underperforming at tournaments.
Strong form since manager Andre Soncin took charge in 2023, including a good Nations League campaign may cause people to do the same again, but Italy will be looking to finally put their tournament football troubles behind them and find a path out of their group.
Player to watch: Italy’s midfield is their greatest strength and Roma’s Manuela Giugliano will provide a substantial amount of their creative talent.
Group C
Germany
The Euro 2022 runners-up suffered a shock group-stage exit at the 2023 World Cup and will be looking to show that their disappointing display in Australia was just a blip.
They are unbeaten in 2025 and have the history as one of the best teams in the world. They will be seen as one of the favourites to win the tournament this time around anything less than going far in the knockouts will be seen as an underperformance.
Manager Christian Wuck, who took over in 2024, does not have midfielder Lena Oberdorf at her disposal with her being ruled out with a knee injury but their talent should be enough to be one of the teams to beat.
Player to watch: Bayern Munich striker Lea Schuller has proved her worth up top and – following the retirement of Alexandra Popp last year – will be her side’s key player when it comes to providing goals.
Poland
This is Poland’s first major tournament and it would be surprising to see them find a path out of a tough group C.
They lost all of their qualifying matches and are now in the second tier of the Nations League so have not played many fixtures against top-class opposition, but they achieved a spot at the Euros through the play-offs.
Player to watch: Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor could make the difference for Poland and, if they are to find a shock route to the knockouts, will be important. She netted 25 goals in 28 league games for her club this term and the captain is clearly her country’s most important player.
Denmark
Denmark will likely be vying with Sweden for second place in the group, but a 6-1 defeat by their Scandinavian rivals in the Nations League in their last Nations League game was far from the result they wanted going into the Euros.
The Danes did not make it out of the group stage at Euro 2022 and lost to Australia in the last-16 at the 2023 World Cup. They have performed well at some previous tournaments but recent form has been far from perfect.
Player to watch: Real Madrid striker Signe Bruun netted 12 times and assisted seven goals for her club in the league this season. She will present a strong strike partnership alongside Bayern Munich’s Pernille Harder.
Sweden
Sweden have an impressive record at major tournaments – they have reached the semi-finals at each of their past three.
However, they do not seem to be as strong as they once were and drew twice with Wales in the Nations League and were also held to a stalemate by Italy.
Their 6-1 win against Denmark set the right tone going into the tournament but there are definite question marks over whether Sweden have what it takes to accomplish their former heights.
Player to watch: Barcelona’s Fridolina Rolfo is usually a left-back for her club plays in a more advanced role for her country, being used as a winger who can create and threaten in front of goal. Chelsea’s Johanna Rytting Kaneryd will also be an important part of their attacking line.
Group D
England
Envisage the ideal preparation for defending a tournament and it probably doesn’t look anything like how the past few months have played out for the Lionesses.
Mary Earps’ retirement, Millie Bright withdrawing, a shock defeat by Belgium, a draw with Portugal and more. It hasn’t exactly been plain sailing.
Sarina Wiegman will hope England can defend their 2022 Euros crown and she will need to draw on her major tournament experience to make the difference. The Lionesses have found a way to click when things haven’t worked in the past and it must happen again.
Player to watch: While a goalkeeper is an interesting pick, the retirement of Earps has given Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton a point to prove and Wiegman will want the 24-year-old to show why she has been picked as the Lionesses’ first choice keeper.
Wales
Rhian Wilkinson has guided Wales to their first major tournament and they have unluckily been handed the toughest group in Switzerland.
Finding a way out of it seems incredibly unlikely and they would need to cause upsets to do so. Their recent draws with Sweden have shown they can cause trouble against top opposition but they will need to do even better to reach the knockouts.
Player to watch: Wales will face a tough group stage but captain Jess Fishlock will be up for the task. She is integral for her country, being their top scorer and record appearance maker. Even at the age of 38, the striker still has the ability to provide up top and has a clear sense of determination.
Your next read
France
France have a squad brimming with talented players who have proved their worth for their club, they can trouble any opposition on their day and will be feared at the Euros.
The problem, though, is that their strength has rarely properly translated to performances at tournaments. They have won all of their games in 2025 but will need to hope that manager Laurent Bonadei – taking charge of his first tournament – can find a way to make the most of what is at his disposal.
France are without former captain Wendie Renard and all-time top scorer Eugenie Le Sommer but are still heavyweights. In a tough group, though, they won’t be able to afford any mishaps if they want to make it to the knockouts.
Player to watch: If France are to finally find a way to reach a first major final, Kadidiatou Diani will need to be at her best. The 30-year-old netted 10 times and registered six assists in the league for Lyon this season and her pedigree will be important.
Netherlands
The Netherlands won the Euros back in 2017 and, while they have been handed a tricky group, they could go far if they manage to get out of it.
Their last Nations League matches did not provide the ideal preparation, with them being held to a 1-1 draw by Scotland and receiving a 4-0 thrashing by Germany.
The Netherlands are arguably not as strong as they once were but, with a blend of talent coming through and experienced heads still there, will fancy themselves as one of the best sides in the tournament.
Player to watch: It is hard to look past Manchester City’s Vivianne Miedema. While her role for her club and recent injuries have meant she has not been as potent as in previous years, she remains one of the best forwards in the world. The Netherlands will want to be able to call on her talent in tough games against England and France.
from Football - The i Paper https://ift.tt/ec1LVJx
Post a Comment
EmoticonClick to see the code!
To insert emoticon you must added at least one space before the code.