The Lionesses are gearing up for their Euro 2025 campaign, which begins with a high-stakes match against France in Zurich on Saturday, July 5th. Kick-off is scheduled for 8pm BST. All eyes are on Sarina Wiegman's squad as they aim to defend their European crown, but face a challenging "group of death" including the Netherlands and Wales.
England enters the tournament with a blend of seasoned champions and fresh talent. Seven players are set to make their major tournament debut, injecting youthful energy into the team. Veterans like Lucy Bronze bring invaluable experience and leadership. Bronze is heading into her seventh major international tournament with England. Wiegman believes England's depth will be a major asset in the tournament.
One of the key talking points surrounding the team is the role of Lauren James. After recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined her in April, James has been included in the squad. James featured in a friendly against Jamaica, showing glimpses of her brilliance. It remains to be seen whether she will start against France or be used as an impact substitute. Wiegman experimented with James in the No. 10 position during the Jamaica game, but she has often been deployed on the wing. James' versatility across the front line gives Wiegman tactical flexibility.
James herself has declared that England is entering "a new era". She emphasized that this tournament is not about defending the 2022 title, but about a fresh start with a new-look team. "It's not really about defending a title because it's a completely different team," James said. "This team's got a lot of youth in it and this will be some people's first big tournament".
The Lionesses and France were in the same qualifying group for Euro 2025. France won 2-1 in Newcastle, and England won the return match in Saint-Etienne by the same score.
The match will be broadcast on ITV 1 and ITV X in the UK, with coverage starting at 7pm. In the US, the game will be shown on FOX, with streaming available on the FOX Sports App and FOXSports.com.
Looking ahead, England's other group stage matches are against the Netherlands on July 9th and Wales on July 13th. The knockout stages begin on July 16th, with the final scheduled for July 27th in Basel.
