Women’s Euro 2025 dwell: England ‘not good enough’ as Lionesses react to France defeat

“Every game that we go into, we know it’s a big game and we have that belief in the squad that we’ll go on and give our all. There’s no doubt about that, that every time we step onto the pitch we give absolutely everything.

“We’re proud to represent England and to play for our country, so that will never change. I think every game is big. We prepare for every game the same, and we want to make sure that we get the win from that game just as we do every time we step out.

“There’s no added pressure within the group, but we just need to stick together.”

England are on the back foot at Euro 2025 after an opening defeat to France left the holders in “must-win” territory going into the rest of the tournament.

The Lionesses head into Wednesday’s game against the Netherlands knowing that defeat could result in an early exit from their tournament after a 2-1 defeat to France in Zurich.

The action continues on Sunday and returns to Group A as hosts Switzerland take on Iceland looking for their first win of the tournament. The hosts were beaten 2-1 by Norway in their opening match, while Iceland lost 1-0 against Finland.

Spain started their bid to become European champions for the first time in impressive fashion as they thrashed Portugal 5-0 and on Monday could seal their place in the quarter-finals against Belgium.

As England’s players fronted up in Zurich and vowed to take responsibility for their opening performance in the defeat to France, defender Jess Carter admitted to something that you wouldn’t expect to hear from a team who entered the tournament as champions.

“I think we played like we were a little bit scared today,” Carter said. “We maybe were worrying about their threats in behind and what they can do rather than doing what we can do.”

Sarina Wiegman was furious that France’s goal was allowed to stand despite a foul on Alessia Russo in the build-up to Sandy Baltimore’s finish.

Russo, who had a first-half goal disallowed for offside, said: “I don’t comment on the referee’s decisions but to me as a nine I’m used to getting challenges like that and I did feel like it was a foul but it’s football.

“Sometimes you get decisions your way, sometimes you don’t. We have to go with that and we still want to be better as a team.”

England are the first defending champions to lose their opening game at a Women’s Euros.

The holders have never been knocked out of the group stages in European Championship history.

But, if England lose to the Netherlands on Wednesday and France either beat Wales or draw, the Lionesses will be out already.

“I think we played like we were a little bit scared today, maybe we weren’t aggressive enough, we maybe were worrying about their threats in behind and what they can do rather than doing what we can do. We didn’t do as well on the ball, or off the ball.

“We do our analysis on the opposition but usually we try to deliver our game plan the best we can, when I say ‘scared’ I think it’s maybe just a bit more an awareness of France and their abilities they’re a top, top team and Netherlands are a top team as well.

“All we can do is focus on improving ourselves to be better for the next game.”

Defender Alex Greenwood, who won her 100th cap against France, said England have “two massive games” after their opening defeat to France at Euro 2025.

“It was disappointing, disappointing result. I think we finished the game strong but we don’t want to be in situations like that where we are finishing games like that,” Greenwood told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Of course not the ideal start but no tournament is won or lost after the first game. We have two massive games now that we must win, we’ll assess the game, reflect on it individually and collectively and make sure we’re better in the next game.

“Honestly I thought we started the game really well. The first 10 to 15 minutes I thought we put them on the back foot and then after the VAR goal [England’s disallowed goal] we just lost our way a little bit which is disappointing. And when you concede two goals you’ve got an uphill battle.”

Sarina Wiegman said it was not a mistake to start Lauren James in midfield against France, with England looking outnumbered out of possession despite the forward looking bright on the ball in their opening defeat at Euro 2025.

“No I don’t see it as a mistake, it was a choice,” Wiegman said. “If she scored in the first minute, and if the cross where we couldn’t just get a head on it, we’d be having a different conversation.

“I make a lot of considerations before I make a starting line-up, I do it again with my technical staff. Sometimes things go well and sometimes it doesn’t go well but I don’t have regrets because we try to turn every stone before we make the line up.”

Sarina Wiegman proclaimed a “new England”, and they have certainly been responsible for a few things previously unseen in the women’s Euros. This 2-1 defeat to France was the first time the defending champions have lost their opening game in the next competition, and it has now put them in real danger of becoming the first champions to go out in the group stage, too. Wednesday’s match against the Netherlands in Zurich is essentially a knockout tie.

Of most concern was something else new about this defeat, that is the real story of how it went. A manager who has previously been flawless in this tournament, winning it twice in a row with 100 per cent records, made her first big error. It is really the first time Wiegman has got it wrong as an England coach. And it was a big one.

England head coach Sarina Wiegman felt the defending champions created their “own problems” after opening their Euro 2025 campaign with a 2-1 loss to France in Zurich.

“Of course, I’m very disappointed,” said Wiegman. “I think we started well. After that, of course we know France are very good, but we created chances (for France) by playing short passes all the time. We were a bit sloppy too.”

Wiegman added: “When we built, we chose to do short passes and they were aiming for that.

“They were pretty good in midfield, so I think we had to go around at moments. On the right side, we had overloads where we could find that, but then you have to skip players and not play the short passes, but when you receive them you have to be tighter on the ball and be quicker.

“We played out of that press that developed too, so I think we caused a bit of our own problems, knowing that when you don’t do these things right against France, it’s a very good team so they can harm you.”