England Women began their Euro 2025 title defence with a disappointing 2-1 defeat against France Women in their Group D opener. The Lionesses found themselves on the back foot early on, as France asserted dominance right from the start. Marie-Antoinette Katoto opened the scoring with a clinical finish that set the tone for the rest of the half. Just minutes later, Sandy Baltimore doubled France’s advantage with a well-taken goal, leaving England with an uphill battle.
Despite a stronger second-half showing from England, chances were few and far between. Keira Walsh gave the Lionesses a glimmer of hope late in the match with a fine strike that reduced the deficit to 2-1. However, time was not on England’s side, and France held on for a deserved victory. The result leaves England with work to do in their remaining group games if they hope to progress further in the tournament and retain their European crown.
England Women’s campaign to retain their European Championship title began on a disappointing note as they suffered a 2-1 defeat to France in Zurich. This marked a historic moment, as it was the first time in the history of the competition that the defending champions lost their opening match of the next tournament. The Lionesses struggled to match France’s intensity and composure, often second-best throughout the game. The French side showed greater sharpness and control, both technically and physically, dominating key moments and asserting their authority. England, despite their status as titleholders, looked off the pace and were outperformed.
England’s performance in the match was marked by two moments of brilliance at either end of the game, but these were overshadowed by a dominant and clinical display from France. Early on, the Lionesses thought they had taken the lead when Alessia Russo found the back of the net in the 16th minute. However, their celebrations were short-lived. The goal was eventually disallowed after a VAR review determined that Beth Mead had been offside in the build-up to the play. The decision was a clear setback, snatching away the early momentum that England had started to build.
France, on the other hand, responded with far more composure and intent. They capitalized on England’s lapses in concentration and turned the tide in their favour. Much of France’s attacking threat came from their wide areas, where they clearly had the upper hand. England’s full-backs—Lucy Bronze on the right and Jess Carter on the left—struggled to contain the explosive pace and flair of France’s wingers, Sandy Baltimore and Delphine Cascarino. Both players posed a constant danger, stretching England’s defence and creating opportunities with their incisive runs.
It was one such threatening burst from Cascarino that led to France breaking the deadlock. Her surging run down the flank allowed her to deliver a well-timed pass into the penalty area. Marie-Antoinette Katoto, showing clever movement, managed to slip behind Leah Williamson and calmly finished the move, putting France ahead with a well-taken goal. The strike was a just reward for France’s growing dominance and highlighted the effectiveness of their strategy on the wings.
England barely had time to recover from conceding the first goal before France struck again. Just three minutes later, they doubled their advantage in ruthless fashion. Remarkably, in that short window, England had allowed as many goals as they had throughout their entire Euro 2022 campaign—a statistic that underscored just how vulnerable they had become.
The second goal came from another moment of brilliance by Sandy Baltimore. She muscled past Leah Williamson and Bronze with surprising ease, shrugging off their attempted challenges. Although Bronze managed to get a foot on her initial cross, the ball deflected straight back to Baltimore. Unfazed, the winger quickly adjusted and managed to convert the chance herself, sending the ball past the helpless goalkeeper. It was a deserved second goal for France and a reflection of their superiority during that first-half spell.
Overall, England were outplayed in key moments, especially down the flanks, and paid the price for lapses in both concentration and defensive structure.
There was a moment of high drama midway through the game when a VAR review was triggered for a potential foul on Alessia Russo in the lead-up to France’s goal. Many thought the challenge on the striker warranted closer scrutiny, and England’s players appeared to appeal for the foul. However, after a brief check, the VAR officials opted to uphold the on-field decision, allowing the goal to stand. This sparked a rare and visible show of frustration from England manager Sarina Wiegman, who is typically composed and measured on the sidelines. The decision provoked an animated reaction from Wiegman, who could be seen furiously confronting the fourth official in protest.
As the second half unfolded, France remained largely in control of the match. They looked composed in possession and continued to frustrate England, who struggled to find rhythm or create clear chances. But with the clock ticking down, England were handed a late glimmer of hope. In the 87th minute, a corner was partially cleared by the French defence, only for Keira Walsh to latch onto the loose ball and drive a powerful shot into the back of the net. It was a rare moment of inspiration in an otherwise quiet game for the midfielder, who is often the heartbeat of the team’s play. The goal marked just her second ever for England at international level and gave the Lionesses a late surge of belief, though it ultimately came too late to alter the outcome.
Group D
| Pos. | P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | Form | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 |
Netherlands | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
W
|
| 2 |
 |
France | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
W
|
| 3 |
 |
England | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
L
|
| 4 |
 |
Wales | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -3 | 0 |
L
|
England pressed forward with determination in the final minutes, desperately searching for an equaliser. Late substitute Michelle Agyemang injected fresh energy into the side, showing flashes of promise with her movement and intent. One of the best chances fell to Lauren Hemp, who nearly capitalised on a moment of confusion in the French defence. With goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin caught out of position, Hemp managed to get a toe to the ball, only for her effort to be dramatically cleared off the line by a retreating defender.
Despite their late surge, England were unable to salvage a result. The final whistle confirmed a disappointing outcome, with the Lionesses unable to claim what would have been a fortunate draw. As a result, they now sit third in Group D, with qualification hopes hanging by a thread. To have any realistic chance of reaching the knockout stages of the tournament, England must win both of their remaining group matches—against the Netherlands and Wales. Anything less will likely see their Euro 2025 campaign cut short.
