Euros Preview: England

By Ava-Marianne Elliott (29/06/25)

Above: The England team that lined up in their Euros send off game. Photo: Lionesses on Twitter.

The Lionesses have already etched their names into the history books. A phenomenal run in UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 fuelled by grit and determination led them to a first-placed finish, and their run in the competition was nothing short of remarkable.

This year, with a fresh squad, a champion’s status to defend and a legacy to continue, England are likely to be a powerhouse of this year’s tournament.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Khiara Keating (Manchester City), Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride)

Defenders: Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Jess Carter (Gotham FC), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), Leah Williamson (Arsenal), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal)

Midfielders: Grace Clinton (Manchester United), Jess Park (Manchester City), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Chelsea)

Forwards: Michelle Agyemang (Arsenal), Aggie Beever-Jones (Chlesea), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Unattached), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Alessia Russo (Arsenal)

Head Coach:

Manager Sarina Wiegman is no stranger to success. Leading England to their victory in a home Euros in 2022, she continues to lead the team three years on. She’ll have her sights set on the title, as reaching the final this year would be her fifth consecutive appearance in a major tournament’s final stage.

Euros History:

After a string of not qualifying three Euros running from 1987 to 1991, the nation’s luck in the competition wasn’t as successful as many would hope them to be.

The team reached the semi-final stage in 2017, and they came even closer twice in their history, being runners up in the tournament in 1984 and 2009. Triumph finally came in 2022, securing gold with goals from Ella Toone and Chloe Kelly, achieving a 2-1 victory over Germany at Wembley Stadium.

Qualification:

England’s qualification for the tournament wasn’t quite as straight forward as they would’ve hoped. With two draws against Sweden to start and end their qualification, two wins against the Republic of Ireland, plus a win away in France but a loss to the side on home turf, it’s agreeable that the team perhaps could’ve found another win somewhere.

Nevertheless, they qualified, and we’ll be seeing the team in Switzerland take on France again in the group stages.

Strengths:

One of England’s main strengths has to be the experience and ability of the squad to cope with high-pressure fixtures. They have the ability to rise to the occasion and find a brilliant form when it matters, but a lot of this will rely on the players staying fit throughout the month of the tournament, especially Chelsea’s Lauren James.

Development Areas:

With their huge successes in recent years, there comes a lot of criticism when the team doesn’t perform to the best of their ability. In order to fight their way out of group D, England will need to find a cohesive form in order to not buckle under the pressure.

After big, experienced names such as Millie Bright and Fran Kirby dropped from the squad, it’s crucial the team balance their youth talent and experience to find a new level point that works. This is especially key for the defensive players, as that area is where the team often slip.

Key players:

Alessia Russo:

Russo is far more than your average striker. The 26-year-old flourishes in the nine role, but also excels in her off the ball movement and work rate. Her versatility allows her to transition between different roles with ease, adding an element of unpredictability for opponents who come face to face with the forward.

Keira Walsh:

A unique talent, there’s not many better options for a playmaker than Walsh. Her ability to dictate the pace of the game whilst being a composed, technically intelligent defensive midfielder makes her instrumental in England’s set up.

Leah Williamson:

Leading by example from the back, captain Williamson is a strong, versatile presence on the pitch. As well as her ability to lead the backline and operate as an excellent centre-back, Williamson has been called to step into the midfield on many occasions, performing each time with her eye for a long pass and composure on the ball.

One to watch:

Being labelled as the one to watch falls to Michelle Agyemang, the youngest of the team at just 19-years-old. The Arsenal forward has risen through the youth ranks and secured a spot in the squad for Switzerland where she’ll be hoping to have a good run in her breakout tournament.

If Agyemang sees game time, she could be a weapon for England. A present and clever goal-scorer, the rising star netted her first goal in style, a clever volley just 41 seconds into her Senior team debut against Belgium.

Success would be:

With such a high expectation carrying across from the monumental success of the 2022 Euros on home soil, there’s a lot of pressure for England to claim the top spot again.

Even with a difficult group to conquer, it’s likely we’ll see England in the knockouts. Realistically, it would be good to see them at least make an appearance in the final, but to get there they will have to be ruthless.

Prediction:

I predict England will make it to the semi-finals. They may go further to reach the final, however if we see that Spain-England match up again, I think the Lionesses will be the ones to fall short.

With such a talented roster of players, if things work smoothly, they could be one of the biggest threats of the competition.

Group Fixtures:

5th July- France, Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, 8pm UK time

9th July- Netherlands, Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, 5pm UK time

13th July- Wales, Arena St.Gallen, St.Gallen, 8pm UK time

This is the latest part of our Euros nation previews – click on the links below to view the previous articles:

SWITZERLAND: https://impetusfootball.org/2025/06/16/euros-preview-switzerland-2/

NORWAY: https://impetusfootball.org/2025/06/17/euros-preview-norway/

FINLAND: https://impetusfootball.org/2025/06/18/euros-preview-finland-2/

ICELAND: https://impetusfootball.org/2025/06/19/euros-preview-iceland-2/

SPAIN: https://impetusfootball.org/2025/06/20/euros-preview-spain-2/

PORTUGAL: https://impetusfootball.org/2025/06/21/euros-preview-portugal/