Euro Qualifier Football: England Drawn Against France, Sweden, and Republic of Ireland in EURO 2025 Qualifiers
England’s women’s national team, the Lionesses, face a challenging path to EURO 2025 after being drawn into a tough group alongside France, Sweden, and the Republic of Ireland for the upcoming qualifiers. The Lionesses, coming off a strong camp in Spain with victories over Austria and Italy, will need to be at their best to navigate this demanding group. Their recent performances, including a 3-2 win over the Netherlands and a 6-0 thrashing of Scotland, demonstrate their capabilities, but the Euro Qualifier Football matches promise to be highly competitive.
England’s coach, Sarina Wiegman, expressed excitement about the draw and the challenges ahead. She acknowledged the strength of all three opponents, highlighting France’s recent run to the Nations League final and Sweden’s consistently strong performances in major tournaments. Wiegman also noted the familiarity between the teams due to the presence of many players in the Barclays Women’s Super League.
The Lionesses haven’t faced France in a competitive match since EURO 2017, where England emerged victorious in the quarter-finals. France, currently ranked third in the world, poses a significant threat. Their recent Nations League final appearance against Spain further underscores their quality.
Sweden, ranked fifth in the world, consistently performs well in major tournaments, reaching the semi-finals in each of the last three. England’s last encounter with Sweden was a memorable 4-0 victory in the semi-final of EURO 2022. Despite Sweden’s recent struggles in the Nations League, Wiegman recognizes their quality and expects a tough challenge. The familiarity between the squads, with many players competing against each other in the Women’s Super League, adds another layer of intrigue to the fixture.
The Republic of Ireland, although ranked 24th, should not be underestimated. They topped their Nations League group with a perfect record, winning all six matches. While England hasn’t played them in over a decade, the proximity of the two nations and the presence of Irish players in the WSL will likely make for fiercely contested matches. Wiegman expects these games to be highly competitive and anticipates strong support from traveling fans.
The Euro qualifier football journey begins quickly for England, with the first two rounds of matches scheduled for April. The remaining group stage fixtures will be played in May/June and July. Play-offs will follow in October and December, culminating in the finals draw in December 2024. The tournament itself will be held in Switzerland in July 2025. Wiegman emphasized the team’s positive momentum from the Spain camp and expressed eagerness to begin the qualification campaign. The Lionesses aim to secure one of the 16 spots available at the EURO 2025 finals, alongside hosts Switzerland.