England begin the defence of their Euros crown on Saturday, when they take on fellow heavyweights France in a mouthwatering clash in Zurich.
Placed in a tricky group that also features Euro 2017 champions Netherlands and neighbours Wales. the Lionesses will know that kicking off their campiagn with a win could go a long way towards boosting their qualification chances and morale.
Here's everything you need to know about the clash.
How to Watch:
The game will be broadcast on ITV Sports in the UK. ESPN will also be running a live blog for the match.
Key Details:
Date: Saturday, July 5 at 8 p.m. BST (3 p.m. ET)
Venue: Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich
Referee: Tess Olofsson
VAR: Christian Dingert
Team News
The England and France squads for Euro 2025 are conspicuous for the big-name absences.
In the week leading up to the announcement of the squad, England were rocked by the retirements of stalwarts Mary Earps and Fran Kirby. Then on the eve of the team being named, Millie Bright ruled herself out of contention due to physical and emotional burnout.
Lauren James was named in the England squad despite concerns over her fitness, but her involvement in England's final warmup game against Jamaica will soothe concerns over her involvement at the tournament.
Meanwhile for France, manager Laurent Bonadei took the radical decision to leave out captain Wendie Renard, all-time leading goalscorer Eugénie Le Sommer as well as Kenza Dali. It's a bold move, considering that France come into the tournament after going unbeaten in their Nations League group as well as being the first team to qualify for the tournament.
Head-to-Head
France hold a superior head-to-head record, winning 13 of their last 27 matches as compared to England's five.
However, England ran out as 2-1 winners when the two sides last met in 2024.
Best quote
"As Einstein said: 'Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.' I want different results for this team so I have gone with a different selection."
- Bonadei on his decision to drop Renard, Le Sommer and Dali
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