Get to know England's UEFA Women’s EURO qualifying opponents
We have a look at the countries Sarina Wiegman’s side will face during qualification for UEFA Women’s EURO 2025
In the words of Sarina Wiegman, England received a ‘tough but exciting’ UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 qualifying draw, and here we look at all three of the Lionesses’ opponents ahead of the Women’s European Qualifiers getting underway next month.
You can see all of the fixture dates and venues for England’s UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 qualifying campaign here and hear head coach Wiegman’s thoughts on the opponents here.
France
World ranking: 3rd
Head coach: Hervé Renard
UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 finish: Semi-finalists, losing 2-1 to Germany
Best finish at a European Championship: Semi-finalist in 2022
FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 finish: Quarter-finalist, losing on penalties to Australia
Best finish at a Women’s World Cup: Fourth place in 2011
Nations League 2023-24 finish: Runners-up, losing 2-0 to Spain
Last game against England: Won 3-1 in April 2021
Other games of note against England: The Lionesses’ most memorable victory over France came in the Women’s EURO 2017 quarter-final, when Jodie Taylor’s solitary goal ended a winless run against Les Bleus which stretched all the way back to 1974.
Interesting information: After beginning his coaching career with former club SC Draguignan in his native France, Hervé Renard became manager at then League Two side Cambridge United in 2004. Four wins in 25 games saw his contract terminated halfway through the season but Renard made a great impression on the players and staff, with former player Shane Tudor comparing the transformation made at The U’s to that of Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.
Renard has since gone on to achieve great success in the men’s game. In 2012 he guided Zambia to their only African Cup of Nations win before lifting the trophy again with the Ivory Coast three years later.
In 2018 he led Morocco into their first World Cup in 20 years and in 2022 his Saudi Arabia side created one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history when they beat eventual winners Argentina 2-1 in their opening match of the group stage.
England 4-0 Sweden | Highlights
Watch the Lionesses as they reach the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 final
Sweden
World ranking: 5th
Head coach: Peter Gerhardsson
UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 finish: Semi-finalists, losing 4-0 to England
Best finish at a European Championship: Winners in 1984 and runners-up in 1987, 1995 and 2001
FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 finish: Third place, beating Australia 2-0
Best finish at a Women’s World Cup: Runners-up in 2003, losing 2-1 to Germany thanks to a 98th-minute golden goal
Nations League 2023-24 finish: Third in their group, behind eventual winners Spain and Italy
Last game against England: Lost 4-0 in the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 semi-final
Other games of note against England: Sweden defeated England on penalties in the first-ever Women’s European Championship final in 1984, following 1-0 wins for each side over two legs. Sweden were also victorious over the Lionesses in the EURO 1988 semi-finals and the third place play-off at the 2019 World Cup.
Interesting information: Many of the Sweden players will be well known to fans of the Barclays Women’s Super League – after all, more than a third of their 2023 World Cup squad were playing in England at the time of the selection (8), only one less than in their native Sweden.
Like his French counterpart, Sweden head coach Peter Gerhardsson also has an impressive pedigree since becoming an international manager. Since taking charge of Sweden in September 2017, Sweden have reached at least the semi-finals in all four tournaments, finishing runners-up at the 2020 Olympic Games, in third place at the last two World Cups, and fourth at EURO 2022.
Republic of Ireland
World ranking: 24th
Head coach: Eileen Gleeson
UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 finish: Did not qualify
Best finish at a European Championship: Yet to qualify
FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 finish: Group Stage, drawing 0-0 with Nigeria and suffering 1-0 and 2-1 defeats to Australia and Canada respectively
Best finish at a Women’s World Cup: Group Stage in 2023
Nations League 2023-24 finish: Top of B1 after six wins from six against Hungary, Northern Ireland and Albania
Last capped game against England: Lost 1-0 in March 1987
Other games of note against England: The teams played seven times between 1978 and 1987, with the Lionesses winning all seven.
Interesting information: Eileen Gleeson had been working as the FAI's head of women's and girls' football and also as assistant to former head coach Vera Pauw as recently as the summer. And even after Gleeson had been named interim head coach when Pauw departed following the 2023 World Cup, the passionate Irishwoman stated she was not interested in the role beyond the UEFA Women’s Nations League campaign. However, an outstanding six wins from six and promotion to League A saw Gleeson named permanent boss in December.Wiegman's thoughts on EURO draw