AFTER DEFEATING IRELAND in a play-off to qualify for Euro 2025, Wales have been pitched into a group with defending champions England after the draw for the tournament was made.
England, who will also face head coach Sarina Wiegman’s native country the Netherlands in Group D, were paired with Rhian Wilkinson’s Wales side, who will be playing at the finals of a major tournament for the first time after their recent victory at the Aviva Stadium.
Wales will be the lowest-ranked team in Switzerland next summer at 30, some 26 places behind their neighbours, but will relish the opportunity to try to bloody the nose of the 2022 winners.
For Wiegman, there will also be an emotional reunion with the Dutch, who she led to European glory in 2017 before repeating the feat with the Lionesses five years later, becoming the first coach to do so.
The #WEURO2025 groups are set ✅🤩 pic.twitter.com/xAEsFU6r6K
— UEFA Women's EURO 2025 (@WEURO2025) December 16, 2024
Monday’s draw in Lausanne saw England, Wales – winners of Group B4 – and the Netherlands placed into the same pool as Pot 1 seeds France, who topped England’s qualification group by a point after beating them 2-1 at St James’ Park in May before losing the return in Saint-Etienne by the same score.
However, Wiegman’s side avoided World Cup winners Spain, who were drawn into Group B with Italy, Portugal and Belgium, and 2022 runners-up Germany, who will face Sweden, Denmark and debutants Poland in Group C.
Hosts Switzerland will battle it out with Group A rivals Iceland, Norway and Finland for a place in the knockout stages.
The tournament will be played at eight venues – Basel, Bern, Geneva, Zurich, St Gallen, Lucerne, Sion and Thun – from 2-27 July.
Meanwhile, UEFA has confirmed a huge rise in total prize money for the tournament to 41million euros, almost £34million.
A statement read: “The UEFA Executive Committee approved €41 million in prize money for UEFA Women’s EURO 2025, representing a 156 per cent increase on the figure from 2022.
“Participating national associations will now also distribute a guaranteed percentage of the rewards – between 30 per cent and 40 per cent – to their players for the first time.”
Huddersfield in trouble if they can’t even beat united :^
Anyone see my prediction at the start of the live report on the game? I’m a football genius!!
Never realised Sanchez was that much of a work horse. He’s fairly dogged.
@Nollaig Elliot: what happened him against Spurs
@Jamie Smith: genuine question or smug sarcasm?
@Johnno Byrne: you must be new here I don’t do sarcasm
@Jamie Smith: obsessed
@Jamie Smith:
You win some, loose some.
@Nollaig Elliot: Duracell is his parental parent. United dominated them. Pogba and Matic cannot play together pal. Proof is in the pudding. Mata and martial and sanchez, with Pogba roaming and Herrara and matic holding would frighten the knickers off a 90 year old nun. If they are let EXPRESS.
@Nollaig Elliot: not when you’re paid £500k a week
@Jamie Smith:
Well they lost on Wednesday and won today, did they not? Therefore, you win some and you lose some. It doesn’t matter if you are paid a million a week.
@Jamie Smith: now there’s a stupid comment if ever I’ve seen one
@Teddyzigzagbigbag: Jamie with a stupid comment???? Never..
Be interesting to see if Pogba ups his performances or downs tools after been dropped.
@Eric Djemba-Djemba: Played pretty well when he came on
@Stephen Lyons: He did, but he needs to do it continuously against a higher calibre of opposition.
City starting to feel the pressure, United’s league to lose now #GGMU
Pogba with his hood up and hands in his pocket for the minute silence and he gets the captains armband sometimes?!needs a good kick up the arse and needs to respect the club.