Euro 2025 news: Lionesses return in England’s bold defence of crown in Switzerland
In the summer of 2022, a nation stood still and Wembley roared as England’s Lionesses, led by the masterful Sarina Wiegman, lifted the UEFA Women’s Euro trophy for the first time in history.
Three years later, the echoes of that triumph reverberate as the reigning champions return – older, wiser, and with fresh fire – for Euro 2025 in Switzerland.
From Basel to Zurich, the Alpine air will be thick with expectation as England seek to etch their legacy further into the annals of European football.
This is not just a tournament – it is a title defence.
Here, Sports News Blitz takes a look at the challenge ahead for the champions.
A new chapter begins
Gone are some of the heroes of 2022.
Fran Kirby has stepped away, Millie Bright will watch from home, and goalkeeping icon Mary Earps has hung up her gloves after a defining international career.
And yet, in their place, a new generation stands ready.
Hannah Hampton will don the gloves as England’s No.1, while the likes of Khiara Keating and Anna Moorhouse bring fresh promise to the backline.
Wiegman’s final 23-player squad, revealed in early June, deftly balances seasoned leadership – Lucy Bronze enters her seventh major tournament – with the dynamism of rising stars.
Among them is teenage sensation Michelle Agyemang, whose call-up signals a bold shift towards the future.
And then there’s Lauren James: (nearly) fit, hungry, and poised to become the Lionesses’ defining force.
READ MORE: England’s 2025 Euro squad: Can the Lionesses retain their crown?
The group of champions (and challenge)
England have been drawn in what many are calling the ‘Group of Death’ – Group D.
In sharing the stage with France, the Netherlands, and Wales, the Lionesses will face some of their fiercest European rivals in a tightly-packed schedule:
Date Opponent Venue Time (BST)
July 5 France Letzigrund Stadium, Zurich 8pm
July 9 Netherlands Letzigrund Stadium, Zurich 5pm
July 13 Wales Kybunpark, St. Gallen 8pm
Every match in this group will be a heavyweight clash, with France’s flair, the tactical nous of the Dutch, and an all-British battle against a determined Welsh side ensuring that England will be tested from the outset.
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The road to Basel
Should England navigate the group stage successfully – and fans will expect nothing less – the road to glory points toward a likely quarter-final in Basel facing the runner-up from Group C, which could possibly be Germany, Denmark, or Sweden.
The semi-finals will then play out in Zurich, before the July 27 final lights up Basel’s St. Jakob-Park.
England’s path is neither easy nor guaranteed, yet therein lies the beauty.
For a team now bearing the weight of history, the challenge is not just to compete but to reign again and once more be crowned European champions.
READ NEXT: Chelsea captain Millie Bright withdraws ahead of Euro 2025 squad selection
Legacy in motion
This tournament is about more than silverware – it’s about legacy and proving that 2022 was not a crescendo but the start of an era.
England’s women have inspired millions, redefined expectations, and forced open the doors of possibility for generations to come.
Now, the spotlight once again shines on Wiegman’s side.
They carry a crown and a target in equal measure.
Let the Swiss mountains echo with the roar of the Lionesses.
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