Euro 2025: The key storylines as England prepare title defence and Wales make major tournament debut | OneFootball

Here we are. It’s 2nd July 2025, or as we like to call it, the first day of UEFA Women’s Euro 2025. Sixteen of the continent’s best teams have landed in Switzerland, prepared to battle it out over the next 25 days to steal England’s crown after the Lionesses prevailed on home soil three years ago.

Among those looking to dethrone Sarina Wiegman’s side are Wales – guided into their first-ever appearance at a major tournament by Rhian Wilkinson – and Spain, who saw off England in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final to be crowned as the World Champions.

But a lot’s changed since then, so let’s take a look at the key storylines that could unravel over the course of the month.

The changing of the guard

The England squad heading to Switzerland is rather different to the one that found a way past Germany in extra time at Wembley three years ago; only 13 players from the 2022 side have been named in Wiegman’s squad this time around.

Perhaps the most high-profile of the recent departures is goalkeeper Mary Earps, who announced her retirement from international football with immediate effect less than two months before England’s Group D opener against France on July 5. Millie Bright and Fran Kirby withdraw recently too, while some players hung up their boots in the immediate aftermath of the Lionesses’ 2022 victory and some were left out by Wiegman altogether.

What that presents England with, then, is an opportunity to adapt, to test out new talent and to win differently. Ella Toone, Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo rapidly built a reputation for themselves as the super subs during the Lionesses’ winning campaign – this time around, that role could be claimed by the likes of Michelle Agyemang or Aggie Beever-Jones.

But while this summer will see those new faces integrate into the senior national team setup and make a name for themselves on the international stage, there’ll also be a high-profile goodbye when Arjan Veurink departs after the tournament, with Wiegman’s long-term trusted assistant poised to commence his Head Coach duties with the Netherlands.

Debuting in the danger zone

Unlike England, who have the pressure of defending their title, Wales head into Euro 2025 with a sense of freedom. There are no expectations for Wilkinson’s side, who are making their first-ever appearance at a major tournament – and have been thrust into the Group of Death to match.

Wales’ qualifying campaign was remarkably impressive, but since that famous play-off final win against the Republic of Ireland in December, the Dragons are winless in six games. Two of their six games since the turn of the year have ended in draws, and while three of their losses were by a respectable one-goal margin to Italy and Denmark (twice), their most recent outing saw them trounced 1-4 by Italy in Swansea.

Will that discourage Wales? No, of course not. Form goes out of the window in a major tournament, and as Everton’s Hayley Ladd told La Reina Magazine, she has “always felt like this group could 100% get to a Euros or a World Cup, and compete when we get there.”

Exactly what level Wales can perform to remains to be seen – but there’s certainly cause for cautious optimism around the team this summer, and they’re perfectly poised to pounce on any slip-ups from their Group D opponents.

England and Wales both get their Euro 2025 campaigns underway on Saturday 5th July.