Preview for France v England
England open the defence of their European crown against France tomorrow night.
The Lionesses have been placed in a tough group that also contains the Netherlands and Wales and will be looking to get off to a strong start in Zurich.
It certainly won’t be easy, however, against a France side that have not lost a group stage game at the Euros since 2009.
The teams met in qualifying with both registering a 2-1 win and experienced England full-back Lucy Bronze knows Sarina Wiegman’s side have to be at their best right from the off.
She told the BBC: “There’s a lot of respect between the teams because we have faced off so regularly.
“I don’t think France necessarily fear England, they just have a lot of respect and think we have a very talented team – it’s the same with them.
“We get to test ourselves against the good teams straight away. There are no surprises going through the tournament. We know the standard that you have to be at.
“When you get to these tournaments, you want to play in the big games against the best players. Why not have it in your first game?”
Our opener awaits 👊#Lionesses | @NuffieldHealth pic.twitter.com/ojxS0sJNJ9
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 3, 2025
France boss Laurent Bonadei made the surprising decision to leave captain Wendie Renard out of the squad – as well as record goalscorer Eugenie Le Sommer – and her former Lyon team-mate Bronze believes that could weaken Les Bleues.
“Wendie is a good friend of mine. She’s the epitome of what I would describe as a captain figure,” said Bronze of Renard, who has won 168 caps.
“When I was at Lyon, everything she did as a person and as a player, there was nothing you could fault. I’m sure she will be devastated not to be part of the Euros.
“The manager went a different way. That’s how football works sometimes. It’s a big shock.
“I want to play against Wendie. For me, not taking someone like that could weaken the French team. I want to play against the strongest French team.”
France have never won a major tournament but they arrive in Switzerland on the back of an eight-match winning streak.
That record comes with a warning, though, with Bonadei saying: “Confidence is good for developing our game, but overconfidence is the trap that awaits us.”
Midfielder Grace Geyoro also believes France’s mental state is key to success.
She said: “Since we prepare for tournaments a year or two years in advance, when you arrive at the competition and you get eliminated quickly, yes, at some point it also has an impact on the mind.
“It can be exhausting, especially when you see the [quality in the] team we have.
“Our weak points are that we may have less experience because we have not won any titles [at international level]. In difficult times we have to be able to be better because we have had disappointments.”
Team News for France v England
Mary Earps and Fran Kirby have retired from international football while Millie Bright ruled herself out due to physical and mental exhaustion.
Lauren James is unlikely to start after making her comeback as substitute in the 7-0 warm-up win over Jamaica.
Predicted line-ups for France v England
France: Peyraud-Magnin; De Almeida, Mbock, Lakrar, Bacha; Geyoro, Jean-Francois, Karchaoui; Diani, Baltimore, Katoto
England: Hampton; Bronze, Williamson, Greenwood, Carter; Stanway, Walsh; Mead, Toone, Hemp; Russo
And… 𝘼𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 🎬
EURO 2025 finally kicks off in Switzerland 🇨🇭🔥See you on Saturday evening for les Bleues’ opening match against England ⚔️🏴#WEURO2025 l #FiersdetreBleues
pic.twitter.com/gtxRNMrIL9— French Team ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) July 2, 2025
How to watch France v England: TV and online streams
France versus England kicks-of at 8pm UK time tomorrow night. You can watch it on ITV and stream it on the ITVX app and website.
