England v Wales live: Women’s Euro 2025 team news as rivals clash for quarter-final place

Sarina Wiegman speaking ahead of England’s game against Wales at Euro 2025.

“I hope we will see a game where we have a lot of the ball and we play very good in possession, so we don’t let it become into a fighting game.

“I am not worried [it will become a fighting game]. I think Wales are very compact and they can fight and are really together but also when they have the ball they can play direct.

“We are trying to prevent that, and the best way is to be good on the ball yourself and move the ball quickly to exploit the spaces.

“For them it is a big game but for us it is too. We want to win and get through the group stage. There is passion but we have passion too. We want to be really focused and good on the ball. We have to be patient.”

Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson not shying away from the chance to “spoil the party” ahead of facing England at Women’s Euro 2025,

“These women have fought for so long, many of them their whole careers, to have this opportunity and I will not allow us to feel like we’re just here to just participate. So we will continue to celebrate.

“England, of course there’s a storyline. Why wouldn’t we go towards a rivalry? This will only benefit the women’s game. We’re going to give them as much as possible, push them to the very end.

“And it is the very end. We’re in an incredibly close group. England will be forced to play a strong line-up because it is such a close group and there’s also a goal differential. So for my women, we get to show up and spoil the party and that’s a wonderful job.”

Olivia Clark returns in goal and Carrie Jones and Rhiannon Roberts also come into the starting line-up for Rhian Wilkinson’s side. The official line-ups have Jess Fishlock starting a little deeper than in the France defeat.

Wales XI: Clark; E. Morgan, Roberts, Evans, Woodham; James, Fishlock; Holland, Jones, Rowe; FF Morgan

The England team is unchanged from the side that started against the Netherlands. Presumably, that means Jess Carter remains at centre-back and Alex Greenwood is at left-back.

England XI: Hampton; Bronze, Williamson, Carter, Greenwood; Walsh, Stanway, Toone; James, Russo, Hemp

Wales captain Angharad James said the motivation to beat England and knock the holders out of Euro 2025 is “in our blood and DNA” as the rivals prepare to meet in the final round of the group stage.

Wales are the lowest-ranked nation at Euro 2025 and landed in the group of death at their major tournament debut, being drawn alongside the last two champions in England and the Netherlands as well as France.

Wales are all-but eliminated after a 3-0 defeat to the Netherlands was followed by a 4-1 defeat to France but James said her team-mates are focused on delivering a performance to be proud of.

Sarina Wiegman says England have to make sure their Euro 2025 derby against Wales does not become a “fighting game” and urged the Lionesses to focus on their own performance in order to reach the quarter-finals.

After beating the Netherlands 4-0 England can reach the quarter-finals with a win over rivals Wales, who are making their tournament debuts at the Euros and are the lowest-ranked side in the 16-team competition.

Wales are all-but out of the Euros and require a four-goal win in their final group game against England while also needing France to beat the Netherlands.

“I think off the back of that disappointing result, it was a bit more reinforced and sort of taking a step back and remembering why we’re here and how we all got here, the journeys that we’ve been on, we’ve touched on that a lot, coming into all the prep camps, we’ve all spoken about our journeys and what it feels like to be here.

“Sort of us going back and remembering all that, especially after that first game, that disappointment, it’s like, right, we’re here to win, we want to do that and I think that just shows the mentality of the group to be able to bounce back in the way that we did .

“This England want to show and I think it’s about like that fight in us.”

History-making Jess Fishlock will let her double achievement sink in after Wales’ Euro 2025 campaign comes to an end.

Wales are all-but eliminated from the tournament in Switzerland after a 4-1 defeat against France leaves them needing to beat England and manufacture a nine-goal swing in goal difference in their final Group D game on Sunday.

But it was a historic night for Fishlock as not only did she score her country’s first goal at a major tournament, she also became the oldest women to score at the European Championships at the age of 38 years and 176 days when she prodded home Ceri Holland’s improvised cross.

When informed of her age record, she said on ITV1: “I guess I’ll take that as a compliment. But I couldn’t get these accolades without my entire team behind me.”

Wales have been all-but eliminated from Euro 2025 after a 4-1 defeat to France in Group D.

Rhian Wilkinson’s side were put to the sword by Les Bleus in St Gallen, despite Jess Fishlock scoring her country’s first-ever goal at a major tournament.

Clara Mateo, Kadidiatou Diani, Amel Majri and Grace Geyoro bagged for France to leave Wales needing to beat England and manufacture a nine-goal swing in goal difference in Sunday’s final match.

Even if they can achieve that unlikely feat, they also need France to beat the Netherlands.

Former Chelsea midfielder Sophie Ingle returned to the pitch off the bench in the defeat against France so could start following a year out due to a knee injury. Olivia Clark may return in goal and Hayley Ladd could also return to the starting line-up.

Possible Wales XI: Clark; Roberts, Evans, Green, Woodham; Ladd, Ingle, James, Holland; Fishlock, Hughes