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The Lionesses kick off their Women’s European Championship campaign on Saturday as they face fellow heavyweights France in Zurich.
Sarina Wiegman’s side are hoping to add another trophy to the cabinet after beating Germany in the final of the Euros three years ago.
The build-up was marred by chaos for England, who saw Mary Earps and Fran Kirby retire from international duty while Millie Bright also pulled out.
Who are the favourites? Which players are ready to set Europe alight? Any controversies to look out for?
We’ve got you covered.
Hopes are high for England coming into the Euros, but who are their main rivals for silverware?
Who are the favourites?
Spain
Spain are the reigning world champions, having beaten England 2-1 in the final in Australia two years ago, and are the out-and-out favourites to win this one.
They have a squad full of talented superstars, with impressive youngsters breaking through alongside more experienced, established names.
They’ve never won the Euros before, but that shouldn’t be a problem given they boast the best midfield in the world who are all hitting their peak at the right time, including Ballon d’Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas.
As for England’s recent record against Spain, the two teams have met home and away in recent Nations League matches – England won 1-0 at Wembley but lost 2-1 in Barcelona.
Spain are the out-and-out favourites to succeed after winning the World Cup two years ago
England
The Lionesses are the holders and undoubtedly one of the favourites going into this competition, not least because of Sarina Wiegman’s flawless Euros record – the Dutch coach led her native Netherlands to glory in 2017 before repeating the feat as England head coach in 2022.
There have been questions over the Lionesses’ consistency going into this tournament, with England struggling to back up some impressive performances. Among these was a 3-2 defeat by world No 20 side Belgium shortly after a resounding 6-0 victory over the same opponents.
The withdrawals of Millie Bright, Mary Earps, and Fran Kirby from the England squad for varying reasons in the weeks leading up to the tournament caused turbulence, while England have also been drawn in the trickiest group – but with a squad still brimming with talent, they remain strong contenders to go all the way once again.
England are up there after winning in 2022, and Sarina Wiegman has won the tournament twice
Germany
Germany are the most successful team in Europe and have been serial winners ever since they lifted their very first title as West Germany in 1989.
The Lionesses beat them in the Wembley final three years ago thanks to Chloe Kelly’s heroics – the first final Germany have reached and failed to win.
They come into this tournament in fighting form and are undefeated in 2025, winning five and drawing one of their six Nations League games, and have inflicted some heavy defeats along the way – including a 4-0 thrashing of 2017 winners, the Netherlands.
They are without arguably their best player, Lena Oberdorf, due to a knee injury, but manager Christian Wuck still has a talented squad at his disposal.
Germany are unbeaten in 2025 and reached the final in the last edition of the tournament
France
France will be determined to shed their reputation as the nearly-women of European competition, having fallen short of the final despite reaching at least the quarter-finals in each of the last four tournaments.
They head into this year’s Euros in blistering form, having won all six of their Nations League matches while conceding just two goals in that time.
In a controversial move, head coach Laurent Bonadei has left out three of his most experienced players from his squad: captain Wendie Renard, vice-captain and record cap-holder Eugenie Le Sommer, and midfielder Kenza Dali.
Justifying his decision, Bonadei said: ‘As Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.’”I want different results for this team, so I’ve gone with a different selection.’
France are the constant nearly-women – they’ve reached at least the quarters of the last four tournaments but not the final
Five key players to watch out for
Ada Hegerberg (Norway, Lyon)
The 29-year-old Lyon striker is the all-time Champions League top scorer by some distance and was the first-ever winner of the women’s Ballon d’Or in 2018.
Widely regarded as the best forward in the world, Hegerberg quit the national team in 2017 in protest at a perceived lack of respect for women’s and girls’ players in Norway, returning five years later after a change of president at the Norwegian Football Federation.
Playing in a well-stocked Norway attack, Hegerberg – who has also recently been given the armband – has already been involved in plenty of action on the opening day, scoring the equaliser against Switzerland and subsequently missed a penalty as her team eked out a 2-1 victory against the hosts.
Norway’s Ada Hederberg knows how to finish; she’s the all-time Champions League top scorer
Alexia Putellas (Spain, Barcelona)
It’s hard not to name half the Spanish squad, such is their depth and quality, but one of the standout stories of this tournament is the return of Alexia Putellas to major international action.
Widely considered one of the biggest names in world football, Putellas suffered a devastating anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on the eve of Euro 2022, ruling her out of that tournament and limiting her to a stoppage-time cameo in the final of the 2023 World Cup.
This season, however, the Barcelona midfielder has returned to her brilliant best and arrives at the Euros with a renewed determination to help guide Spain to their first-ever title.
Putellas lost her father, Jaume, when she was just 18. A devoted Barcelona fan, she has said that everything she has achieved in football has been for him.
Spain’s Alexia Putellas is one of the biggest names in women’s football – and desperate to make a mark afetr injury ruled her out the 2022 Euros
Leah Williamson (England, Arsenal)
The England captain played an integral role in leading the Lionesses to glory in 2022 before suffering a heartbreaking ACL injury on the eve of the 2023 World Cup.
Her road to recovery has been bumpy, but the latter stages of this season has seen her return to imperious form – culminating in a world-class performance in the Champions League final against Barcelona, as the Gunners ended England’s 18-year wait for the trophy.
Both on and off the pitch, Williamson has become something of a cult hero – known not only for her composed, intelligent play but also for her charismatic presence in the spotlight.
An outspoken advocate on a range of topics, Williamson made history in 2023 when she became the first women’s footballer to address the United Nations, calling for an end to gender stereotypes in her sport and equality for women and girls playing around the world.
The 28-year-old from Milton Keynes has described how the 2022 victory on home soil was one of the proudest moments of her life – along with Arsenal’s recent triumph.
England’s Leah Williamson hopes to replicate her world-class Champions League final form
Lia Walti (Switzerland, Arsenal)
At 32, Swiss captain Lia Walti remains the face of her national team and has long been regarded as one of the finest midfielders in the game.
A Champions League winner with Arsenal, Walti has struggled for regular minutes this season, slipping down the pecking order as injuries disrupted her return to form.
Close friend of England captain Leah Williamson, Walti’s race to be fit for the Euros gripped the nation – and their hopes were rewarded when she led the team out to rapturous applause on Wednesday night against Norway.
Despite the defeat, she stayed upbeat, calling it an ‘unbelievable experience playing in front of a home crowd.’ Now, all eyes will turn to Switzerland’s inspirational leader to rally her side and reignite their tournament hopes.
Switzerland’s Lia Walti is one of the finest midfielders in the game and a Champions League winner with Arsenal
Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands, Manchester City)
The all-time leading scorer for the Netherlands, Miedema has broken goal-scoring records in both the WSL and Bundesliga, renowned for her clinical finishing with either foot and her exceptional vision in the final third.
She has 99 goals in 125 international appearances and played a pivotal role in the Netherlands’ historic Euro 2017 triumph under Sarina Wiegman, scoring twice in the final to secure the nation’s first major title.
Although her debut season at Manchester City has been disrupted by injury, a well-timed break ahead of the tournament has allowed her to focus on regaining full fitness.
Miedema is also in the spotlight off the pitch due to her relationship with England star Beth Mead, and the two are set to face off in a tantalising group-stage clash next Wednesday.
The Netherlands’ Vivianne Miedema is a renowned striker with 99 international goals
Best-paid stars
Based on figures published by GiveMeSport, these are the best-paid footballers at the Euros:
Aitana Bonmati (Spain, Barcelona) – £859,000
Alexia Putellas (Spain, Barcelona) – £601,000
Keira Walsh – (England, Chelsea) – £382,000
Ada Hegerberg (Norway, Lyon) – £342,000
Aitana Bonmati is reportedly the best-paid player in women’s football on a salary of £859,000
Anything off the field to watch out for?
So far, the biggest controversies in this tournament have centred around kits. Poland’s goalkeeper, Kinga Szemik – who also plays for West Ham – expressed her disappointment after revealing that Poland was the only team (aside from one other) who were not provided with a dedicated jersey for the tournament.
Meanwhile, Wales fans were left frustrated when they found out they couldn’t personalize their away kits with names and numbers.
On a lighter note, England star Alessia Russo’s brother Giorgio Russo is on Love Island!
