Women’s Euro 2025 draw: Who are England and Wales’ opponents in Switzerland?

There are no minnows at the 16-team European Championship, but both England and Wales may feel the draw could have been kinder.

It is barely six months since England were beaten 2-1 at St James’ Park by France – who have never won a major tournament – in Euro 2025 qualifying.

England exacted revenge in the return fixture four days later, winning 2-1 in Saint-Etienne, yet it was France who finished up topping Group A3 by a point.

England therefore qualified for next year’s tournament as runners-up.

Wales last faced France in 2023 World Cup qualifying. The French won both games, 2-0 at home and 2-1 in Llanelli, as they topped the group ahead of Wales, who lost out on a tournament place in the play-offs.

The Netherlands are ranked 10th in the world by Fifa, which is actually one place higher than France.

They qualified for Switzerland by finishing second in Group A1 behind Italy, when the two nations had the same number of points.

England last faced the Dutch in the Nations League in December 2023, winning 3-2 at Wembley having lost 2-1 in Utrecht two months earlier.

Wales’ most recent meeting with Netherlands was a 5-0 friendly defeat in 2017.

Rhian Wilkinson’s team were the lowest-ranked country – 30th in the Fifa list – in the Euro 2025 draw, having overcome the Republic of Ireland in the qualification play-offs to end their long wait for a major tournament appearance.

England and Wales’ most recent encounters were in 2019 World Cup qualifying.

After a goalless draw – which was a landmark result for Welsh women’s football – in Southampton in April 2018, Phil Neville’s England won 3-0 in Newport four months later.