The draw for the Euro 2025 groups was not kind with the Blues finding themselves in the group of death alongside England and the Netherlands who both won the competition and the Country of Wales for which this will be their first major competition. Ok, it could have been worse with Spain, but this year more than ever: before hoping not to get out in the quarter-finals, we will first have to survive the group of death.
The Perfidious Albion remains the terror of the European continent alongside Spain. Three years now separate Euro 2022, where the English have “brought football home” by winning “their” Euro against Germany, of Euro 2025. And if Sarina Wiegman’s protégés continue to speak their law, continuing to reign in terror on the continent alongside Spain, they will not are, however, no longer as hegemonic.
The English almost succeeded in the Euro-World double in 2023, but the party was spoiled by Olga Carmona who allowed the advent at the world level of a new European leader: Spain. Since this disillusionment, the results have fluctuated for the Three Lionesses who missed qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games by failing to invite themselves to the Final Four of the last Nations League.
French and English women were able to gauge their respective levels during qualifying for this Euro. In the end, each team won on the territory of the other but it was the Tricolores who finished at the top of the group with one more point despite their two defeats against the English (1-2) and the Ireland (3-1). If the English still seem to have a head start, there is a small patch of blue sky(es).
Headache coefficient for Laurent Bonadei: 90%.
The Dutch succeeded where the Blues failed: winning a title when their golden generation was at its peak. And like the English in 2023, the Orange narrowly failed to achieve the Euro-World double in 2019, but were ultimately overtaken by the American steamroller (2-0).
Since 2019, the landscape of women’s football has been recomposed, notably with the emergence of Spain, their executioner during the 2023 World Cup, and several executives of the selection, such as Lieke Martens, have announced their international retirement. During the last major competitions, the Netherlands have no longer managed to get past the quarter-finals, even offering Les Bleues their first semi-final since the 2011 World Cup during Euro 2022, the date of the last confrontation between the two teams. But just like the English, the Orange did not manage to reach the final four of the 2024 Nations League, a necessary condition to reach the Olympics. Worse still, the qualifying campaign for the Euro was mixed for the Dutch who finished second in their group, behind Italy, with a record of two wins, three draws and one defeat in a group that was largely within their reach.
Nevertheless, the Netherlands has seen the emergence of a new generation which makes up the best European clubs, such as Esmée Brugts at FC Barcelona or Damaris Egurrola at Lyon, associated with experienced players who continue to provide the backbone of the Dutch group at like Danielle van de Donk. The unknown remains on the recovery of the star attacker of the OrangeViviane Miedema who suffered a cruciate ligament rupture in December 2022 and injured her knee again this season.
Headache coefficient for Laurent Bonadei: 75% pure juice.
Another “Country”, other British: here are the Welsh. Unlike the other opponents making up this Group D, Wales will experience the first major competition in its history during this Euro. Led by the former Lyonnaise, Jessica Fishlock, the Dragonnes will stand out among the other European stars after a qualifying journey strewn with pitfalls. The Welsh first had to qualify for the play-offs, since only teams present in League A in the Nations League could claim direct qualification for the group stage of the Euro if they finished first or second place in their group. The protégés of Canadian coach Rhian Wilkinson, playing in League B, finished first in their group, synonymous with a double play-off to hope to reach the main round of a major competition for the first time. Winners of Slovakia (2-1, 2-0) and Ireland (1-1, 1-2), the Dragonnes have therefore booked their ticket to spend their summer vacation in Switzerland.
Throughout history, the paths of the Welsh and the French have only crossed twice, during qualifying for the 2023 World Cup, the Blues won twice in Cardiff (1-2) and at Guingamp (2-0).
Headache coefficient for Laurent Bonadei: 20%.
Euro 2025: France in the group of death with England and the Netherlands
