Football fans know an interesting detail about the England men’s national team: the “progenitors” have always been a visible force in this sport, but their hegemony is not even close: one World Cup won (six more titled teams at once) and maximum silverware at the Euros, and that – only during the most recent draw. Women have a similar story, only the other way around: they became champions of the continent, but at the world championships, they are still proud of silver as a record achievement.
Pay attention to the remark that right now the English women are the most formidable force, because both the gold at the Euro and the silver at the World Cup were won in the last draws of 2022-2023. But in terms of titles at the world championships, the women’s team of England, like the men’s, is currently only seventh, and fourth in the continental medal count. There is room to grow, and the potential is also there, so 2025 should be a new triumph for girls. If you are rooting for them, bet on melbet apps, and for now we will consider how they will move towards the goal.
Selection
Despite having the title, the English women do not get to Euro-2025 automatically – this rule applies in club tournaments, but is not relevant for national team competitions. Thanks to performances in the previous Nations League, the England women’s team retained their place in Division A (this division also extends to further continental qualification). Therefore, she received good prospects for participation in the main selection cycle:
- after taking 1-2 places in group A3, the English women will receive a direct ticket to Euro-2025;
- in case of failure, the 3rd and even the 4th position will not mean relegation, but only an additional round of playoffs, and in the status of a seeded team.
At the same time, the opponents for the period of the main qualification, which lasts from April to July 2024, look quite strong and are capable of creating certain problems for the English (2nd position in the current FIFA ranking).
- France. French women are a worthy rival for English women: they are just as hungry for titles, and at the same time they are titled to a much lesser extent than their current rivals. In the FIFA rating, the French national team pushes the English team – they are literally fighting among themselves for the second step. Interestingly, in 13 face-to-face meetings, England looks much weaker: only 2 wins with 4 draws and 7 losses. In 2021, the future European champions and World Cup winners lost a friendly game to this opponent with a score of 3:1.
- Sweden. Swedish women’s football looks much more convincing than the men’s – the local girls have won the Euros and have a whole collection of silver and bronze medals from continental and world competitions. Now it is the sixth-ranked national team, the semifinalist of the previous European tournament and the bronze medalist of the last two World Cups. In eight face-to-face meetings against England, parity is observed (3 wins and 2 draws). Still, in 2022, it was the English women who did not let the Swedes go beyond the semifinals of the European Championship, and it was also very painful – 4:0.
- Ireland. Against the background of the opponents, this team looks like a clear outsider, being inside the third ten of the FIFA rating. These girls have never been to the Euro, but they made their debut at the World Cup in the freshest draw – they scored one point in the group and were satisfied with that. Oddly enough, the fundamental opposition between English and Irish women (two countries where football has been played for one and a half hundred years!) has no history – these teams have never met before.
As you can see, the group in the England national team is such that even the impressive regalia won not so long ago does not allow complete relaxation. But let’s not forget about the peculiarity of the qualification rules: even if the English women take the last place, they will simply continue the fight for a ticket to the Euro, and in the playoffs the opponents will be easier. It is currently impossible to predict who it will be, but in principle, we are more inclined to the fact that the champions will do without additional rounds and go directly to the final part in Switzerland.
Who Will Compete for the Title?
Bookmakers are in no hurry to post odds on who will win the trophy for the next winner of the European Championship – want to see who will qualify first and also the draw for the final part. However, it is clear that England, who are defending the title and have the most recent silverware of the World Cup, will definitely be on the list of main favorites.
The following national teams must compete with her:
- Spain – the current world champions and the leader of the FIFA rating;
- France – their current performance is discussed above;
- Germany – historically the most titled team at the Euro, the finalist of the last draw;
- Sweden is another strong competitor that we considered in the context of selection;
- The Netherlands – potentially the “best of the rest” – can create a sensation if they add just a little.
As you can see, the pool of contenders for the trophy is considerable, so it will definitely not be easy for the British.
Result
During the forty-year history of the existence of the Women’s Euro, only the Germans managed to defend the title, but this is not surprising, considering that they won eight trophies in thirteen draws. Undoubtedly, history is written by contemporaries, and this trend will be reversed one day, but for now there is a higher probability that the English women will not be able to cope with the task – if only because of the great competition. However, England is a team that will probably be very disappointed to stop even in the quarter-finals, so we expect a fierce fight until the end, and anything can happen there.
