Cat Macario shined, Jaedyn Shaw delivered a statement, and Emma Hayes couldn’t stop smiling as the USWNT capped 2025 with another dominant win over Italy.
Como star Alisha Lehmann could not resist cracking a joke after she scored for Switzerland during an international friendly defeat to Belgium. The Swiss' first outing under new head coach Rafel Navarro ended in a 2-1 defeat but Lehmann was still in good spirits afterwards. The former Juventus star stepped off the bench to score Switzerland’s only goal, and followed it up with a wry grin.
Georgia Stanway went home with the match ball on Saturday after bagging a hat-trick in England's record-breaking 8-0 win over China, one just short of a record defeat for the 1999 Women's World Cup finalists. A dominant display, which had the European champions 3-0 up inside just 16 minutes, returned the Lionesses' biggest ever win at Wembley Stadium, surpassing the 6-0 thumping dealt out to Portugal back in May.
England's first camp since their second successive European Championship triumph was certainly a little up and down. Marred by injuries going into the window, with there already three notable absentees before Sarina Wiegman's squad was announced and four withdrawals after it was revealed, the Lionesses then suffered a 2-1 defeat to Brazil in their first game post-Euros, despite playing for over an hour against 10 players, but were able to bounce back on Tuesday against Australia, who also had a player sent off very early on in a rather strange couple of games.
England delivered the homecoming performance the fans wanted on Tuesday night, bouncing back from Saturday's disappointing defeat to Brazil in a much more convincing 3-0 win over Australia as their parading of the European Championship trophy continued around the country. This was the second installment of the Lionesses' 'homecoming series' which will see this summer's silverware hit four different locations before the end of the year, and it produced a performance much more fitting of their status of European champions as goals from Aggie Beever-Jones, Lucy Bronze and Georgia Stanway downed a Matildas team that was reduced to 10 players inside the first 20 minutes.
Hannah Hampton has been ruled out of England's clash with Brazil on Saturday, meaning Sarina Wiegman will hand out a debut to another goalkeeper in the Lionesses squad this weekend. Khiara Keating and Anna Moorhouse are both in contention for that opportunity, as is Sophie Baggaley, who has been called into camp in light of Hampton's injury.
England have received a major lift ahead of their Euro 2025 campaign as Chelsea forward Lauren James has been cleared to play in the upcoming friendly against Jamaica. This will mark her first appearance since April following a hamstring issue that sidelined her for three months. She is expected to feature as a substitute at the King Power Stadium, as manager Sarina Wiegman carefully manages her return to full fitness.
Chelsea forward Sam Kerr has received her first Matildas call-up in two years. The talismanic striker has finally earned her long-awaited return to the Australian national squad after overcoming injury heartbreak and surgery. The Blues forward, who tore her ACL during a mid-season training camp in Morocco back in January 2024, has endured a gruelling 20-month road to recovery. But now, the 32-year-old icon has been named in Joe Montemurro’s Australia squad for their October friendlies against Wales and England, her first international call-up since late 2023.
Arsenal legend Ian Wright has blasted England manager Sarina Wiegman after her astonishing claim that Manchester United skipper Maya Le Tissier is better suited to right-back than centre-half, despite the defender being one of the most consistent defenders in the Women’s Super League. Wiegman’s insistence came as a shock to many, with Wright joining a growing chorus of voices demanding answers over why the United captain continues to be overlooked in her natural position for the national team.
England's Lionesses have yet another injury concern on their hands when it comes to their October fixtures after Jess Park was ruled out of Manchester United's final game before the international break. The winger has been in fine form since joining from Manchester City on deadline day but is now a doubt for her country's first game since Sarina Wiegman guided them to another European Championship triumph.
England's list of injury absentees for the October camp has grown again after Katie Reid and Grace Clinton withdrew from Sarina Wiegman's squad, joining Leah Williamson, Lauren James and Lauren Hemp on the sidelines. The Lionesses will take on Brazil and Australia in a pair of interesting friendlies but will have to do so without a full complement, with Millie Bright also retiring earlier this month.
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