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Ameé Ruszkai4 Jul 2025OpinionEnglandE. TooneL. JamesWomen's EUROFrance vs EnglandWOMEN'S FOOTBALLFEATURES

How England should line up for Euro 2025 opener vs France: Ella Toone and Jess Carter have earned Lionesses starting spots - but Lauren James is best used as an impact substitute

Sarina Wiegman has big decisions to make as the European champions' title defence begins in Zurich on Saturday

The 2025 European Championship is well under way, and the reigning champions will kick-off their campaign on Saturday, as 2022 winners England face a France team that has regularly reached the latter stages of major tournaments, albeit without ever having won one. Les Bleues look good coming into this summer, though, with them winning every single game so far in 2025 to mark themselves out as a real contender for the trophy in Switzerland.

It's not long since these two last met, as they were in the same qualifying group for this very tournament last summer. In that, they traded blows, with France winning 2-1 in Newcastle before England were victorious by the same scoreline in Saint-Etienne just four days later. Those recent meetings only emphasise the widespread belief that this instalment will be another extremely tight and competitive affair.

There is little room for margin for either team, too, as the Netherlands - as well as Wales - are also in this group. It means at least one genuine challenger for this Euros title is going to go out in the first round, making a good start in Saturday's game all the more important for the Lionesses. So, who will head coach Sarina Wiegman put her faith in from the start as England's title defence begins? GOAL takes a look at how the European champions should line up in Zurich...

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    GK: Hannah Hampton

    There are a lot of places in this England team that are just not up for debate, and it starts in goal, where Hannah Hampton will make her major tournament debut on Saturday. After being in a fierce competition with Mary Earps for the No.1 shirt for the last year or so, Wiegman reportedly decided that she had won that race before Euro 2025 began - and it was her place as second-choice that prompted Earps to retire from international duty so suddenly.

    It's vital that Hampton plays well and is consistently available through this tournament, too, as neither Anna Moorhouse nor Khiara Keating - England's other two goalkeepers in the squad - have even got a senior cap to their name.

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    RB: Lucy Bronze

    Another position that is seemingly nailed on for the entire tournament is right-back, where Lucy Bronze will be integral for the Lionesses for a sixth time at a major tournament. No one has more caps and, with them, experience in this squad than the Chelsea defender, who heads to Switzerland in some quite impressive attacking form, actually, after returning two goals and an assist in her last three England outings.

    There will be particular emphasis on her defensive work in this fixture though, with France boasting an electric left-side which features Sandy Baltimore, her Chelsea team-mate, and Selma Bacha, the attack-minded left-back.

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    CB: Leah Williamson

    After having to miss the 2023 Women's World Cup due to a devastating ACL injury suffered only three months before it began, Leah Williamson will be relishing the honour of leading her country out at a major tournament once again this summer.

    The Arsenal icon was a star of England's Euro 2022 triumph and she will hope to showcase similar form this time around, something she will surely be confident of doing after ending her 2024-25 season in such wonderful fashion by helping the Gunners win the Champions League.

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    CB: Alex Greenwood

    Williamson will have a different centre-back partner at Euro 2025 when compared to 2022, as it is likely to be Alex Greenwood alongside her this time around. That comes off the back of Millie Bright's decision to withdraw from selection this summer, but it is also a well-deserved berth, given the Manchester City star has been one of the best players in her position in England and, really, the world over the last few years.

    Greenwood was excellent as the Lionesses reached the Women's World Cup final in 2023 and she'll be keen to prove her worth again on a big stage. It starts with quite a challenge, too, with her likely to be lining up against Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Paris Saint-Germain's all-time top goal-scorer.

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    LB: Jess Carter

    One of the toughest calls Wiegman has to make in this XI is at left-back, where she lacks natural options - and has done essentially throughout her entire tenure with England. It is between Niamh Charles and Jess Carter for the starting role: Charles plays here regularly for Chelsea, but is naturally more of a winger or a No.10, while Carter primarily operates at centre-back, though she has played on the left in the past.

    Wiegman has flip-flopped between the two in recent matches and it is Carter who has looked better, though those opportunities have come against weaker opposition than Charles has faced. Still, Carter is the most defensively sound of the two, even if it remains far from ideal that the Lionesses don't have a really dependable option in this position.

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    CM: Keira Walsh

    Another no-brainer in this team is Keira Walsh, who will start at the base of midfield and be key to any success England enjoy this summer. That's particularly the case because the Lionesses don't have anyone else in the squad who plays this role on a regular basis.

    It's vital that Walsh plays well and is fit throughout the tournament, with her ability to dictate play and create from deep making her a world-class midfielder.

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    CM: Georgia Stanway

    Given Georgia Stanway only returned from a serious knee injury in late May and has just one lot of 90 minutes under her belt in 2025, it wouldn't be a huge surprise if Wiegman turned to Grace Clinton to start at some point in these Euros, especially if England have already sealed their place in the quarter-finals by the time the third group-stage game with Wales comes around.

    However, Stanway proved her fitness with that 90-minute performance against Jamaica at the end of June and will be a stalwart this summer, with Clinton likely to offer her some respite from the bench where necessary.

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    CM: Ella Toone

    This is perhaps the most competitive spot in this England team, with each of Ella Toone, Jess Park, Clinton and - judging by where she was used against Jamaica - Lauren James battling to start in the No.10 role. Given the two-goal display Toone produced the Lionesses' last outing, though, it feels like she has earned the right to get the nod for their Euros opener.

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    RW: Beth Mead

    Beth Mead has started all of England's last five games on the right of the attack and, given she has returned three goals and two assists in that time, she has earned the right to keep her place.

    That's despite Chloe Kelly's good form at Arsenal, which has often kept Mead out of the Gunners' best XI, and James' return from injury. The latter feels likely to take this place from Mead if she can work her way up to full fitness during the tournament but, until then, Mead deserves to play from the get-go, with James a valuable impact sub at the start of Euro 2025.

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    ST: Alessia Russo

    There is no doubt about who will lead the line for England on Saturday. Alessia Russo has just had the best season of her career and, throughout that, she has continued to shine at international level as well.

    With two goals and an assist in her last two Lionesses' appearances, the Arsenal forward enters the tournament with a spring in her step and will hope to kickstart Euro 2025 with a goal on Saturday.

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    LW: Lauren Hemp

    This is another place in the team that could become quite competitive when James is back fit, as Wiegman will have to make a decision in her forward line at that point. However, for now, Lauren Hemp is nailed on to start down the left.

    Since returning from a serious knee injury towards the end of the 2024-25 season, the Manchester City star has looked incredibly sharp and will be one of England's most dangerous assets in Switzerland.