Rhian Wilkinson warns England not to write off Wales at Euro 2025
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Head coach Rhian Wilkinson has warned defending champions England not to write off Wales after the sides were pitched into a Battle of Britain at Euro 2025. The Welsh, playing at a major tournament for the first time, were handed tough Group D ties against the Lionesses, France and the Netherlands in Monday evening’s draw in Lausanne.
At 30, they will be the lowest-ranked team at the finals and will face three opponents inside FIFA’s current top 11, although Canadian coach Wilkinson’s reaction was bullish. She said: “We are a dangerous team. Firstly, we have this underdog mantle, of course, as a first-time participant, but also how well the team is playing and how resilient they are, there’s every likelihood we’ll be surprising people at the tournament.”.
Wales and England famously met at the men’s Euros in 2016 when the Welsh made it all the way to the semi-finals, and Wilkinson knows the 2022 winners will represent a major hurdle to their hopes of progression when they clash in St Gallen on July 13 in the final round of group matches.
She said: “They’re the last winners, another team that with the excitement and growth of the WSL have had a lot of attention, have a lot of talent and a big player pool, so I expect a top England team there as well.”. The prospect of the two neighbours clashing in Switzerland will cause huge excitement in the principality, but while the draw may look daunting, Wilkinson, whose side will open their campaign against the Dutch in Lucerne on July 5 and then face France in St Gallen four days later, is relishing what lies ahead.
