Soccer Football - Women's Euro 2025 - Final Draw - Swiss Tech Convention Centre, Lausanne, Switzerland - December 16, 2024 General view of the completed groups displayed after the draw REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) -European champions England will renew their rivalry with France and the Netherlands and also clash with debutants Wales in the group stage of the Women's Euro 2025 tournament after the draw was made in Switzerland on Monday.
World Cup winners Spain, second in the FIFA rankings and hungry to claim a first Euro title, should have an easier path against Group B opponents Portugal, Belgium and Italy.
Eight-times European champions Germany, who are ranked third in the world, are in Group C with Poland, Denmark and Sweden.
Hosts Switzerland will play Norway, Iceland and Finland in Group A and will kick off the tournament on July 2 against the Norwegians in Basel.
Despite being holders, Sarina Wiegman's England team were placed in Pot 2 of the draw after finishing second behind France by a point in their Euro qualifying group, with the two teams splitting their qualifying games with identical 2-1 scores.
England face France in their group opener on July 5.
Adding more drama to what should be a blockbuster group stage, familiar foes the Netherlands -- Wiegman's home country and former team -- kept the Lionesses out of the Paris Olympics by finishing ahead of them in the Nations League.
The two teams will meet on July 9.
Wiegman is the only manager to have won the women's Euros with two different countries, having also lifted the trophy with the Dutch in 2017.
"I think we have a very interesting, exciting group," Wiegman said. "It's very tough. You just have to take it as it comes and be ready on July 5. That's how I approach it.
"Everyone goes to a tournament to win it and so do we. I'm confident in my team."
Rhian Wilkinson's Wales side booked their first Euro berth by beating Ireland 3-2 on aggregate in a playoff and as the tournament's lowest ranked team at 30th face a tough campaign. Fourth-ranked England meet Wales on July 13 in St Gallen.
"First of all, congratulations to them, they've qualified for the first time in their historty which is amazing," Wiegman said, "There'll be some rivalry when we go on the pitch. I'm looking forward to that game."
The 16-team tournament will take place in Switzerland from July 2 to 27, with Basel hosting the final. The top two in each group qualify for the quarter-finals.
GROUP A
Switzerland
Norway
Iceland
Finland
GROUP B
Spain
Portugal
Belgium
Italy
GROUP C
Germany
Poland
Denmark
Sweden
GROUP D
France
England
Wales
Netherlands
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Additional reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Ken Ferris)
