England travel to southern France tonight hoping to earn a vital win in their campaign to qualify for Euro 2025. The Lionesses sit third in Group A3, level on points with Sweden, who they drew to in their opening game, and above the Republic of Ireland, who they beat 2-0 in their second group match.
Last Friday, Sarina Weigman’s side lost 2-1 in the reverse fixture at St. James’ Park, when a spirited France side led by Marie Antoinette Katoto came back from behind to snatch a winner and go top of the group.
This leaves England with work to do to ensure automatic qualification. In the new format, only the top two sides from each group qualify automatically, with the third and fourth-placed teams from each ‘A’ group entering play-offs against teams from the B and C groups.
Follow all the build-up and action below.
France vs England LIVE
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England face France at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, with kick-off at 8pm BST
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Sarina Weigman’s side fell to a disappointing 2-1 defeat in the return fixture last week
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The Lionesses have work to do to ensure automatic qualification under the new format
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England XI: Hampton; Bronze, Williamson, Bright, Carter; Walsh, Toone, Stanway; Mead, Russo, Hemp
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Lionesses make one change with Mary Earps ruled out due to injury; Hannah Hampton starts
France vs England: Ella Toone reaches 50 caps
18:54 , Jamie Braidwood
A 50th cap for Ella Toone tonight. She’s only 24!
France vs England: Team news
18:50 , Jamie Braidwood
Sarina Wiegman makes just the one change from the side that started the 2-1 defeat at St James’ Park, and that’s the enforced one with Hannah Hampton replacing the injured Mary Earps.
Apart from that, it’s as you were for the Lionesses. Leah Williamson skippers the side and stays in the back-four, with Millie Bright at centre-back and Lucy Bronze and Jess Carter full-back.
Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway remain the pivot in midfield, with Ella Toone higher up. Beth Mead and Lauren Hemp are the wingers, with Alessia Russo leading the line once more.
France vs England: CONFIRMED LINE-UP
18:46 , Jamie Braidwood
England team to face France:
Hampton; Bronze, Williamson, Bright, Carter; Walsh, Toone, Stanway; Mead, Russo, Hemp
France vs England: Latest build-up
18:46 , Jamie Braidwood
Or in 15 seconds…
France vs England: Latest build-up
18:45 , Jamie Braidwood
The Lionesses have arrived at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard as they get familar with the pitch ahead of kick-off.
We’ll have the team news in around 15 minutes.
England boss Sarina Wiegman issues challenge to Lionesses after loss to France
18:35 , Chris Wilson
And after that bruising defeat, Sarina Wiegman has challenged England to turn the tables on France to kick-start their Euro 2025 qualification campaign.
Wiegman’s side have now taken just four points from their first three qualifiers and trail Group A3 leaders France by five points and Sweden on goal difference.
She said: “Of course, we first wanted to be first in the group, but that’s a little further away now. We’ll go through the game tomorrow and then we have the game on Tuesday.
“From what we showed today, I think we can win that game. If you see, we had more possession, more shots on goal – all we wanted more on target – so we go out there to win that game and from there, we will see.”
England boss Sarina Wiegman issues challenge to Lionesses after loss to France
England stunned at St James’s Park as Marie-Antoinette Katoto completes comeback win in Euro qualifier
18:20 , Chris Wilson
England need a positive result tonight if they want to secure automatic qualification for Euro 2025, after France came back from behind to beat the Lionesses 2-1 at St. James’ Park last week.
Beth Mead had given the Lionesses a 30th-minute lead in head coach Sarina Wiegman’s 50th game at the helm, but Elisa De Almeida levelled before the break, and Paris St-Germain striker Marie Antoinette Katoto secured the win in front of a crowd of 42,561.
The defeat leaves England in third place in Group A3 behind the French and Sweden, who beat the Republic of Ireland 3-0 in Dublin, and knowing that anything less than a win in the reverse fixture in St-Etienne on Tuesday night could scupper any lingering hopes of finishing top.
England stunned as Marie-Antoinette Katoto completes comeback win in Euro qualifier
France vs England: Latest build-up
18:08 , Chris Wilson
Predicted line-up
Hampton, Bronze, Bright, Greenwood, Carter, Walsh, Toone, Stanway, Kelly, Russo, Hemp.
Mary Earps forced out of England squad through injury
18:00 , Chris Wilson
Mary Earps is the latest high-profile injury for the Lionesses, after Lauren James was ruled out of both games against France just before last Friday’s match.
Earps withdrew from England’s squad to face France on Tuesday with a minor hip injury, which she sustained during Friday’s Euro 2025 qualifying defeat to Les Bleues.
The 31-year-old was forced off at St James’ Park just seven minutes into her 50th Lionesses appearance and left the stadium on crutches.
What is the England team news?
17:50 , Chris Wilson
Hannah Hampton will start in goal following Mary Earps’ early injury and there were further withdrawals from the original squad by Niamh Charles and Lotte Wubben-Moy before that first match, as well as Lauren James. While there are no further new injury issues reported, Sarina Wiegman could shuffle the pack after the disappointing defeat on home soil, with Chloe Kelly and Alex Greenwood candidates to start.
When is France vs England?
17:40 , Chris Wilson
The match will kick off at 8pm BST on Tuesday 4 June, and it’ll be shown live on ITV 4 and ITV X, with coverage getting underway from 7:15pm.
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Good afternoon
17:30 , Jamie Braidwood
England travel to southern France tonight hoping to earn a vital win in their campaign to qualify for Euro 2025. The Lionesses sit third in Group A3, level on points with Sweden, who they drew to in their opening game, and above the Republic of Ireland, who they beat 2-0 in their second group match.
Last Friday, Sarina Weigman’s side lost 2-1 in the reverse fixture at St. James’ Park, when a spirited France side led by Marie Antoinette Katoto came back from behind to snatch a winner and go top of the group.
This leaves England with work to do to ensure automatic qualification. In the new format, only the top two sides from each group qualify automatically, with the third and fourth-placed teams from each ‘A’ group entering play-offs against teams from the B and C groups.
Follow all the build-up and action in tonight’s live blog
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