Euro 2025 tournament favourites, key players, TV channels, kick off times and how to watch

As the Lionesses touch down with hopes to defend their crown and Wales swap the mountains of Snowdonia for the Swiss Alps, kick-off looms for Euro 2025.

England were given a rousing send-off in Leicester on Sunday and duly delivered with a 7-0 win over Jamaica in their final game before the tournament.

It means that both British nations’ next match will represent their opener in Group D though both arrive in Switzerland with wholly different narratives.

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Here is all you need to know ahead of the tournament that gets underway on Wednesday .

Tournament favourites

Entering a tournament as reigning world champions automatically focuses all eyes on Spain who arrive in Switzerland with a squad full of world class talent.

While it is tight at the top, they will surely be the ones to beat having topped their Nations League group, a competition they won in 2024, and boasting Ballon D’Or winners Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí in their ranks.

The latter is still expected to feature despite contracting viral meningitis just six days before Spain face Portugal in their opening match.

La Roja defeated Japan 3-1 in their final friendly before the tournament, having also beaten England 2-1 in their final competitive match, but their outing at the Olympics last summer proves they are not invincible.

Notably, having lost to Brazil in the semi-finals, Spain were defeated 1-0 by Germany in the bronze medal match, a foe who will also make a strong bid for the title in Switzerland.

The Euro 2022 finalists have been in scintillating form in their 2025 Nations League matches having scored 26 goals and conceded just four across their six games.

With Lea Schüller leading the line, having contributed five goals in the Nations League campaign, Germany will represent a threatening prospect in Switzerland as they bid for revenge after that 2-1 extra-time loss in the final at Wembley in 2022.

It is their opponents on that day, England, who will also be firmly among those touted as potential winners when the tournament gets underway on 2 July.

Despite finishing second to Spain in a mixed Nations League campaign this year, the Lionesses have consistently shown their tournament pedigree.

Their 7-0 victory over Jamaica at the King Power Stadium was a showcase of the talent they have at their disposal with six different scorers on the day and five reigning Champions League winners in the squad.

It was Ella Toone who bagged a brace in Leicester, but perhaps most exciting was her replacement off the bench as Lauren James showed exactly what she can add to Wiegman’s team with an assist on her return from injury.

England’s chances

The defending champions will be aiming to make more history in Switzerland and become the only nation to defend their European Championship crown.

Any less will represent a disappointment for Sarina Wiegman’s side, whose consistency in major tournaments has set expectations sky high.

But despite winning in 2022 and reaching the World Cup final just a year later, the Lionesses face stiff competition if Wiegman is to win a third consecutive Euros (having won in 2017 with the Netherlands).

It will be a challenge that starts from the group stages where England meet France and the Netherlands, as well as neighbours Wales, in what is touted as ‘the group of death’.

But Wiegman, who is yet to lose a group game as head coach at a major tournament, will not be perturbed by the seemingly tricky start.

In 2017, she faced a group with an average world ranking of 16 and won all her matches, this year England’s group has an average ranking of 17.

But should the Lionesses progress beyond the group stage, they will have to navigate through what is likely the strongest Euros field yet, with Spain, Germany and Sweden among those queuing up to have their turn in the spotlight.

It is likely a clash against one of the latter two awaits in the quarter-finals with Group C and Group D pitted against each other.

But big wins will be expected, and necessary, if England are to do what no one else has done before and defend their title.

Wales’ chances

Wales arrive in Switzerland for their first-ever major tournament and without the expectation that will weigh heavy on the Lionesses’ shoulders.

But Rhian Wilkinson’s side should not be underestimated as they find themselves in ‘the group of death’ with a point to prove.

A squad announcement unlike any other, at the summit of Yr Wyddfa (or Snowdon), demonstrates the Dragons will be at home in the mountains and while an opening match against the Netherlands is no easy prospect, Wales have shown they can compete with the best.

Two 1-1 draws against Sweden in the Nations League proved highlights of their campaign this year but showed what resilience can produce.

They also only narrowly lost by one goal margins to Italy and Denmark but a 4-1 defeat at home to Italy in their final match shows there is still a long way to go.

A mixture of experienced talent in the shape of Jess Fishlock, Angharad James-Turner and Sophie Ingle is paired with an exciting mix of youth in Carrie Jones and Elise Hughes in a squad that Wilkinson is looking to finely tune before the tournament kicks off.

Wales will have to pull off something extraordinary to get out of their group but overlook them for a shock victory to shake up Group D at your peril.

Players to watch

Sometimes top talent emerges from places you would not expect and that is the case for Poland’s Ewa Pajor.

The Barcelona striker is one of the world’s finest in front of goal and will be central to Polish hopes of making it out of the group in their first major tournament.

She will head to Euro 2025 with a century of caps and as her country’s record goal scorer. She scored four times in the play-offs to ensure qualification.

Over in Group A, Norway’s Caroline Graham Hansen will be eyeing up a goal fest as she prepares for group games against Finland, Iceland and hosts Switzerland.

Operating on the international stage since she was 16, the winger has so often been the one to help others shine, in part due to the outrageous quality of her passes.

In 2019, she became the first Norwegian ever to play for Barcelona as they began their run of dominance in Liga F and was nominated for the Ballon d’Or in 2024, finishing second.

While Norway have struggled to live up to their promise on the world stage Graham Hansen will be key, a situation familiar to France and Sandy Baltimore.

After a scintillating season with Chelsea, which included two FA Cup final goals in a year that saw her cement herself as Sonia Bompastor’s left-back pick in an invincible treble-winning side, Baltimore is ready to make amends for a perennially underperforming French side.

Naturally a winger, Baltimore has shown her versatility while retaining her strength as a creative outlet and will be crucial to France if she continues such form.

The output of her rival in the Women’s Super League, and now in Euro 2025 Group D, Alessia Russo will provide a good marker of England’s performance.

Graduating from super-sub to a sure starter, Russo has become pivotal to England’s success.

Moving to Arsenal has helped her to work on her all-round game, with her ability to hold off defenders a key skill.

Fresh off Champions League success, Russo has a golden glint that could be key for the Lionesses.

A player to watch list would not be complete without Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí.

Arguably the best player in the world right now, Bonmatí has been dominating football for the past few seasons and pulls the strings for a world-beating Spain side.

Her success with La Roja is undeniable – at age grade she won the U-17 and U-19 Euros, also reaching the final of the U-17 and U-20 World Cups.

As a senior player, Bonmati was a key member of their World Cup win in 2023, winning the Golden Ball.

Best group stage games

Group A - Switzerland v Norway (2nd July - 8pm)

On the opening day of the tournament hosts Switzerland welcome a perennially underachieving Norway side.

Not only will the curtain raiser provide a spectacle for the home crowd but will also pit two sides with a lot to prove against each other in one of the most open groups of the tournament.

While Norway will be favourites they have struggled in the past and though Switzerland are yet to win a competitive game this year, they will want to set that right for their fans from the off.

Group C - Sweden v Germany (12th July - 8pm)

This northern European clash has the potential to decide who progresses top of the group and brings two high-performing teams together in the group stage.

Sweden have traditionally played a highly effective defensive style in tournaments, while Germany have proven their scoring form in the Nations League this season.

It sets up a fascinating clash early on in the tournament between two sides who will have their sights firmly set on silverware from the outset.

Group D - England v Wales (13th July - 8pm)

Any meeting between two home nations always promises a fiery encounter and Wales will know just how impactful a result against the Lionesses could be, not only for their own chances but to disrupt their opponents’ hopes of progressing from a tough group.

While England will be expected to race away with victory, the added pressure of rivalry and the spirit of the Welsh ‘red wall’ will make this an encounter to relish.

Group D - Netherlands v France (13th July - 8pm)

In such a highly competitive group, it is hard to imagine this final group game will not have anything resting on it.

Whether it is progression to the next round or placing in the top two of the group the encounter will certainly produce fireworks.

As two of Europe’s top teams clash so early on with so much at stake, it is certainly worth split-screening this match with England’s group finale.

Where to watch

In the United Kingdom full tournament coverage will be shared between BBC and ITV, making all games free-to-air.

For England’s and Wales’ group stage games the TV schedule is as follows:

5th July - 5pm - Wales v Netherlands - BBC One & iPlayer

5th July - 8pm - France v England - ITV1 & ITVX

9th July - 5pm - England v Netherlands - BBC One & iPlayer

9th July - 8pm - France v Wales - ITV1, ITVX & S4C

13th July - 8pm - England v Wales - ITV1, ITVX & S4C