Euro 2025: beaten by France, England left fuming

On Saturday night, England kicked off their UEFA Women's Euro 2025 campaign against France—a clash that ultimately swung in favor of Les Bleues (2-1), much to the dismay of the reigning European champions who were left furious at the final whistle.

Despite a solid start, the Lionesses saw their momentum shattered by a controversial refereeing decision. Beth Mead had given England the lead, but her goal was chalked off for offside following a VAR review.

After the match, Beth Mead voiced her frustration:

I’ve seen the footage, and I really don’t understand how that was offside. We’ll analyze it in detail and come back stronger on Wednesday.

This marks England’s first defeat in the knockout stage of the Euros under Sarina Wiegman, who was visibly furious in her post-match press conference:

I’m not a referee, but I was very angry.

Beyond the disallowed goal, the England camp was also incensed by a dangerous challenge from a French player that went unpunished with a red card—further fueling the Lionesses’ frustration. The rest of the tournament now becomes critical for England, who must beat the Netherlands next week to keep their Euro dreams alive.

Aliou Toundé |

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