The Lionesses, however, thought they had taken the lead inside 16 minutes at the Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich, only for Alessia Russo’s goal to be disallowed for a marginal offside ruling on Beth Mead. It was a decision England’s head coach described as a “huge surprise” — so what exactly happened, and why didn’t the goal stand?

Georgia Stanway says England are determined to “put things right” in their second 2025 European Championship match against the Netherlands and move on from the France defeat, which she described as “like a bad night out”.

England and France agreed Thursday to “coordinate” and “cooperate” with each other’s nuclear programs for their own safety and the defense of Europe.

England had their backs against the wall ahead of their clash with the Netherlands, but they delivered a performance of quality and determination, shredding the Dutch 4-0. Now a win over Wales would guarantee a spot in the quarter-finals, and the Welsh have understandably found the leap to this kind of level a step too far.

The defending European champions will open their tournament with a daunting match against a highly talented French team.

The marquee matchup, which France won 2-1, drew 690,000 viewers, a 329% spike from the previous group stage average.

England's bid to defend their Euros title took a major hit, as France outclassed the Lionesses on a night where the midfield battle proved decisive.