Lionesses get ready to roar England take on France in first 'group of death' game at Euros

Three years is an eternity in football. The heady memories of England's victory over Germany at Wembley in July 2022, which won them a first European Championship, will never disappear but retaining their title would surpass that achievement.

- Nick Ames

Sarina Wiegman's players arrived in Zurich on Monday to finish their preparations for Euro 2025. They must hit the ground running, with a fiendishly difficult route to glory. They will begin against France today at the Letzigrund stadium, hoping victory against a notoriously tricky foe will banish the doubts that have clouded their build-up. England have been dealt a "group of death" that also includes a strong Netherlands side and, making their debut, Wales. Only two can make it to the quarterfinals, so one of Europe's leading lights has to miss out. An early victory would send the message that England are here until the conclusion on 27 July.

Their supporters certainly hope to be. Among record sales of more than 600,000 tickets for a tournament whose popularity is burgeoning, 41,000 have been bought by fans from England. The Football Association comfortably sold its allocation of 2,000 for each of England's Group D games but many more are expected to find their way into the stands.