France vs Wales facts

Group D of UEFA Women's EURO 2025 continues as France face debutants Wales in St. Gallen.

France are in a strong position in the group after defeating holders England 2-1 on Matchday 1, while Wales' first-ever game in a major tournament ended in a 0-3 reverse against 2017 champions Netherlands.

France will be through to the quarter-finals if they beat Wales and England do not beat Netherlands in the other Matchday 2 fixture in Group D.

Wales will be unable to reach the quarter-finals if they lose to France and Netherlands avoid defeat by England.

Previous meetings

France and Wales were drawn together in qualifying for Women's EURO 2013, Les Bleues winning 4-1 in Llanelli and 4-0 in Caen on their way to topping Group 4 with a 100% record.

It was almost ten years until they next met, during qualifying for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Once again France won every game, beating Wales 2-0 at home and 2-1 away – the most recent encounter between the two nations – on their way to topping Group I ahead of second-placed Wales.

Form guide

France

Goals from forwards Marie-Antoinette Katoto (36) and Sandy Baltimore (39) put France in command at the break against England on Matchday 1. The Lionesses pulled one back three minutes from time, but France held on for victory in Zurich.

France topped Group A3 in qualifying, winning four of their six games to finish ahead of England, Sweden and Republic of Ireland.

Katoto scored three of Les Bleues' eight qualifying goals, including winners against all three of their group opponents.

This is France's eighth consecutive finals appearance since their first entry in 1997; they have progressed from the group stage in each of their last four participations.

A side coached by Corinne Diacre reached the semi-finals in 2022 – France's best Women's EURO run to date. They beat holders Netherlands in the quarter-finals (1-0 aet) before losing 1-2 to Germany in the last four.

The following year, under new head coach Hervé Renard, they reached their third consecutive Women's World Cup quarter-final, losing 7-6 on penalties to co-hosts Australia in Brisbane after a 0-0 draw.

France reached another quarter-final in 2024, this time at their home Olympic Games, which followed a run to the final of the inaugural UEFA Women's Nations League, where they lost 0-2 to world champions Spain.

Following the 2024 Olympics Renard was succeeded by assistant Laurent Bonadei.

Wales

In their first-ever Women's EURO group stage fixture, Wales lost 0-3 to Netherlands in Lucerne on 5 July.

Appointed head coach ahead of qualifying, Rhian Wilkinson led Wales to an unbeaten group stage campaign where they kept four clean sheets in winning four of their six games to finish ahead of Ukraine, Croatia and Kosovo in Group B4.

That took them through to the play-offs, where they squeezed past Slovakia (1-2 a, 2-0 h aet) before a 3-2 aggregate win over Republic of Ireland (1-1 h, 2-1 a) led them to their first major final tournament appearance.

Jess Fishlock, on target in four of six group stage games, was Wales' top scorer during qualifying with six goals.

That was Wales' eighth attempt at qualifying for the finals, while they fell at the final hurdle of qualifying for the 2023 Women's World Cup with a 1-2 extra-time defeat by Switzerland in the play-offs.

Wales took part in the first Women's Nations League tournament in 2023/24, but picked up just one point from their six games in Group A3 to finish behind Germany, Denmark and Iceland. However, their point was earned in their last group fixture against eight-time European champions Germany.

Former Canadian international Wilkinson was appointed in February 2024.

Key facts

• France have won their last nine international matches – all in 2025.

• Les Bleues have only failed to score in one of their last 14 Women's EURO final tournament games.

• Grace Geyoro won her 100th cap on Matchday 1.

• Selma Bacha scored her first France goal in a 2-1 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying win against Wales in Guingamp on 30 November 2021.

• Wales' Fishlock played in France on loan at Lyon in 2018/19 alongside Amel Majri, Selma Bacha, Griedge Mbock Bathy and Delphine Cascarino.