Eagles at the EUROs: Wales bow out

Women

14 Jul 2025

The 2025 UEFA Women's European Championships are underway – read about Josie Green, Elise Hughes and Wales' historic journey to the tournament and celebrate our history-making players.

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In what was considered to be the toughest group in the tournament, it was always going to be a tall order for Wales to progress beyond the group stages.

Sunday's 6-1 defeat to defending champions England confirmed the end of Wales' tournament, but there was still a sense of pride at the final whistle.

First half goals from Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo put England in the driving seat, with Aggie Beever-Jones and Beth Mead adding to the score-line in the second half.

Wales did manage to find the net however, as Leicester City's Hannah Cain latched on to a wonderful through ball from Jess Fishlock and smashed the ball into the roof of the net.

Whilst neither Josie Green nor Elise Hughes started the final game of the tournament for Wales, both Palace players were substituted on in the second half.

Green featured in every one of the Dragons' three matches at the Euros, while Hughes made her long-awaited tournament debut for Wales against England.

Wales's Euros Group Stage: A Journey of Firsts

Wales kicked off their tournament on Saturday, 5th July with a 3-0 defeat to the Netherlands in Lucerne.

Next up for the Dragons was a trip to St Gallen to face group leaders France on Wednesday, 9th July.

History was written once again in Switzerland as Fishlock not only became the first Welsh player to score at a major women's tournament, but she also set a new record as the oldest player ever to score at the women's Euros.

Despite this huge moment, it wasn't to be for the Dragons, as they lost 4-1 to the French, who ended up top of Group D.

Needing a win by a margin of four goals against England, progression always looked unlikely, especially against the defending champions.

Sunday's results mean that France will face Germany in the quarter-finals, whereas England will play Sweden.

Although their tournament run was brief, Wales's inaugural qualification for a major women's tournament represented a pivotal moment in Welsh football history.

Beyond their contribution to Wales's historic Euros campaign, Green and Hughes became trailblazers for Palace as well.

By featuring in the tournament, they didn't just write their names into national football lore; they also etched a significant chapter into Palace's own history.

The Euro 2025 Format

The 14th edition of the competition has kicked off, with 16 teams competing in four groups.

Each team will face the other three teams in the group stage, where the top two teams of each group will advance to the knockout rounds.

This year's tournament is being held in Switzerland, with the final being played at St. Jakob-Park, home of FC Basel, on Sunday, 27th July.

England are the defending champions, having won the tournament for the first time in 2022.

Wales' Road to Euro 2025

Qualification for the tournament began in April 2024, with every participating team competing in three leagues: League A, League B and League C, with the highest ranked teams in League A and the lowest in League C.

Each team's starting league position was determined based on the results of the preceding Women's Nations League, which meant that Wales were competing in League B.

A team from League B could only qualify for Euro 2025 through the play-offs, which Wales reached by winning their group.

After victories against Kosovo and Croatia, as well as two draws with Ukraine, the Dragons successfully topped their group.

Both Green and Hughes featured throughout the group stage, with Hughes notably scoring a brace in the 6-0 win away against Kosovo.

The striker's involvement in the qualification campaign was then sadly cut short, after suffering an ACL injury in April 2024.

Wales were then drawn against Slovakia in the first round of play-offs, with Green featuring in both legs.

After a 2-1 first-leg away defeat, Wales equalised in normal time in Cardiff, forcing extra-time where Ceri Holland's 112th-minute winner secured a 2-0 home victory and a 3-2 aggregate win.

The moment of truth then arrived in the climactic final play-off, where Wales squared off against the Republic of Ireland.

With Green once again a pivotal presence, Wales had to settle for a nail-biting 1-1 home draw in Cardiff.

The destiny of a nation then hung precariously on a tense away leg in Dublin, where, against the odds, Wales clinched a monumental 2-1 victory, sealing a first-ever place in the tournament.

Watch Every Moment

Whilst Wales are now out of the tournament, you can still follow all the action!

All Euro 2025 games will be broadcast live in the UK on BBC and ITV1, ensuring you can follow every pass, goal, and win.

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