England's nemesis Spain bid to add Euro title to world crown

Hindustan Times

5 hours ago

Spain are aiming for their first ever women's European title as the reigning world champions head to Euro 2025 with a squad packed with stars from arguably the best club team in the world. HT Image
Spain showed they are the team to beat in Europe with their dramatic win over defending European champions England in June which propelled them into the Nations League semi-finals.
It was England also that Spain beat in 2023 to be crowned world champions.
Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitina Bonmati is the biggest name amongst a host of Barcelona players in Montse Tome's squad heading to Switzerland for the Euros which kicks off on Tuesday.
However, there is a question mark hanging over Bonmati as she is recovering from viral meningitis, only being discharged from hospital on Sunday and due to meet up with her teammates later this week.
"Talking about meningitis can be scary but it is controlled," said Tome.
"She is a very important player for us. We'll wait for her as long as we can."
La Roja's large Barca cohort will be keen to bounce back from a shock defeat to Arsenal in the recent Champions League final by holding the European and world titles at the same time.
Spain will be without their all-time top scorer Jenni Hermoso who was not selected by Tome, one of many of those who delivered the World Cup not heading to the Euros.
Veteran Hermoso's absence raised eyebrows as the 35-year-old plays and scores regularly for Tigres in Mexico.
Tomes has insisted her absence has nothing to do with the furore that surrounded her being forcibly kissed after the World Cup final by former Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales.
Rubiales was fined 10,800 euros for sexual assault in February.
Hermoso, who has scored 57 times for her country, played in all six qualifiers for the Euros, netting three times, but hasn't featured in the last four Spain squads.
She appeared to take a pop at Tome after being left out of the Euros squad by saying the players could "probably become champions of Europe on their own".
The level of talent is such that Hermoso might have struck on a half-truth in her moment of anger: such is the quality available to Tomes only 11 World Cup winners are in the Euros squad.
Claudia Pina is another star in the making after a series of impressive super-sub appearances for Barcelona and her country, including both goals in Spain's Nations League win over England.
England coach Sarina Wiegman has had a difficult build-up to the Euros, with goalkeeper Mary Earps and midfielder Fran Kirby retiring from international football, while key defender Millie Bright then pulled out of the tournament to prioritise her mental and physical health.
The trio started every game when England secured their first major silverware at the last Euros three years ago, and are huge losses for the Lionesses.
England have also been far from their best in recent matches and are in the tournament's toughest group alongside France, the Netherlands and Wales.
But Wiegman has reached the final, and won two, of her last four major tournaments and England are, alongside Germany, Spain's main rivals for victory in Switzerland.
"My experience before tournaments is that there is always noise. We expect noise until we go into the tournament," said Wiegman after announcing her squad for the tournament.
"It doesn't feel like a crisis at all."
Eight-time champions Germany head into their first tournament without Alexandra Popp since the prolific Wolfsburg striker made her debut back in 2010.
Missing someone with such a wealth of top-level experience is a blow for Germany, who haven't won a major honour since 2013.
On the upside Christian Wuck's team are unbeaten in 2025.
Wuck will rely heavily on Bayern Munich striker Lea Schueller who has scored 52 times in 75 appearances for Germany, including five goals in six Nations league Group A1 matches.
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