Time to wrap this blog up and head to Florida for some Club World Cup action. Thanks for your company; I’ll leave you with Suzanne Wrack’s match report.
Sarina Wiegman’s verdict
It was a good performance. We expected to be in the final third a lot so we wanted to show what we could do. It was nice to score seven goals though there were times when we played an extra pass. Overall I’m really happy with the performance.
We are blessed that we have many players that can play No10: Jess Park, Grace Clinton, Ella Toone and LJ. We have good options at left- and right-back depending on what balance we need.
Most of all I feel excited [going into the tournament]. I’m excited about the team. We’ve had two weeks of training and it was really good. We really got together. I’m not thinking about [the chance of winning a third straight Euros]. First let’s get through that group!
We’ll take it game by game. Let’s go and get ready for France. I think there is huge potential in this squad.
Updated
“Stanway deserves a start against France,” says Peter Gartner. “She is now match fit.
“Beever-Jones has to start instead of Russo. She is just a lot sharper at the moment. Russo had to be handed a goal on a plate by the superb pass from James. Great to see James back.”
Personally I’d start Russo, partly because Beever-Jones is so dangerous from the bench. One hundred minutes, which most games will be, is a long time.
I thought Stanway was brilliant – her dynamism and all-round ability are vital.
Ella Toone’s reaction
We definitely enjoyed that game: a lot of goals, a clean sheet and it’s nice to send ourselves off in that style.
I’ve waited a while for another goal in an England shirt. Two came today so I’m really happy with that. Of course I wanted a hat-trick, who doesn’t, but Alessia finished my perfect hat-trick off with her header so I’ll take that!
There’s competition all across the squad which is really exciting. Whatever role I have, I’ll give my best for the team. There are other players who can play that No10 role; it’s healthy competition.
We’ve got a very exciting group. We’ll give our all, as we always do, and hopefully we can make the nation proud.
Full time: England 7-0 Jamaica
England will head to Switzerland in good heart after a crushing victory over Jamaica at the King Power Stadium. Ella Toone scored twice and there weer also goals for Lucy Bronze, Georgia Stanway, Alessia Russo, Aggie Beever-Jones and Beth Mead.
Sarina Wiegman couldn’t have asked for much more. The returning players impressed, Stanway in particular, there were no injuries and Lauren James had an instant, effortless impact from the bench. England also passed the ball with an eyecatching rhythm, particularly in the first half.
Wiegman knows that infinitely tougher tests are round the corner. But the mood feels much more positive than it was three hours ago.
Beth Mead completes the scoring with a classy finish. Beever-Jones flashed a pass across the area to Mead, who dummied a defender superly and pinged a close-range shot past Brooks.
Updated
GOAL! England 7-0 Jamaica (Mead 90+6)
Yep, she’s fine.
Updated
90+2 min Mead is receiving treatment to her right knee. She’s able to bend it but the physios do look a bit concerned.
Mead gets to her feet and jobs over the touchline, ready to return after 30 seconds; I think she’s fine.
90+1 min Mead lies face down after a clash of legs with Thomas. This is a concern for England because her leg did seem to buckle slightly.
Updated
90 min Five minutes of added time.
89 min: Double substitution for Jamaica Jade Bailey and Ricshya Walker replace Nyema Ingleton and Kameron Simmonds.
86 min That goal was England’s 33rd attempt at goal, 16 on target. Jamaica have had none (their disallowed goal isn’t included in the match statistics).
GOAL! England 6-0 Jamaica (Beever-Jones 85)
Aggie Beever-Jones, who has been a constant threat since coming on, makes it six. Charles galloped onto a crossfield pass and screwed a low cross that was finished deftly by the sliding Beever-Jones.
Updated
84 min Ingleton is back on the field. A weary Jamaica team look ready to hear the final whistle.
82 min Nyema Ingleton is down with cramp, and will need treatment. England have had 80 per cent of the possession, which means the Jamaica midfield, of which Ingleton is part, have had to run a helluva lot of sour metres.
Excellent goalkeeping by Brooks!
80 min Another James cross is hooked towards goal by Beever-Jones and tipped away acrobatically by Brooks. Thirty seconds later she makes another good reaction save to deny Beever-Jones, this time from a far-post header.
Updated
79 min Chantelle Swaby is okay to continue. Beever-Jones makes a dangerous run into the area and is denied a shooting chance by Cardoza’s excellent challenge.
77 min There’s a break in play while Chantelle Swaby receives treatment. Her team may be 5-0 down but she’s played really well at centre-back.
Updated
75 min: Triple substitution for England Grace Clinton, Aggie Beever-Jones and Niamh Charles come on for Lucy Bronze, Keira Walsh and Alessia Russo.
74 min Stanway takes a return pass on the edge of the area and cracks a low shot this far wide.
73 min Nothing Lauren James has done since coming on the field has been a surprise, yet I’m still reeling from how utterly, effortlessly brilliant she is.
GOAL! England 5-0 Jamaica (Russo 71)
Alessia Russo finally gets her goal, heading into an empty net from three yards after another devastating cross from James. She is frighteningly good.
Williamson found James on the right side of the area, with Sampson coming across to challenge. James twisted back onto her left foot and floated a wonderful cross that took all the defenders and the goalkeeper out of the game. The girl’s a genius.
Updated
69 min Kelly wanders across from the left to hit a shot that spins behind off Cardoza. England’s substitutes, who are all keen to impress, have energised a game that was drifting to sleep.
67 min Kelly curls a nice pass/cross towards Mead on the right side of the area. She touches it back to the onrushing James, who lashes the bouncing ball over the bar.
Fine save by Brooks
66 min James, in the inside-right channel, teases a brilliant ball into the six-yard box. Mead’s volley on the stretch is bravely blocked by the flying Brooks; the two players collide in their follow throughs but they seem fine.
65 min England appeal for handball when Stanway’s header is blocked on the line by Amelia Van Zanten. Replays shows it was chest rather than arm.
63 min: Triple substitution for England Lauren James, Esme Morgan and Chloe Kelly replace Ella Toone, Alex Greenwood and Lauren Hemp.
Updated
62 min: Double substitution for Jamaica Natasha Thomas and Reanna Blades replace Atlanta Primus and Kalyssa Van Zanten.
61 min Cardoza trips the flying Hemp and is booked.
GOAL! England 4-0 Jamaica (Stanway 59)
Stanway’s shot is beaten away by Brooks, then Toone’s follow-up is blocked by a defender. But Jamaica can’t get the ball away and eventually Stanway makes just enough room to spank a shot past Brooks from 12 yards. That’s a deserved reward for a brilliant allround performance in midfield; at her best Stanway is a force of nature.
Updated
57 min Bronze’s cross is behind Russo, who tries an acrobatic volley but mishits it well wide.
54 min Hemp shoots over from the edge of the D after an excellent first-time pass from Mead in the inside-right channel.
51 min England are yet to rediscover the intensity of their play in the first half. It must be difficult starting again when you’re 3-0 up and you know there’s a huge game only six days away.
49 min Mead is forced to concede a corner after a bit of scruffy defending from England. Amelia Van Zanten’s drags it towards the near post and Stanway clears.
48 min The fact Sarina Wiegman made no half-time changes supports the view that this will be the starting XI against France on Saturday. If it was between, say, Toone and Jess Park you’d expect them to get a half each.
47 min Jamaica made a half-time substitution, bringing on Vyan Sampson for Olufolasade Adamolekun.
46 min The second half is under way.
“Is Russo the one real upgrade for this side compared with the one that won three years ago?” wonders David Wall. “There is so much in common between the two sides and while many of the players have maintained their form I’m not sure many have made significant steps up (perhaps Hemp?). And where players from 2022 have been replaced you’d probably say that those in the earlier team were at a higher level (which you might expect as those newer players are at an earlier stage in their careers). But Russo seems like the complete centre forward now, giving the team so much more than either Ellen White playing her last games, or her younger self as an impact substitute. Given that, might England benefit from playing more direct to her more often to make the most of her quality?”
I think they’ve mixed it up pretty well today, although I know what you mean about playing to that particular strength of Russo’s. Maybe they will do that more in games when they have less of the ball; in the first half of this game they had 81 per cent possession.
I’d have to think about your question, although there is one huge upgrade in Lauren James – whether she plays from the start or comes off the bench. You could also argue that Jess Carter is a better allround left-back than Rachel Daly.
Half-time reading
Half time: England 3-0 Jamaica
Beth Mead’s shot deflects over the bar, the last attempt at goal in a dominant first-half performance. Ella Toone scored either side of a neat Lucy Bronze header, but it was the rhythmic passing and movement that will give Sarina Wiegman most encouragement going into the European Championship. In the best possible sense of the phrase, England looked like a club side.
Hat-trick chance for Toone!
45+5 min Toone plays a one-two and pokes a shot that is too close to Brooks. England are creating chances almost at will.
Stanway, who has been superb, broke down the right and cut the ball back sharply towards Toone. She was tackled but then got the ball back on the edge of the area and floated a speculative shot across goal with her left foot. It drifted away from Brooks, hit the inside of the post and bounced into the net.
GOAL! England 3-0 Jamaica (Toone 45+4)
Ella Toone celebrates sheepishly after scoring her second and England’s third.
Updated
45 min That injury and the VAR check for the Jamaica goal that wasn’t mean there will be six minutes of added time.
44 min: Jamaica substitution An enforced change for Jamaica. The captain Allyson Swaby has suffered an injury and is being replaced by Naya Cardoza.
42 min Another half chance for Russo, who volleys wide on the run after a making an excellent near-post run.
Russo hits the bar!
40 min Alessia Russo almost scores a screamer. It was another fine move from England, who kept the ball for a good 30 seconds before Walsh clipped a precise angled pass into the area. Mead chested it down adroitly to Russo, who waited for the ball to bounce and walloped a ferocious shot from 15 yards. It beat Brooks and almost broke the crossbar.
Updated
39 min The disallowed goal aside, England have dominated the first half throughout. The most encouraging thing has been the rhythm and penetration of their passing.
37 min: Hemp hits the post! England take a short corner on the right and move the ball neatly infield to Hemp, who slashes a first-time shot across goal from the edge of the area. It beats Brooks and hits the face of the far post.
It wasn’t the cleanest connection from Hemp, which is why the ball faded away slightly. Had the shot been gunbarrel-straight, Hemp would have scored.
Updated
35 min Hemp gets away down the left for the umpteenth time before sliding a low cross that is slightly too heavy for Russo. Hemp looks close to her unplayable best.
Moments later Russo has a close-range shot blocked at source from Walsh’s low cross. Fine defending by Chantelle Swaby after another crisp passing move from England.
34 min Russo threatens to make it three, taking a shot early from 25 yards but hitting it straight at Brooks.
GOAL! England 2-0 Jamaica (Bronze 32)
The full-backs combine for an excellent goal. Hemp slid to keep the ball in play and then reversed it towards the supporting Carter. She curled a beautiful inswinging cross towards Bronze, who made a perfectly timed run into the area and headed past Brooks from six yards.
Updated
29 min Kalyssa Van Zanten leads a Jamaica break with a brilliant run through midfield. Eventually Carter makes an awkward but crucial lunging tackle on Simmonds in the area. There were one or two enquiries about a potential penalty but it was a good challenge.
25 min Charles Antaki has look into the design for England Women’s home strip. “Here’s what England Football have to say,” he begins. “‘Derived from the concept of ‘deeds, not words’, the home kit is a homage to the Lionesses and their heroic national victories such as Euro 2022, as well as the future generations of women players who are taking the game to new heights. The kit uses shifts in colour to honour the pioneers of the national team playing through the ‘70s and ‘80s.’”
Far more eloquent and stirring than my assessment, which basically amounts to: ‘It’s an ice-lolly version of the Keegan Admiral kit, innit?’
23 min Hemp, who has started well, beats Cameron with ease and stands up a really dangerous cross that is headed up in the air by a Jamaica defender, possibly Chantelle Swaby, and eventually forced clear.
NO GOAL! England 1-0 Jamaica
21 min The referee has disallowed the goal. Probably fair enough given Kalyssa Van Zanten’s position right in front of Hampton, though I’m not 100 per cent sure it impacted the goal because Hampton was wrongfooted by the deflection off Greenwood.
Updated
20 min: VAR check for offside! Hang on, Kalyssa Van Zanten was in an offside position just in front of Hampton. This could go either way.
GOAL! England 1-1 Jamaica (McKenna 18)
Kayla McKenna has equalised out of nothing! It was a training ground corner, with Amelia Van Zanten screwing the ball deliberately towards Allyson Swaby at the near post. She miskicked but the ball ran square to McKenna, whose shot took a deflection off Greenwood and hit the legs of the wrongfooted Hampton before spinning slowly over the line.
Updated
18 min Kalyssa Van Zanten runs at Carter to win Jamaica’s first corner. Her sister Amelia takes it – and it leads to the equaliser!
16 min Walsh arrows a shot over the bar after a crisp one-two just outside the area. Tougher tests await but Sarina Wiegman will surely be happy with the performance so far.
14 min England are playing some excellent stuff, with a real snap to their passing.
Ella Toone, preferred to Jess Park tonight, opens the scoring with her 20th goal for England. The busy Stanway made the goal, nutmegged Primus to find Toone in space on the edge of the D. She took a touch and curled a typical shot that took a nick off the stretching Allyson Swaby and swooshed past the diving Brooks.
GOAL! England 1-0 Jamaica (Toone 10)
Correction: England have started very well.
Updated
9 min Russo goes round the outrushing keeper Brooks, just inside the Jamaica area, but is forced too wide for a shot. England have started well.
8 min England have started on the front foot as you’d expect. Stanway plays a fine pass inside the full-back to release Hemp. Her cross is cut out and Stanway, backing up the play, curls over the bar from the edge of the D.
5 min: Good save by Brooks! Carter drives into the area from left-back and hits a low shot across goal that Brooks half stops with her outstretched left foot. The ball spins behind her and juts wide of the far post.
2 min “As it’s a friendly, perhaps we can think about superficial stuff,” writes Charles Antaki. “Anyway that’s my excuse for asking about the kits for the men’s and women’s International teams; they’ve differed I think for the first time, and for some reason the women have been handed a take on the old Keegan-era Admiral strip, while the men have a simpler and more elegant design. Is there a reason?”
Do you mean why have they used those particular designs? If so, I’m afraid I have no idea. And if it’s a different question, well, there’s a fair chance I’ll have no idea about that either.
1 min England, in their dark blue change strip, kick off from right to left as we watch.
The players line up for the anthems. There’s a good crowd in at the King Power Stadium, where the sun is beating down.
Sarina Wiegman’s pre-match thoughts
I know my starting XI for tonight and of course we’re getting closer. But let’s see what happens tonight and then we’ll decide.
[On Lauren James] She’s done really well. She had a lot of load over the last two weeks and before that, so she’s ready to come on. We’re excited about that.
I wasn’t tempted [to give one of the back-up keepers a cap]. I want Hannah Hampton to play this last game, but if something happens both of the other goalkeepers are ready.
[On picking Jess Carter at left-back] She’s done a great job. We can do different things in defence; tonight it’s Jess.
Jamaica team news
The Reggae Girlz’ team includes Leicester’s Chantelle Swaby, who is playing at her home ground, but they are without the injured Bunny Shaw.
Jamaica (possible 4-4-2) Brooks; Cameron, A Swaby, C Swaby, A Van Zanten; K Van Zanten, Ingleton, Primus, McKenna; Simmonds, Adamolekun.
Substitutes: Bailey, Blades, Cardoza, Mensah, Mitchell, Morgan, Sampson, Thomas, Walker.
Updated
Emma Hayes will be writing for the Guardian throughout Euro 2025. Emma Hayes! Here’s her opening column.
England are missing senior, experienced players, which will be a loss. The loss of Millie Bright, to any dressing room, is huge – she’s a leader who will calm a group and also keep them focused. It’s the same with Mary Earps in different capacities. Now it will be interesting to see how England cope if there are any injuries or suspensions – there’s a lack of experience on their bench, which sometimes happens when you’re evolving a team and it’s England’s time to experience that. Not with the starting XI though. In their starters they possess a depth of experience. They will need Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo and Lauren James to be fit, of course, but it is a high-quality, experienced England team.
Euro 2025 team guides: England
Suzanne Wrack considers England’s chances of winning back-to-back European Championships.
Look down the squad list and the midfield looks somewhat light, with only five players named, including Georgia Stanway, who only played 60 minutes of football in 2024-25. “We have to announce it as strikers, midfielders and defenders, but you can move players around into different positions,” said the head coach, Sarina Wiegman. “So it looks like there’s not much depth on paper, but in the team we have enough depth in midfield.”
England team news: Carter and Mead start
If this is Sarina Wiegman’s probable XI to start against France, she’s made a couple of interesting calls: Jess Carter is picked ahead of Niamh Charles at left-back and Beth Mead is preferred to Chloe Kelly as the right-sided forward. For all the problems England have had that’s a strong XI, which includes six of the players who started the Euro 2022 final and three more who came off the bench.
England (4-3-3ish) Hampton; Bronze, Williamson, Greenwood, Carter; Toone, Walsh, Stanway; Mead, Russo, Hemp.
Substitutes: Charles, James, Le Tissier, Moorhouse, Clinton, Morgan, Agyemang, Kelly, Beever-Jones, Park, Keating, Wubben-Moy.
Updated
Tom Garry on the return of Lauren James, who is a helluva card for England to play from the bench as she recovers from injury
Preamble
Reality doesn’t always bite. Sometimes a gentle nuzzle is enough to make us aware that things are about to get real. England’s meeting with Jamaica at the King Power Stadium today should be a gentle nuzzle of a football match, their first and last warm-up game for Euro 2025.
And then reality will plunge its molars into at least one of England, France and the Netherlands. Those three join Wales in this year’s group of death, with England playing France in a scarily important opening game on Saturday evening.
In some cultures England’s situation would be described as sub-optimal, especially given the recent insecurity caused the retirement or withdrawal of Millie Bright, Mary Earps and Fran Kirby. But their first XI remains extremely strong, capable of giving any team a game, and if their morale is healthy they have a decent chance of winning Euro 2025.
As well as being the last pitstop before things get real, today’s game should give us a decent idea of the collective morale. In modern sport there are lies, damned lies and press conferences. But the truth always emerges on the field.
Kick off 5pm.
