Wales manager Rhian Wilkinson says her side have nothing to lose, after learning their opponents ahead of Euro 2025 next summer.
Wales have been placed in Group D and will face off against France, England and The Netherlands.
All three of those sides are placed in top 12 of the FIFA rankings, while Wales lie in 30th. However, Wilkinson has always stressed that she wants her side to be challenged and is delighted that they will be.
“I can’t stop smiling! All of us kind of had that same reaction, and we can’t pretend that we didn’t. That’s the story of our Welsh team. We do things our way, and it’s one of those groups that is filled with winners and top teams.
“I’m just excited and I’m looking forward to this opportunity. This is why we wanted to make the Euros. There’s no easy group, but there are harder ones, and I think we’re in it, but it’s just exciting for us.
“Seeing Wales up with the top nations in the world is something we’ve always talked about, and now we’re there. We asked for a challenge, and we’ve definitely got it.”
First up for Wales will be The Netherlands on July 5th. The Dutch won this competition back in 2017.
“The Netherlands is a team that frequently have little dips in their performances, but they pick it right up in time for major tournaments. They are former winners of this competition, they know how to win, they know how to grind out results, and they have a really deep and talented squad.”
Following the game against the Dutch, Cymru will face off against France.
Wales played France in their 2023 World Cup qualifying campaign and ran them close on both occasions. But despite never winning a major competition, the French still remain a dangerous outfit.
“Since I was a player, France has been the most surprising team in the fact that they’ve always got a winning team, but somehow never won it!
“It’s only a matter of time before they win something because they have some incredible talent at their disposal. It is incredible that they haven’t won yet, but they are a very dangerous team.”
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England test
Wales’ final game will come against England on July 13th, in a fixture that will bring back memories of Euro 2016 and the 2022 World Cup.
Undoubtedly, there will be a lot of noise surrounding this game, and Wilkinson understands that, but she says she will treat the game as any other.
“England are the reigning champions and another team that have had a lot of attention with the excitement and growth of the WSL. I expect to come up against a top England team.
“A benefit of being a Canadian coming into this is that this kind of game is a one off. It’s going to be a huge game for the fanbase, and we can’t pretend it isn’t, but all three of our opponents are top teams that are going to challenge us to our maximum.
“Therefore, it’s not a more special game in that sense, it’s another top team we have to be at our best to beat.”
Some will see playing England last as a potential bonus, but for Wilkinson, it makes no difference when or where they play Sarina Wiegman’s side.
“I’m not so bothered about where we’d play England. Most of it is going to be outside noise, and my staff handles that really well.
“The buildup to the game is important of course because it gets people invested and watching and supporting women’s football. For the fans, it’s going to be great, but for the players, we won’t treat it differently to any of the other games.”
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Nothing to lose
Naturally, many neutrals may have already pencilled Wales in to finish bottom of the group, and looking at the rankings, there is some credence to that argument.
However, Wales are a team with nothing to lose, and there’s nothing more dangerous than facing a side like that, according to Wilkinson.
“Wales has always been and will be for a long time be an underdog, just by virtue of the size of the nation and population.
“Instead of calling it that underdog, it’s instead about having a mentality about having nothing to lose. Everyone expects us to lose so we might as well step forward and be exited about an opportunity to test ourselves against the best. But look past us at your peril.
“We have a strong, resilient team, and a team that cares very deeply about one another, and that’s a dangerous thing. This team doesn’t know when or how to quit, so you’re going to have to push us the whole way.”
WALES EURO 2025 FIXTURES
Wales vs. Netherlands – July 5th – 5pm – Lucerne
France vs. Wales – July 9th – 8pm – St. Gallen
England vs. Wales – July 9th – 8pm – St. Gallen
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