Women’s Euro 2025 latest: England prepare for scorching heat as decision made on opening game – UK Times

England received a warm send-off from fans as they began their travels to Switzerland by leaving St George’s Park on Monday.

The Lionesses played their send-off friendly against Jamaica on Sunday – winning 7-0 – and will now be training in Zurich in the days leading up to their opening game against France on Saturday.

Fans will be allowed to bring bottles of water to the stadium for some of the games at the Women’s European Championship, which gets underway on Wednesday, as a heatwave has sent temperatures in Switzerland to over 30 degrees.

European soccer governing body UEFA said on Tuesday that the normally strict security rules would be relaxed to allow fans attending matches on the first two days (July 2 and 3) of Euro 2025 to bring a half-litre plastic or aluminium water bottle into the stadium. No glass bottles will be allowed.

The usual conditions attached to Euro 2025 tickets state that no “bottles, jugs or cans of any kind, as well as other objects made from plastic, glass or any other fragile materials” may be brought into any of the stadiums, with exceptions made for medical containers.

According to meteorological service MeteoSwiss, the temperature in Basel is expected to reach 35 degrees ahead of Switzerland’s opening game against Norway on Wednesday evening, with similar temperatures expected throughout the country.

England will chase another major title at Euro 2025 as the Lionesses take on debutants Wales, France and the Netherlands in a blockbuster Group D in Switzerland.

Sarina Wiegman’s side are defending champions having lifted the trophy on home soil with a memorable victory over Germany in the Euro 2022 final.

They will be joined by first-time qualifiers Wales who will make their major tournament debuts in the July finals after a historic victory over the Republic of Ireland in the play-offs.