England forward Beth Mead heaped praise on “unbelievable” team-mate Ella Toone after she helped propel the defending champions into the Euro 2025 quarter-finals with a goal and two assists in their 6-1 victory over Wales in St Gallen.
Georgia Stanway opened the scoring with a 13th-minute penalty before Toone found the top corner and then turned provider for Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo, who sent England into the break with a four-goal lead.
Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones both got on the scoresheet in the second half, while Wales’ consolation came from substitute Hannah Cain, a welcome parting gift for the passionate support who had travelled to Switzerland for their first major tournament.
“I think she was unbelievable,” said Mead, who also provided the assist for Beever-Jones.
“I think Tooney is really coming into her own and sometimes in, you know, situations where you feel a little bit low, it brings you to the top of your game and I have completely felt that and done that before, been in a tough place and come back and I think you can see that she’s given that kind of aura, that type of energy and she deserves everything she’s getting right now because she has worked really hard for it.”
Mead and Toone have both lost parents since England lifted their first major trophy at their home Euros in 2022. Mead’s mother, June, died from ovarian cancer in January 2023, while Toone lost her father, Nick, to prostate cancer last September. Toone pointed to the sky after scoring on Sunday night.
Mead added: “I think we’ve both said the first game we really struggled a little bit, you know you look to the stands for your person who is standing there and they’re not there anymore.
“I think my mum was the first person I would look for in the stands. So I obviously understand what Ella felt in that moment. And it’s special to be able to have that moment and think about them and dedicate to them.”
England bounced back from a tournament-opening defeat to France to beat the Netherlands 4-0, but still finished runners-up in Group D after France claimed top spot with a 5-2 victory over the Dutch.
That means England will return to Zurich’s familiar Stadion Letzigrund on Thursday night, where they will face Sweden.
“I mean, it doesn’t seem like it at the time, but (the France loss) was probably was the best thing that could have happened to us as a team,” added Mead. “I think it motivated us.
“We had conversations, we figured things out that we maybe needed to. And I think, you don’t win or lose a tournament in the first game. I think it’s cliché to say it, but you don’t and we’re now in a position where we’re building quite nicely and hopefully we can continue that momentum now we’re into the quarter-finals.”
England boss Sarina Wiegman agreed it looked like her side were enjoying themselves, adding: “That’s what it looks like!
“Really good. Six goals, I think what we wanted to do was dictate the game, and that is what we did, so that’s really good to see, and the most important thing is that we are through, and out of this very hard group.”
