England v Belgium
UEFA Women's Nations League
8pm BST, Friday 4 April 2025
Ashton Gate, Bristol

Sarina Wiegman and Leah Williamson faced the press on Thursday morning ahead of England’s trip to a sold-out Ashton Gate on Friday night to take on Belgium in the Nations League.

Here is what they had to say in full.

Sarina Wiegman on the health of the squad:

Fran (Kirby) and Chloe (Kelly) will not be available tomorrow. They picked up little niggles so we’re working towards Tuesday. They’re still here, of course, but they’re not available for tomorrow.

First of all, that’s very disappointing for them because they were in a very good place and they’re still in a very good place. As always, we’re prepared for the next step, so we think about scenarios and who’s ready to play for the team or to come in.

Wiegman her assessment of the players:

I think it’s really important that we have a good picture of our team. We’re going out to play Belgium twice and we want to win those games but also getting the team ready for the EUROs and knowing who we have and who’s available and who’s in good form.

So, you’re always thinking in that direction and who is then going to play and who’s not. That’s up to the moment and what we think is best for the team.

On the performances of her players at club level:

We finished very nicely in our last camp and in between these two camps have been many competitive games which have been really enjoyable to watch.

You saw the level went up again with some big challenges for teams and teams that have many England players in their squads so that was really good to see. You saw that some players grew some confidence and are in a good place.

We’re LIVE with Sarina Wiegman and Leah Williamson as they look ahead to tomorrow’s clash with Belgium at @ashtongatestad. 💪 https://t.co/xpI7am85r2

— Lionesses (@Lionesses) April 3, 2025

Leah Williamson on her recent performances for Arsenal:

I’m very lucky to play in two good environments that bring out the best in you. If the team is playing well, it’s a great opportunity for you to get back to playing a great level as well.

The games we’ve been playing have been really exciting and really enjoyable. What you’re seeing is a lot of players playing in that mindset of really enjoying themselves at the minute.

Williamson on the goalscoring form of Alessia Russo:

Everyone will always say how nice of a person Alessia is and everybody wants her to succeed for that reason but to be a number nine in any time, you do have to have that confidence about you.

I think we all want to see Less playing like she is because she deserves it as a human – she works hard for it – but as a player, we know what a talent she is. When she’s scoring goals, I know that gives her confidence that she’s giving back to the team and the team appreciate it as well.

Belgium in profile

Match Stats

● England have lost only one of their previous 14 matches against Belgium in all competitions (W10 D3), though that was the most recent encounter in the UEFA Nations League in October 2023, suffering a 3-2 defeat.

● On home soil, England have won six of their previous seven matches against Belgium in all competitions, netting 21 goals across those matches and conceding only twice.

● After beating England 3-2 in their most recent meeting in October 2023, Belgium could be the first side to record more than one victory over the Lionesses under Sarina Wiegman.

● After losing two of their first four games in the UEFA Nations League (W2), England are unbeaten in their last four matches (W3 D1), while they’ve scored at least one goal in each of their eight games in the competition to date (17 in total).

● Belgium have lost both their matches in this edition of the UEFA Nations League, losing 3-2 to Spain and 1-0 to Portugal, as many defeats as in their first eight games in the competition (W4 D2).

● England have won both previous matches they’ve played at Ashton Gate, beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0 in November 2015 and Belgium 6-1 in February 2023. 

● England have kept a clean sheet in three of their last four internationals, as many as in their previous 13 games, while their next shutout will be their 32nd under Wiegman, level with Mark Sampson and only fewer than Hope Powell as manager for the Lionesses (66).

● In her 12 starts for England since the beginning of 2024, Alessia Russo has scored six goals, though she’s played more minutes for the Lionesses against Belgium without scoring than any other side (204).

● Lucy Bronze’s next cap for England will be her 130th for the national team, the joint-fifth most of any player for the Lionesses. Indeed, since the start of 2023 she’s been involved in eight goals for England (5 goals, 3 assists), only four players have more.

● Since the start of 2024, only Germany’s Lea Schüller (13) has scored more goals for a European nation in all competitions than Belgium’s Tessa Wullaert (11), with five goals across her last five international appearances. Indeed, she scored two of Belgium’s three goals against England in their 3-2 victory in October 2023.

England women squad news

Ticket Information for England women v Belgium

Available tickets for this game have now sold out.

How to watch or stream England women v Belgium

Sarina Wiegman has named her England team to face Belgium in the UEFA Nations League at Ashton Gate.

The Lionesses kick-off at 8pm and you can follow all of the action with our live commentary and stats on this page.

England: 1 Hannah Hampton, 2 Lucy Bronze, 3 Niamh Charles, 4 Keira Walsh, 5 Leah Williamson (C), 6 Millie Bright, 7 Beth Mead, 8 Grace Clinton, 9 Alessia Russo, 10 Ella Toone, 11 Lauren James

Substitutes: 12 Esme Morgan, 13 Mary Earps, 14 Maya Le Tissier, 15 Millie Turner, 16 Jess Carter, 17 Jess Park, 18 Lucy Parker, 19 Aggie Beever-Jones, 20 Nikita Parris, 21 Anna Moorhouse, 22 Maisie Symonds

Youth and experience shone for England as they beat Belgium 5-0 in their UEFA Women’s Nations League clash in Bristol.

Veteran defenders Lucy Bronze and Millie Bright put a dominant England ahead in the first half as the Lionesses capitalised on a wealth of corners.

Aggie Beever-Jones and Keira Walsh netted their first goals in a Lionesses shirt either side of a Jess Park stunner to confirm a sparkling victory.

At a sold-out Ashton Gate, England were immediately on the front foot, forcing three early corners but were not able to use their advantage early on.

Bronze showed signs of what was to come when her header from another set piece went just wide.

Bright was next to have a go as she looked to pounce on a flick from Leah Williamson, but goalkeeper Nicky Evrard was able to smother the ball.

The link-up down England’s right side was purring as Beth Mead slid the ball to Alessia Russo in space, but the striker’s strong shot cannoned off the post.

It mattered little as the Lionesses soon moved ahead thanks to Bronze, who got her head onto a beautiful cross from Lauren James.

On her 130th cap, Bronze stood strong to direct the ball towards goal before a touch from Amber Tysiak wrong-footed Evrard and gave England the lead on 21 minutes.

Bronze was a constant threat as the right-back beat two defenders before sending a low ball into the box, but no one with a white shirt was there to meet it.

Belgium then enjoyed their best spell of possession but were then again almost undone by England’s good work out wide.

Keira Walsh threaded the ball to Mead, who found Russo, but the right post was again struck as the forward came agonisingly close to scoring.

Mead then decided to have a go herself, Walsh setting her on her way before the Arsenal forward weaved her way into the box and drew a corner from a good save from Evrard.

The resulting corner, England’s eighth, was fruitful as Bronze directed the ball towards goal before Bright bundled it into the net in the last action of the half.

The second half saw the tempo of the game drop as England tried different routes to goal, with Grace Clinton coming more into the game.

With 65 minutes gone, Belgium’s first substitutes almost had an instant impact as Feli Delacauw was fed the ball from a counterattack with her shot turned behind by Niamh Charles.

But it was England’s substitute who put the ball in the back of the net as the eager Beever-Jones scored the Lionesses’ third on 67 minutes.

Quick play between Mead and Walsh allowed the former to place a cross into the box that Beever-Jones steered into the net for her first England goal.

Walsh almost had her maiden international goal minutes later, with a ferocious shot having to be pushed away by Evrard.

Instead, Jess Park chased down a loose ball from Belgium before firing round the keeper when one-on-one.

Then, with 88 minutes gone and on her 83rd cap, Walsh got her goal as her effort from the edge of the box took a deflection and went in to round out a fine win that keeps England top of their group before they head to Belgium to take on the same opponents on Tuesday.

England: 1 Hannah Hampton, 2 Lucy Bronze, 3 Niamh Charles, 4 Keira Walsh, 5 Leah Williamson, 6 Millie Bright, 7 Beth Mead, 8 Grace Clinton, 9 Alessia Russo, 10 Ella Toone, 11 Lauren James

Substitutes: 19 Aggie Beever-Jones for James 46’, 17 Jess Park for Toone 60’, 20 Nikita Parris for Alessia Russo 73’, 12 Esme Morgan for Leah Williamson 73’, 16 Jess Carter for Bright 80’

Substitutes not used: 13 Mary Earps, 21 Anna Moorhouse; 14 Maya Le Tissier, 15 Millie Turner, 18 Lucy Parker, 22 Maisie Symonds

Goals: Lucy Bronze 21’, Millie Bright 45+1', Aggie Beever-Jones 67’, Jess Park 77’, Keira Walsh 88’

Head coach: Sarina Wiegman

Belgium: 1 Nicky Evrard, 2 Davina Philtjens, 4 Amber Tysiak, 5 Isabelle Iliano, 7 Hannah Eurlings, 10 Justine Vanhaevermaet, 11 Janice Cayman, 15 Mariam Toloba, 17 Jill Janssens, 19 Jarne Teulings, 23 Kassandra Missipo

Substitutes: 20 Marie Detruyer for Toloba 62’, 8 Feli Delacauw for Missipo 62’, 22 Laura Deloose for Philtjens 76’, 14 Jassina Blom for Eurlings 83' , 6 Tine De Caigny for Teulings 84’

Substitutes not used: 21 Lisa Lichtfus, 12 Femke Bastiaen; 3 Ella Van Kerkhoven, 9 Sarah Wijnants, 13 Elena Dhont, 16 Nia Elyn, 18 Jasmien Mathys

Yellow cards: Justine Vanhaevermaet 17’, Jill Janssens 55’, Amber Tysiak 87’

Head coach: Elísabet Gunnarsdóttir