England v Jamaica
Women's International
5pm BST, Sunday 29 June 2025
King Power Stadium, Leicester

Lionesses head coach Sarina Wiegman and defender Jess Carter spoke to the media ahead of England’s send-off fixture against Jamaica ahead of this summer’s tournament.

Here is everything they had to say.

Wiegman on the squad health:

The squad is in good shape. We’ve had two weeks to train – that was really nice. Tomorrow is our last moment in England to show that we’re ready and how ready we are. We’re really excited to play the last game before we go into the tournament. You just want to get good connections out of the team and show the level we have at the moment.

On any injury concerns:

Lauren James, we have to manage her minutes. She’s doing really well but, of course, she hasn’t played games yet but she’s in a good place.

On looking ahead to the group stage of the tournament:

We’re just really excited to go into the tournament and we’re convinced that we can do really well. Yes, we all are aware that our group is really, really tough with incredible teams in it. Let’s see what it brings us but we’re going to do everything to get out of that group stage and do really well in the tournament again.

On reflecting on EURO 2022:

I always say you totally cherish these moments. You never, ever forget these moments because these are the moments that make the difference and that’s what you do it for. But this is a new moment and before every tournament, you experience different things. I’m the lucky one to have experienced a couple of tournaments now and it’s different again. I’m just in the now and looking forward to tomorrow but also looking forward to the game against France – the opening match.

On the U21 EURO final on Saturday evening:

When you get that experience of playing a final, it absolutely helps you. I also think it’s incredible for Lee [Carsley] because he’s now made the second final in a row. Very exiting. There’s another thing also which is really nice is that Maya Le Tissier’s step-brother is in the team – Alex Scott.

We're LIVE with Sarina Wiegman and Jess Carter as they preview tomorrow’s EURO send off fixture against Jamaica. 👏 https://t.co/XKbQQtAVYN

— Lionesses (@Lionesses) June 28, 2025

Carter on establishing herself in the starting XI:

To be honest, it kind of feels similar to me to 2022. I think that, yes, there might have been a clear starting 11. However, the competitiveness in training was there and being one of those players that maybe didn’t start the games, I felt every day in training that I was in a position where I was competing for a place. It’s the same as now – every player that’s here is in a position where they’re competing for the place. No-one is here is to just be part of the England team and to just sit and watch. Everyone is here to compete and to give Sarina a headache and get themselves on the pitch.

On how she’s grown as a player in the last three years:

I feel much more experienced. I think the most important thing for me is I understand myself and my body a lot better now. When I came in, in 2022, I had a good season but it took me a long time to recover from that season to be ready for the EUROs, whereas now I’ve learnt how to manage myself well enough to be ready for any moment that I’m required or needed.

On her versatility:

I think the competition we have in this squad is great. For me, I think it’s great as well because there is not once chance where you can be complacent. You have to be at the highest level every training session and every game because if you don’t, you’re probably not going to play. That’s what we want as players and as staff is to have players that can compete in multiple positions and perform at the highest level.

On how she is approaching the game against Jamaica:

I want to win every game that I play in and every game that I play in, I intend on giving my absolute best. My thought isn’t the coming games – it’s playing tomorrow and doing our best to beat Jamaica and put on the best performance that I can.

Jamaica in profile

 

Nickname: The Reggae Girlz
Coach: Hubert Busby Jr.
Captain: Khadija Shaw

 

Match Stats

● This will be the first time in history that England will face Jamaica in any international fixture, and just the second time for both the men and women’s collectively, after the Three Lions won 6-0 in a June 2006 friendly.

● England remain unbeaten in their last six encounters with teams from North, Central and South America (W3 D3), with their most recent defeat dating back to April 2021, when they lost 2-0 to Canada.

● When playing teams for the first time, England have only failed to win on five occasions in their entire international history (W41 D7); their last such loss came back in 1984 to Germany (2-0 L). The Lionesses have won each of their last eleven such fixtures by an aggregate score of 58-1.

● England are unbeaten in their last six home international fixtures (W5 D1), scoring 15 goals and conceding just once; a 2-1 win over South Africa in October 2024, being the first and only match in which they conceded during this run.

● England have suffered two defeats in their last three matches (W1); that’s as many as they had in their previous 17 encounters (W11 D4).

● Jamaica are looking to pick up their first win in four games, having lost their last three; they have, however, won four of their last seven, that’s as many wins as in their previous 30 matches.

● This will be England’s second ever time playing at the King Power Stadium, following their 1-0 victory over Belgium in October 2023 in the Nations League under Sarina Wiegman.

● Jamaica’s captain Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw is the all-time second top goalscorer among non-English players in the history of the Barclays Women’s Super League (62 goals) and won the golden boot this year alongside England striker Alessia Russo with 12 goals.

● Beth Mead has had a hand in 63 goals across her 69 England caps (35 goals, 28 assists), either scoring or assisting against 23 of the 30 opponents she has faced with the Lionesses.

England women squad news

The squad for this game and EURO 2025 was announced here on 5 June.

Sign up to My England Football for updates on squad announcements in addition to a host of other benefits including discounts and ticket eligibility.

 

Ticket Information for England women v Jamaica

Click here to find out how to purchase tickets.

How to watch or stream England women v Jamaica

 

This game will be broadcast in the UK on ITV.

Sarina Wiegman has named her team to take on Jamaica in a first-ever meeting between the two teams sides the Lionesses head out to Switzerland for this summer's tournament.

See the line-up below for the send-off game in Leicester.

England: 1 Hannah Hampton, 2 Lucy Bronze, 4 Keira Walsh, 5 Alex Greenwood, 6 Leah Williamson (C), 8 Georgia Stanway, 9 Beth Mead, 10 Ella Toone, 11 Lauren Hemp, 16 Jess Carter, 23 Alessia Russo

Substitutes: 3 Niamh Charles, 7 Lauren James, 12 Maya Le Tissier, 13 Anna Moorhouse, 14 Grace Clinton, 15 Esme Morgan, 17 Michelle Agyemang, 18 Chloe Kelly, 19 Aggie Beever-Jones, 20 Jess Park, 21 Khiara Keating, 22 Lotte Wubben-Moy

England finished up their preparation for UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 with a dominant 7-0 victory over Jamaica at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium.

A spectacular first-half brace from Ella Toone, and goals from Lucy Bronze, Georgia Stanway, Alessia Russo, Aggie Beever-Jones and Beth Mead were enough to power past the Caribbean side, who had a goal ruled out for offside when the score was 1-0.

The defending European champions will begin the defence on their crown against France on Saturday 5 July and will be full of confidence after getting themselves up to speed in the East Midlands.

England started the stronger of the two sides and Jess Carter almost broke the deadlock after just six minutes.

The NJ/NY Gotham FC defender burst into the penalty area from the left following a one-two with Lauren Hemp and forced a good save from the left boot of Jamaica keeper Liya Brooks after a low, driving shot.

The hosts didn’t have to wait long to breach the Reggae Girlz’s defence however, as Toone fired past Brooks high into the top corner via a slight deflection after good work in the build up by Stanway.

But despite all of England’s dominance, they were given a huge wake-up call by the visitors when Kayla McKenna thought she’d equalised.

Mimi van Zanten drilled in a low corner which was eventually swept home by McKenna as Hannah Hampton couldn’t keep out the effort.

But after a VAR check, Kiki van Zanten was adjudged to have been stood in an offside position – which was hampering Hampton’s vision – at the time of her teammate’s shot and the goal was ruled out.

Only a well-timed sliding challenge from Carter stopped Kiki van Zanten from levelling proceedings soon after, before the left-back then combined with Hemp to whip in a pin-point cross which was met by the head of Bronze, who had marauded forward from the back, to make it 2-0 on 32 minutes.

Sarina Wiegman’s side then hit the woodwork twice in quick succession, through Hemp and Russo respectively.

A third England goal did come just before half time, as Toone bagged her second in the fourth minute of added time.

The Manchester United forward cleverly engineered a scoop towards goal from the edge of the box which found its way past Brooks courtesy of the inside of the post.

The defending European champions continued where they left off in the second half and after a period of sustained pressure, found the back of the net for a fourth time just before the hour mark.

Toone almost completed her hat-trick but saw her shot well kept out by Brooks. However, Hubert Busby’s side couldn’t properly clear their lines, and Stanway smashed the ball home with authority for her 22nd international goal.

Wiegman opted to make a triple change on 63 minutes, with the introduction of Lauren James proving particularly crucial.

In one of her first acts on the pitch, the Chelsea winger sent in a delightful cross which Mead almost made the most of, but Brooks did well to smoother the chance.

But, having only been on the pitch for eight minutes, James did get her assist, chipping another cross towards the back post which Russo duly headed home from three yards out.

Brooks kept the scoreline from getting worse with ten minutes to go as she kept out substitute Beever-Jones with a spectacular diving effort, before denying Beever-Jones again for the resultant corner, clawing out the Chelsea striker’s header.

But Beever-Jones did get her name on the scoresheet late on, sliding in to connect with club teammate and fellow substitute Niamh Charles’ low cut-back.

And Mead made it seventh heaven in the final minute of the match to well and truly put the icing on the cake for the Lionesses.

England: 1 Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), 2 Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Keira Walsh (Chelsea), 5 Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), 6 Leah Williamson (Arsenal), 8 Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), 9 Beth Mead (Arsenal), 10 Ella Toone (Manchester United), 11 Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), 16 Jess Carter (NJ/NY Gotham FC), 23 Alessia Russo (Arsenal)

Substitutes: 7 Lauren James (Chelsea) for Toone 63’, 15 Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit) for Greenwood 63’, 18 Chloe Kelly (Arsenal) for Hemp 63’, 19 Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea) for Russo 75’, 3 Niamh Charles (Chelsea) for Bronze 75’, 14 Grace Clinton (Manchester United) for Walsh 75’

Subs not used: 12 Maya Le Tissier (Manchester United), 13 Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride), 17 Michelle Agyemang (Brighton & Hove Albion), 20 Jessica Park (Manchester City), 21 Khiara Keating (Manchester City), 22 Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal)

Goals: Toone 10’, 45’+4, Bronze 32’, Stanway 59’, Russo 71’, Beever-Jones 85’, Mead 90’+6

Head coach: Sarina Wiegman

Jamaica: 4 Chantelle Swaby, 9 Kayla McKenna, 11 Kameron Simmonds, 12 Kalyssa van Zanten, 15 Tiffany Cameron, 16 Amelia Van Zanten, 17 Allyson Swaby, 20 Atlanta Primus, 21 Olufolasade Adamolekun, 23 Liya Brooks, 27 Nyema Ingleton

Substitutes: 2 Naya Cardoza for A Swaby 45’, 3 Vyan Sampson for Adamolekun 46’, 18 Natasha Thomas for Primus 62’, 26 Reanna Blades for K Van Zanten 63’, 6 Jade Bailey for Ingleton 89’, 7 Ricshya Walker for Simmonds 89’

Subs not used: 1 Aliyah Morgan, 8 Jade Mitchell, 13 Serena Mensah

Yellow cards: Naya Cardoza 61’

Head coach: Hubert Busby