Lioness.

Several England women’s senior team players and staff have been recognised in the King’s New Year Honours List for 2026, following another historic year for the Lionesses. After sealing a second successive UEFA Women’s EURO title in Switzerland in July 2025, seven members of the group who returned as champions have now received national honours in recognition of their impact on the pitch and beyond it.

England closed out a remarkable year with a 2-0 friendly win over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium, the ground where Sarina Wiegman, England manager, started her tenure.

England face Ghana at St Mary's in Southampton; however, unlike the game against China, this is not a sell-out and not even close.

England produced their most dominant Wembley performance in history as they swept China aside in an 8–0 victory, a result that also marked Sarina Wiegman’s 50th win in charge. Georgia Stanway became the first Lionesses midfielder ever to score a hat-trick at Wembley. At the same time, Beth Mead struck twice during a sensational opening spell that ended the match as a contest within minutes. The crowd of 74,611 may not have filled every upper-tier seat, but selling out Wembley for a friendly against the world’s 16th-ranked side remained an impressive achievement, and the atmosphere reflected it.

Wembley Stadium is completely sold out as England prepare to face China PR in their latest international friendly. The occasion will be emotional as the Lionesses honour Fran Kirby’s retirement before kick-off while celebrating the team’s UEFA EURO 2025 triumph.

England fans will come together today to celebrate one of the greatest Lionesses of all time as Fran Kirby is honoured for her retirement from international football. Before kick-off, FA Chair Debbie Hewitt will join Kirby’s father and brother for a special pitch presentation recognising her career, her impact, and her 10 years in the England shirt.

England will face China and Ghana in their final international friendlies of 2025.

England spoke to the media ahead of their friendly against China, offering updates on squad fitness, leadership, the upcoming World Cup bid and broader issues affecting the game. With two friendlies left in this window, the focus is as much on experimenting as it is on winning.

While Sarina Wiegman had just announced her England squad for the last international break of the year, most of the questioning had nothing to do with her selection, to the point that the media officer reminded the journalists that a squad had been announced and fixtures were coming up.This is the first time the England manager has been spoken to in a press conference since Mary Earps' books, which criticised the manager and Hampton. So the questions were along that theme, and journalists were apologising for constantly returning to the topic, as it seemed she was fed up with that line of inquiry.The most shocking thing she said was: “I would have done the same thing against. I think what I said all the time is that we have to incredible keepers in the gokeepers group... and at the end, I made that decision... and that's what it is for me."

England made a comeback after a 2-1 loss to Brazil in an international friendly, bouncing back to deliver a commanding 3-0 victory over Australia in Derby, a night that mixed dominance and delight with one heartbreaking injury.

For the third time, under Sarina Wiegman, Australia and the Netherlands have met, with both teams winning one game apiece, as they head into the decider.

Who Leads England Now? The Captaincy Question After Williamson and Bright

The European champions lost 2-1 to Brazil in the Copa America championship in their homecoming friendly at the Etihad, both sides' first game since lifting their respective titles in July.

A depleted England hosts Brazil in Manchester on Saturday. This is the first time they have met since the Lionesses' penalty shootout win in the 2023 Finalissima. 

For Aggie Beever-Jones, the 2024-25 season was the moment everything came together. The 21-year-old forward went from promising youngster to fully-fledged Lioness star, ending the campaign as England’s Top Goalscorer. It was a year defined by confidence, precision and an instinct for a goal that marked her out as one of the brightest emerging talents in the women’s game. She was presented with the award during a basketball competition alongside Niamh Charles, her England and Chelsea teammate. Each time they scored, they removed a cover from a sign that revealed to her she was England's top goalscorer for 2024/25. Her physical award was brought to her in a little cart pulled by Reggie the dog (barista dog), whom Beever-Jones spent a lot of her time at the Euros, even looking after the dog and taking it on walks, plus took her new furry friend into her episode of the podcast alongside Lauren Hemp.

Lucy Bronze’s 2024-25 season stands as a powerful reminder of why she remains one of the most influential players in women’s football. Having been named England Women’s Player of the Year for 2024-25, she cemented her status not only through consistency but through moments of sheer bravery and key contributions when it mattered most.

As we head into the season's first international break, England's Euro-winning side has some new faces. Due to the injuries of Sarina Wiegman, England's manager's first-choice player, this is the perfect time for new stars to shine. 

England’s latest squad announcement has opened the door for a new generation of talent.Laura Blindkilde Brown, Missy Bo Kearns, and Grace Fisk have all earned call-ups as Sarina Wiegman continues to evolve her options ahead of the next World Cup cycle. Each player’s rise tells a story of consistency, leadership, and opportunity  from Blindkilde Brown’s growing influence at Manchester City, to Kearns’ development at Aston Villa, and Fisk’s leadership at Liverpool. Their inclusion adds energy, competition and depth to England’s midfield and defence.

Since Sarina Wiegman named her October squad for England’s homecoming fixtures against Brazil at the Etihad and Australia in Derby, the headlines have been dominated not by who was called up but by who is missing. England suddenly lacks some defining figures in defence, attack, and leadership.

Mary Earps appeared on Fern Cotton's podcast, ‘Happy Place,’ for her first interview since retiring from international football, just months before the women's Euros this summer.

If you have ever been to Wembley and walked up Wembley Way your likelly to have seen the statute of Sir Bobby Moore the captain to win England their only World Cup at the old wembley. So it would be fitting for the lionesses to have a statue under the arch as they too won a major toruphy the Euros at home the first Euros for England so its only fitting.

With a month to go until the Women's Euros in Switzerland, the England manager has announced her 23-player squad.

Fran Kirby played her last minutes for England in the 5-0 victory against Portugal last Friday at Wembley after it was announced that she would retire for international duty with immediate effect ahead of the Euros next month.