England-Wales rivalry explained ahead of crunch Euro 2025 clash

England and Wales represent two countries so close that they share 160 miles of border and yet their expectations at Euro 2025 could not be further apart.

The familiarity between the two nations seems so apparent that Aggie Beever-Jones could brush off the “quarter Welsh in me” with as little care as people will pay to Hayley Ladd’s upbringing in St. Albans.

Between the Lionesses and the Dragons, these quirks are just normal for two sides who have travelled on the same British passport to get to Switzerland. But it belies an entrenched and fierce rivalry that could prove the ultimate leveller on Sunday.

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“It’s a great rivalry that we have and they’re the games that you want to be involved in. They’re the ones that I absolutely love playing in,” enthused England’s Lauren Hemp. “We’re all very excited about it. I don’t need to explain the rivalry because it’s like a derby. We want to win and we’re going to do everything we can to do that.”

The stakes have never been higher. England need a win to secure qualification to the knockout stages, while Wales are not mathematically out of the group yet either and remain in search of a first major tournament victory.

To do so against England would put the icing on the cake of a summer that has already seen the Dragons make history. They travelled to Switzerland as rank outsiders, entering the ‘group of death’ as tournament debutants and remain firmly in possession of the underdog mantle.

But there have been moments of glory for an indefatigable Welsh side who have brought spirit in abundance to the alpine mountains. A 3-0 defeat to the Netherlands was followed by a 4-1 loss to France, but that one meant everything.

Jess Fishlock equalised in the 13th minute to give Wales a first-ever major tournament goal and send the third biggest travelling support into raptures in St. Gallen. The mindset is wholly different in the England camp, their goal in a 2-1 defeat to France a mere footnote in the ensuing reaction.

A must-win fixture against the Netherlands followed, and this time the Lionesses made no mistake when the pressure was on, winning 4-0 in Zurich. It was a performance worthy of the title of reigning European champions - one they are expected to go a long way to defending this summer - and brings England into the final Group D fixture in far better form than their westerly neighbours.

But though Sarina Wiegman’s team look clear favourites on paper, the added rivalry brings with it a unique dimension as yet unaccounted for at Euro 2025. "It's our biggest rivalry and something we are so excited for. A win for Wales could really upset the group and that is what we will go for," Hannah Cain told BBC Sport Wales.

"We know it could be historic for Wales and damaging for England and also we're not actually out of the group yet either, so we've also got that to play for." It was a rivalry that saw Wales hold a supposedly superior England side to a 0-0 draw at St. Mary’s Stadium during the World Cup Qualifiers in 2018, in what then-manager Jayne Ludlow hailed as the best result in their history at the time.

That draw has certainly been bettered by victory over Ireland to qualify for this Euros, but a win against England at the tournament itself would undoubtedly give Rhian Wilkinson justification to make that claim once more. While meetings have been in short supply since, just a 3-0 victory for England following in the same World Cup qualification campaign, St. Gallen will provide the stage for a rivalry forged on the British Isles.

It will undoubtedly be unique -what other fixture would you find a nation claiming that their opposition’s Prince is a good luck charm? But while the Prince of Wales, who was in attendance when England faced the Netherlands, tries to reconcile his own allegiances, there will be anything but reconciliation on the pitch.

That border might bring proximity, but it certainly will not bring cordiality come kick-off on Sunday.