London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

England beat world champions USA at Wembley

England beat world champions USA at Wembley

European champions England beat world champions the United States for the first time since 2017 in front of more than 76,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.

It promised to be a blockbuster fixture and did not disappoint with VAR drama, goals and a penalty featuring in the showpiece friendly.

Manchester City winger Lauren Hemp, filling in as a central striker for the injured Alessia Russo, put the Lionesses ahead after just 10 minutes.

The USA responded when Sophia Smith fired in an equaliser, but England were awarded a penalty for a high boot on Lucy Bronze after referee Riem Hussein went to check the VAR monitor.

Georgia Stanway stepped up to make it 2-1, before the USA had a goal ruled out for a marginal offside minutes later.

Chances continued to fall for both sides after the break - the visitors having the best of them - in an open, frantic encounter.

There was further frustration for the USA after they were awarded a penalty for handball in the 81st minute, but referee Hussein once again checked the VAR monitor and overturned her decision.

England held on to record a huge victory against their long-standing rivals in their first meeting at the national stadium, and extend their impressive unbeaten run to 23 matches under manager Sarina Wiegman.

Speaking to ITV Sport after the game, Wiegman said: "That was really intense, just what we wanted. USA played as we expected, they gave us hard times sometimes. I thought we played well in moments, better first half than second."

This was just the third time England have beaten the USA in 11 meetings - and the first victory since the SheBelieves Cup in March 2017. The teams met in the 2019 Women's World Cup semi-finals when the USA won 2-1.

It also comes 10 months before the 2023 Women's World Cup which England are bidding to win for the first time, while the USA are hoping to defend their crown for a third successive tournament.

Before kick-off, England showed solidarity with the USA after an inquiry uncovered "systemic" abuse and misconduct in the National Women's Soccer League earlier this week.

Players wore teal armbands, Wembley's arch was lit in teal and both squads gathered in the middle before kick-off, arm-in-arm in front of a banner saying 'Protect The Players'.

England and USA players joined in a show of support over allegations of abuse in the NWSL


USA manager Vlatko Andonovski said after the game: "Obviously it was an extremely difficult week for everybody. It wasn't easy for them to see and experience everything they went through.

"I applaud their bravery and their fearlessness and relentlessness. They showed once again nothing will stop them playing the game they love. I hope we never have to go through that again.

"It was a very special moment when the players got together and had the banner in front of them. It gave me goosebumps when the crowd applauded them. It was a statement, and once again the players did an incredible job to use this game and this event as a platform to fight against it."


England lay down marker for World Cup


This was one of the Lionesses' biggest tests so far under Wiegman, and though both teams were missing key players, it was a dress rehearsal for what could come at the World Cup next summer in Australia and New Zealand.

It was pleasing therefore that the fine margins went England's way in this fixture, when they have suffered so much heartbreak in the past.

Beth Mead's curling cross was not dealt with by defender Alana Cook and Hemp was able to poke in from close range for England's opener.

The 22-year-old was playing in a less familiar number nine position because of Russo's absence and thrived, causing havoc all match and creating numerous chances.

Wiegman said of Hemp's performance: "She was enjoying herself and giving them a lot of problems. It helps that she scored a goal!"

Mead and Chloe Kelly on the opposite wing were also hugely dangerous in an impressive England attack, but Wiegman's side were also given good fortune.

USA substitute Hailie Mace was shown a yellow card when her high boot caught Bronze in the face, leading to the penalty which Stanway put away to restore England's narrow lead before half-time.

And VAR twice came to England's aid when Trinity Rodman's finish was ruled out after Smith was inches offside in the fluent build-up.

It was another warning sign for England, who were cut open on numerous occasions at the back with Rodman, Megan Rapinoe and Smith all having big chances.

Asked whether she was happy with her team's defensive display, Wiegman said: "Sometimes we were very open and we know the USA are very quick, but we wanted to play a game with the high press. We will review and see if we can do better, but this is how we want to play."

England could have extended their lead too - Stanway fired wide and Bronze struck the side-netting - but the USA thought they had been handed a lifeline when referee Hussein blew for handball with less than 10 minutes remaining.

Replays showed the ball deflected off the back of Rachel Daly and the decision was overturned, before England held on to pick up a significant victory over the World Cup holders in front of 76,893 supporters at Wembley.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
×