Ireland ready to open Euro 2025 campaign in France

Apr 4, 2024 17:41 By Dave Hooper

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Ireland open UEFA Women's Euro campaign in France

The quest to qualify for UEFA Women's EURO 2025 begins on Friday evening for Ireland against France in the Saint-Smyphorien Stadium.

Ireland manager Eileen Gleeson will have a full squad to choose from for tomorrow's Euro 2025 qualifier against France. All players are fully fit having gone through a final training session in Metz today.

"We'll be totally realistic” explained Gleeson. “We expect that they’ll have more of the ball than us so what we have to do is be super prepared to be out of possession and to do that well”.

“But the moments that we do transition, we have to be as clinical as we can be and exploit the spaces that we can in those moments."

Katie McCabe will make her 85th appearance for Ireland should she play in this fixture. McCabe is expected to captain the side.

This will be Ireland’s first visit to France since 2012 and a debut in Metz. A city where Les Bleus have not played in since a 2-0 win over Switzerland in February 2021.

There are currently 22 places between France (3) and Ireland (25) in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings.

France swept Ireland aside in a pre-World cup friendly last July. The French scoring a 3-0 win in Tallaght Stadium.

The sides have met 11 times previously with France with the French victorious on day occasions. Indeed, Ireland have scored just twice in those encounters. While France have 31 goals to their name.