England hosts Portugal at Wembley Stadium on matchday 5 in the Women’s Nations League. With a place at the top of Group A3 on the line and working toward the EURO 2025, both teams have everything to play for. In their last encounter, Portugal held the Lionesses to a 1-1 draw. Can Francisco Neto’s squad do it again? Let’s take a closer look at the potential line-ups, key statistics, and where to watch England vs. Portugal.
England vs. Portugal: Team News & Possible Line-ups
The possible line-ups are derived from previous match days. We take into consideration how strong the opponents are, what players are injured and of course team news before the match.
Team News England
- Goalkeepers: Hampton, Keating, Moorhouse.
- Defenders: Wubben-Moy, Bronze, Carter, Charles, Greenwood, Le Tissier, Morgan, Morris, Williamson.
- Midfielders: Clinton, Kearns, Kirby, Park, Stanway, Toone, Walsh.
- Forwards: Agyemang, Beever-Jones, Hemp, Kelly, Mead, Parris, Russo.
Despite receiving a call up for the England national women’s team, Mary Earps announced her retirement from international football, with immediate effect, this week.
*Ella Toone and Alessia Russo are not available against Portugal due to calf injuries but Sarina Wiegman hopes to have them ready by Tuesday.
- Lotte Wubben-Moy replaces Millie Bright, who “has withdrawn to undertake an extended period of recovery”.
- Georgia Stanway is back after her lateral ligament knee injury.
- Ella Morris’ first senior call-up but suffered an ACL injury on May 28 in training. She is replaced by Laura Blindkilde Brown.
What the coach has to say:
Sarina Wiegman on the upcoming matches:
“These are another two important games for us in a big year. Naturally we are preparing for the summer ahead. We saw in February that both Portugal and Spain will provide a big challenge and that excites us. These are the levels we need to compete against to make sure we are the best possible version of ourselves on 5 July when our EURO begins.
“At the same time, it is important that we focus first on what is right in front of us and ending the Nations League campaign in the best possible way. We have reflected upon two different performances against Belgium in April and although there were positives to take, there is more we want and need to improve on.
“We have the possibility of seeing 27-players in our environment and that’s a real positive. It will give us more good information to make important decisions in the near future. Also naming the squad 12 days before the window begins gives all the players clarity as the season ends for some and carries on for others. The hard work continues from the moment we arrive at St. George’s Park on Monday 26 May.”
Our prediction of the Starting IX for England vs. Portugal:
- Hampton
- Charles
- Carter
- Bronze
- Williamson
- Walsh
- Hemp
- Park
- Kelly
- Mead
- Beever-Jones
Team News Portugal
- Goalkeepers: Pereira, Morais, Cota-Yarde
- Defenders: Seiça, Borges, Lopes, Correia, Gomes, Amado, Costa.
- Midfielders: Jacinto, Faria, Norton, Fonseca, Dolores Silva, T. Pinto, F. Pinto, Lino.
- Forwards: Dias, Capeta, Mendes, Diana Silva, J. Silva, Ribeira, Encarnação.
Head coach Neto on Joana MarchĂŁo’s absence: “Joana suffered an injury in Servette’s penultimate game that prevents her from being with us. I hope she recovers in time for the Euro.”
On Kika Nazareth: “The recovery process, when the injuries are long, always has ups and downs. The information we have is that there is positive progress and that it is within the expected deadlines. However, only in the final phase of the European preparations will we know if we can count on her. It will be tight, as she said it is not ruled out.”
What the coach has to say:
Head coach Francisco Neto after announcing his Women’s Nations League team (loosely translated):
On facing England: “We are talking about the European champion; the team has had very good spells and other less good ones. The truth is that despite the defeat, in the game against Belgium, England was highly dominant. We have to keep in mind that they will play in front of their fans. We hope with a sold-out crowd that it will also be good for us to experience these stages and environments.
“The EUROs are approaching and that’s why they also called 27 players to observe. All these are extra factors will motivate the English team, but that will also be motivating for us. We have to focus on ourselves and take another step forward, grow in our collective dynamics and prepare a team for the European Championships.”
Our prediction of the Starting IX for Portugal against England:
- Pereira
- Lopes
- Seiça
- Costa
- Borges
- Amado
- T. Pinto
- Faria
- Dolores Silva
- Dias
- Diana Silva
England vs. Portugal: Previous Meetings & Stats
England and Portugal had their first competitive encounter in the Women Euro 2017, when the Lionessess ecured a 2-1 win. The following meetings were international friendlies until the Women’s Nations League this year. Portugal came back from behind thanks to Kika Nazareth, earning a point against Sarina Wiegman’s side.
Both teams are in Group A3, currently led by Spain with 9 points. England sits in second place with 7 points and will be unable to qualify for the Finals if they fail to beat Portugal and Spain defeat Belgium. For Portugal, reaching the Finals is a more distant prospect, avoiding relegation is a more realistic target.
| Head-to-Head & Team Streaks | ||
 | No losses (h2h) | 4 |
 | Both teams to score | 5/6 |
| First to score | 4/5 |
| First half winner | 4/5 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I watch the Women’s Nations League England vs. Portugal?
You can watch England vs. Portugal live on ITV4 and RTP1.Â
When was the last meeting between England vs. Portugal?
The last meeting on February 21, 2025. Alessia Russo opened the scoring for England in the 15th minute, but Portugal equalized in the second half, thanks to Kika Nazareth.
What is England vs. Portugal kick-off time?
England vs. Portugal kicks off on Friday May 30, 20:45 CET (19:45 BST) at Wembley Stadium.
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