Women’s Nations League Match Preview: England vs. Belgium

The Women’s Nations League is back, with England and Belgium facing off twice in this international window. The Lionesses sit at the top of their group, while The Red Flames are at the bottom with 0 points. In 2023, Belgium secured a 3-2 win over England, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out this time. Let’s find out about the possible line-up, statistics and where you can watch England vs. Belgium

England vs. Belgium: 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

Sarina Wiegman selected the following players for the two fixtures against Belgium:

Goalkeepers: Mary Earps, Hannah Hampton, Khiara Keating, Anna Moorhouse.
Defenders: Millie Bright, Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter, Niamh Charles, Maya Le Tissier, Esme Morgan, Millie Turner, Leah Williamson.
Midfielders: Grace Clinton, Fran Kirby, Maisie Symonds*, Ella Toone, Keira Walsh.
Forwards: Aggie Beever-Jones, Lauren James, Beth Mead, Chloe Kelly, Nikita Parris, Alessia Russo.

* First senior call-up.

What the coach has to say:

Sarina Wiegman and Leah Williamson Press Conference Key Notes:

Team News: “Fran [Kirby] and Chloe [Kelly] will not be available tomorrow. They picked up little niggles, so we are working towards Tuesday.” The head coach is not to worried as they are focusing on who is available and ready to go on Friday.

The press conference was mostly on England being the sole bidder for the World Cup 2035. A great topic to talk about but it took questions away from facing Belgium and how the head coach plans to go into the game.

Wiegman did say the focus is on the EURO 2025: “I think it’s really important that we have a good picture of our team. Of course, we are going out to play Belgium twice, and we want to win those games. But also getting the team ready for the Euros, know who we have, who is available and who is good form. So, we are always thinking in that direction and who is going to play and who is not, is up to the moment. We think about what is best for the team.”

Our prediction of the Starting IX for England vs. Belgium:

Hampton
Bright
Charles
Bronze
Williamson
Toone
Walsh
Clinton
Kelly
James
Russo

Team News Belgium

Elisabeth Gunnarsdottir called up the following 24 players to face England in the Women’s Nations League this international break.

Goalkeepers: Femke Bastiaen, Nicky Evrard, Lisa Lichtfus.
Defenders: Laura Deloose, Isabelle Iliano, Sari Kees, Janice Cayman, Laura De Neve*, Amber Tysiak, Davina Philtjens, Jill Janssens, Sarah Wijnants.
Midfielders: Féli Delacauw, Marie Detruyer, Kassandra Missipo, Justine Vanhaevermaet, Jarne Teulings, Mariam Toloba, Tine De Caigny, Elena Dhont.
Forwards: Jassina Blom, Hannah Eurlings, Ella Van Kerkhoven, Tessa Wullaert.

*Laura De Neve was replaced by Jasmien Mathys due to injury

What the coach has to say:

Head coach Gunnarsdottir was appointed in January 2025 and immediately faced a tough challenge against World Champions Spain and Portugal. Both games were lost, but especially the 3-2 loss against Spain hurt:

“You can lose a game, but the way we did… To concede two late goals is very disappointing. We played against Spain, so you know something can happen at any moment. But we had a plan, and my players executed it perfectly. If we could have started our journey against a lesser opponent, we would have had the space to work on the details. But against the World Champions you can’t,” Gunnarsdottir said.

If they can bring the same energy as they did against Belgium, England should be very cautious when playing against The Red Flames. The head coach will give a pre-match press conference closer to matchday.

Our prediction of the Starting IX for Belgium against England:

Evrard
Kees
Cayman
Tysiak
Janssens
Delacauw
Vanhaevermaet
Toloba
Missipo
Deloose
Wullaert

England vs. Belgium: Previous Meetings & Stats

England and Belgium first met in 2016 during the Women’s Euro Qualifiers. Since then, the teams went head-to-head in international friendlies, the Arnold Clark Cup and most recently the Women’s Nations League in 2023. Both sides won their respective home games, marking Belgium’s first win against the Lionesses.

On the first two matchdays, England secured a 1-0 win over Spain but drew 1-1 against Portugal. Belgium, on the other hand, wasn’t as successful, losing both encounters to Spain and Portugal. Can they turn it around against England?

Team Streaks
	No losses	5
	Without clean sheet	3
	Under 2.5 goals	4/5
	First to score	4/5
	First half winner	4/5

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I watch the Women’s Nations League England vs. Belgium?

You can watch England vs. Belgium live on ITV1 and Ketnet.

When was the last meeting between England vs. Belgium?

The last meeting was on the 31st of October 2023 in the Women’s Nations League. Belgium won 3-2, thanks to goals from De Neve and Wullaert. Bronze and Kirby pulled goals back for England.

What is England vs. Belgium any kick-off time?

England vs. Belgium kicks off on Friday the 4th of April at 20:00 GMT (21:00 CET) at Bristol City’s Ashton Gate.

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