England becomes first reigning champion to lose a Women's Euro opener

ZURICH (AP) — England set a number of unwanted firsts as it began the defense of its Women’s European Championship title by losing to France 2-1 on Saturday.

Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore scored two quickfire goals towards the end of the first half as France recorded a ninth straight win and stunned the defending champion.

Keira Walsh reduced the deficit three minutes from time but it wasn't enough to prevent England from becoming the first titleholder to lose its opening match at a women’s Euros.

“The positive is that I’ve not seen us like that ... for a while,” England captain Leah Williamson told British broadcaster ITV. “We hold ourselves to higher standards in individual battles and we improved on that throughout the game, which is good.”

The defeat also ended England coach Sarina Wiegman's remarkable flawless record in the competition, after winning 12 out of 12 matches across two tournaments as she steered first the Netherlands to the title and then England.

“We're frustrated because we had such three very good weeks and we trained really well, but that’s never a guarantee that of course you win the game,” Wiegman said.

“You have to do things really well and we just didn’t get it right at those moments.”

The Lionesses next face the Netherlands on Wednesday, before taking on Wales in their final group match four days later.

The Netherlands beat Wales 3-0 in the early match in Group D.

It was a statement victory for France, which — despite being without injured captain Griedge Mbock — was in firm control for most of the match, apart from the opening 15 minutes and a tense finale after Walsh's goal.

However, France coach Laurent Bonadei was quick to dismiss any suggestion his team was emerging as one of the favorites

“I won't change my position on our status. At the moment we haven’t won anything, we are still challengers with a lot of ambition," he said. "We showed a lot of courage tonight and the ability to compete with a very good team.

“But we just won one match, there are still two left in this group."

England got off to a strong start and Lauren James — starting her first match since a hamstring injury at the start of April — almost gave England the lead within 40 seconds with a clever run into the box but fired narrowly over.

Alessia Russo thought she gave England the lead in the 16th minute, turning in the rebound after Lauren Hemp’s shot was saved but it was ruled out for a tight offside decision on Beth Mead in the buildup.

“No one expected that to be disallowed,” Wiegman said. “We had to get out of that better, it was a huge surprise that it was disallowed."

As England appeared to deflate after that call by the video assistant referee, France grew in ascendancy and broke the deadlock in the 36th.

Elise De Almeida won the ball in her own half before surging down the right and threading the ball through to Delphine Cascarino, who put in a low cross for Katoto to tap in at the back post.

France doubled its lead just three minutes later. Baltimore mazed her way into the area, close to the byline, and Lucy Bronze inadvertently kept the ball in play with her attempted tackle, allowing the Chelsea forward to curl into the far side of the net.

France was almost out of sight at the start of the second half, with Hannah Hampton having to scramble behind her and grab the ball before it crossed the line, after fumbling an effort from Grace Geyoro.

England hadn't even had a shot on target before it got back into the game late on. A corner was cleared only to the edge of the area for Walsh to calmly control before firing into the top right corner for only her second international goal.

The Lionesses almost completed an improbable comeback in the final minute of stoppage time when France goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin missed her punch and Hemp turned it goalwards but Selma Bacha cleared it off the line.

The France players fell to the ground after the final whistle, as if in relief, before Bacha led the celebrations in front of their fans — branding a huge France flag as the supporters waved smaller versions in a sea of blue, white and red.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

England's goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, right, fails to save a goal by France's Sandy Baltimore, back, next to England's Alex Greenwood, left, during the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Group D soccer match between France and England at the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich, Switzerland, on Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)

France head coach Laurent Bonadei gestures during the Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between France and England at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

England's goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, right, fails to save a goal by France's Sandy Baltimore, back, next to England's Alex Greenwood, left, during the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Group D soccer match between France and England at the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich, Switzerland, on Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)

England head coach Sarina Wiegman sits on the bench during the Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between France and England at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

France's Marie-Antoinette Katoto, left, scores the opening goal during the Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between France and England at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

France players celebrate after Sandy Baltimore scored their second goal during the Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between France and England at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

ST. LOUIS (AP) — World champions Ilia Malinin and the ice dance duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates will anchor one of the strongest U.S. Figure Skating teams in history when they head to Italy for the Milan Cortina Olympics in less than a month.

Malinin, fresh off his fourth straight national title, will be the prohibitive favorite to follow in the footsteps of Nathan Chen by delivering another men's gold medal for the American squad when he steps on the ice at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.

Chock and Bates, who won their record-setting seventh U.S. title Saturday night, also will be among the Olympic favorites, as will world champion Alysa Liu and women's teammate Amber Glenn, fresh off her third consecutive national title.

U.S. Figure Skating announced its full squad of 16 athletes for the Winter Games during a made-for-TV celebration Sunday.

"I'm just so excited for the Olympic spirit, the Olympic environment," Malinin said. “Hopefully go for that Olympic gold.”

Malinin will be joined on the men's side by Andrew Torgashev, the all-or-nothing 24-year-old from Coral Springs, Florida, and Maxim Naumov, the 24-year-old from Simsbury, Connecticut, who fulfilled the hopes of his late parents by making the Olympic team.

Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were returning from a talent camp in Kansas when their American Airlines flight collided with a military helicopter and crashed into the icy Potomac River in January 2025. One of the last conversations they had with their son was about what it would take for him to follow in their footsteps by becoming an Olympian.

“We absolutely did it,” Naumov said. “Every day, year after year, we talked about the Olympics. It means so much in our family. It's what I've been thinking about since I was 5 years old, before I even know what to think. I can't put this into words.”

Chock and Bates helped the Americans win team gold at the Beijing Games four years ago, but they finished fourth — one spot out of the medals — in the ice dance competition. They have hardly finished anywhere but first in the years since, winning three consecutive world championships and the gold medal at three straight Grand Prix Finals.

U.S. silver medalists Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik also made the dance team, as did the Canadian-born Christina Carreira, who became eligible for the Olympics in November when her American citizenship came through, and Anthony Ponomarenko.

Liu was picked for her second Olympic team after briefly retiring following the Beijing Games. She had been burned out by years of practice and competing, but stepping away seemed to rejuvenate the 20-year-old from Clovis, California, and she returned to win the first world title by an American since Kimmie Meissner stood atop the podium two decades ago.

Now, the avant-garde Liu will be trying to help the U.S. win its first women's medal since Sasha Cohen in Turin in 2006, and perhaps the first gold medal since Sarah Hughes triumphed four years earlier at the Salt Lake City Games.

Her biggest competition, besides a powerful Japanese contingent, could come from her own teammates: Glenn, a first-time Olympian, has been nearly unbeatable the past two years, while 18-year-old Isabeau Levito is a former world silver medalist.

"This was my goal and my dream and it just feels so special that it came true,” said Levito, whose mother is originally from Milan.

The two pairs spots went to Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea, the U.S. silver medalists, and the team of Emily Chan and Spencer Howe.

The top American pairs team, two-time reigning U.S. champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, were hoping that the Finnish-born Efimova would get her citizenship approved in time to compete in Italy. But despite efforts by the Skating Club of Boston, where they train, and the help of their U.S. senators, she did not receive her passport by the selection deadline.

“The importance and magnitude of selecting an Olympic team is one of the most important milestones in an athlete's life,” U.S. Figure Skating CEO Matt Farrell said, "and it has such an impact, and while there are sometimes rules, there is also a human element to this that we really have to take into account as we make decisions and what's best going forward from a selection process.

“Sometimes these aren't easy," Farrell said, “and this is not the fun part.”

The fun is just beginning, though, for the 16 athletes picked for the powerful American team.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Amber Glenn competes during the women's free skating competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Alysa Liu skates during the "Making Team USA" performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Maxim Naumov skates during the "Making Team USA" performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Madison Chock and Evan Bates skate during the "Making the Team" performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Gold medalist Ilia Malinin arrives for the metal ceremony after the men's free skate competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)