Euro 2025: England thumps Wales 6-1 to set up quarterfinal clash with Sweden

ST. GALLEN, Switzerland (AP) — Another rampant England performance saw the defending champion demolish Wales 6-1 on Sunday and book its spot in the quarterfinals of the Women’s European Championship.

England had bounced back from losing to France in its opener by routing the Netherlands 4-0 and it raced into a 4-0 halftime lead against Wales following goals from Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo.

Substitutes Beth Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones added more in the second half either side of Hannah Cain’s stylish consolation for Wales.

“We’re just happy that we continued the standards that we’d set against the Netherlands,” Stanway said. “It was super important that we continue where we’d left off and we could build momentum post that.”

The result saw Sarina Wiegman’s team advance as runner-up in Group D, ensuring England a potentially easier path to the final, after France beat the Netherlands 5-2 to win the group. Wales and the Netherlands are eliminated.

England will play Sweden in the quarterfinals and could then face either Norway or Italy.

Had they won the group, the Lionesses would have encountered Germany before a possible semifinal against World Cup winner and tournament favorite Spain, which plays host nation Switzerland in the last eight.

England beat Sweden 4-0 in the Euro 2022 semifinals, although the two subsequent matches between the two nations have ended in draws.

“It’s a completely different tournament, it’s really hard to compare anything that happens in other tournaments,” Stanway said. “Our focus is on us, our focus is making sure that we know our things going into the game.

“Today we focus on the result that we’ve just had and how proud we are to get out of the group. There’s been many days this tournament where we could have actually been going home, so to be in this situation, to be staying a few more days is something that we can be proud of.”

It was always going to be a tall order for Wales, on its tournament debut, to beat the reigning champion. It had lost nine of its 10 previous matches against England, only managing one draw against its neighbor and historic rival.

And the challenge for Wales became even harder when England was awarded a penalty — by the video assistant referee — after Carrie Jones tripped Stanway just inside the area.

Stanway sent the penalty into the bottom left corner to give England a 13th-minute lead and a disaster in defense allowed the Lionesses to double that tally eight minutes later.

An attempted clearance came off Stanway and fell to Russo, who rounded the Wales goalkeeper before rolling it across for Toone. The Manchester United forward’s first attempt was blocked by Wales defender Lily Woodham but she lashed the rebound into the top right corner.

Toone turned provider in the 30th, running onto a pass from Lauren James and crossing for Hemp to head in from a tight angle at the back post.

It was Hemp’s first goal since returning from a five-month layoff after undergoing knee surgery in November.

Wales had been poor, while England had been brutally efficient and the Lionesses added another goal on the stroke of halftime. A sublime pass from James — between two Welsh players — released Toone, who rolled it across for Russo to tuck into the bottom left corner.

With the result a foregone conclusion, Wiegman rang the changes at halftime, bringing on Jess Park and Mead for Toone and Hemp.

Mead was the Euro 2022 player of the tournament and she got her first goal in this edition in the 72nd minute after a superb bit of skill saw her latch onto a good ball from Beever-Jones and carve out some space in the area before slotting past Clark.

Cain briefly reduced the deficit before Beever-Jones headed in Mead’s cross in the 89th minute to wrap up the scoring.

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

England's Alessia Russo, right, celebrates after scoring her sides fourth goal during the Women's Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between England and Wales at Arena St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

England's Beth Mead, right, celebrates after scoring her sides fifth goal during the Women's Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between England and Wales at Arena St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

England head coach Sarina Wiegman waves prior the Women's Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between England and Wales at Arena St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

England's Beth Mead, right, shoots to score her sides fifth goal during the Women's Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between England and Wales at Arena St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

England's Beth Mead, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring during the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Group D soccer match against Wales at the Arena St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)

England's Lauren Hemp, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring her sides third goal during the Women's Euro 2025, group D, soccer match between England and Wales at Arena St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland, Sunday, July 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fueled by a dose of high-octane patriotism, President Donald Trump and UFC boss Dana White walked out from the Oval Office to chants of “USA!” to greet military members and political dignitaries set to watch one of the more surreal spectacles in sports and even in the nation's capital: cage fighting on the White House lawn.

A long-time fight fan with a 25-year professional relationship with White, Trump turned 80 on Sunday and fans gathered on a gloomy night on the South Lawn cheered when one fan yelled out “happy birthday!”

Diego Lopes and Steve Garcia opened UFC Freedom 250 in a featherweight bout under the structure known as the Claw, a four-sided mass that arcs more than 90 feet (27 meters) into the air and features lights, speakers, thick snakes of wiring and four large screens so fans not seated right next to the Octagon can follow the cage fighting below.

Garcia walked out of the White House draped in an American flag and accompanied by two police officers. Lopes walked out to the Mexican song “La Chona.”

Fans were as quiet for the start of the main card Sunday as they might be for the preliminary fights held hours before a pay-per-view event in a normal fight arena, such as Madison Square Garden. Closer to the Rose Garden, fans did come alive when Lopes landed a flurry of punches to knock out Garcia in the second round.

The show was steeped in pageantry and stands as an outlier among UFC events. The Marine Band played from in front of the White House and Zac Brown sang the national anthem — which is never played before normal UFC fight cards because of the mix of nationalities fighting inside the Octagon. The Navy’s Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds zipped overhead as part of a flyover.

UFC’s ring girls, who normally parade around the cage in skimpy outfits, were covered up for a more PG-rated fight night. The women were stylishly dressed in more full-body outfits, some that flowed past the knee or to the ground, that incorporated the American flag into the designs.

Bruce Buffer's voice thundered from the cage as always for fight introductions, and his star-spangled threads fit the occasion: gold stars on the outside of his suit coat and mini American flags stitched inside.

Hours after the United States and Iran reached an agreement to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz, offering relief to the global economy more than three months since fighting began, the White House — long known as the people’s house and a symbol of American democracy — opened its backyard to stage the fights.

More than $60 million and tens of thousands of hours of labor have been poured into building the arena, according to a court filing from the National Park Service, which oversees the South Lawn.

UFC is staging seven fights with all male fighters under the Freedom 250 banner to celebrate Trump’s birthday and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s signing.

The fight card headlined by two title fights on Paramount+ was scheduled to start at 8 p.m. Eastern. The official televised portion of the show started closer to 30 minutes later and the first fight went off closer to 9 p.m.

Strong thunderstorms and heavy lightning disrupted Friday’s Lincoln Memorial promotional event, and the forecast for Sunday evening also looked menacing.

White said the show will go on rain or shine.

The rare UFC outdoors event marked the pinnacle of the relationship between White and Trump that has yielded personal, political and financial dividends for both parties. White's first card as UFC president came in 2001 at an event held at Trump Taj Mahal.

Trump has attended four UFC cards as sitting president, walking to the cage amid rock music and patriotic chants from fans much like the fighters themselves. White introduced Trump at two Republican National Conventions. White also attended the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in April that was cut short by a shooting.

In a card that has been panned by fans online as underwhelming, Alex Pereira of Brazil will meet Ciryl Gane of France for the interim UFC heavyweight title. Spanish-Georgian lightweight champion Ilia Topuria then takes on interim champ Justin Gaethje, one of just two Americans who currently hold even a share of the UFC’s 11 championship belts.

There are five other fights on the main card that include former title-fight participants Michael Chandler and Derrick Lewis and former 135-pound champion Sean O’Malley.

Not everyone was able to get tickets to the big event.

Even one of UFC's champions.

UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland was escorted out of the Ellipse event by a group of police officers and taken into a Park Police van Sunday.

Once a vocal supporter of Trump, Strickland has recently said on social media that he was not invited to participate in the event at the White House because he is an outspoken critic of Israel.

Strickland was wearing a black anorak jacket and was barefoot. It wasn’t immediately clear why law enforcement led him away.

White has rejected Strickland’s accusation that he was banned from UFC Freedom 250 events.

“Nobody is banned. Nothing is banned,” White told reporters earlier this month.

AP MMA: https://apnews.com/hub/mixed-martial-arts

Army soldiers hold a grappling demonstration during the UFC Freedom 250 Fan Fest on The Ellipse ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 fight on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (Kevin Dietsch/Pool Photo via AP)

Storm clouds move above the Washington Monument ahead of the UFC Freedom 250 fight on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Washington. (Kevin Dietsch/Pool Photo via AP)

UFC president and CEO Dana White, center, with Ilia Topuria, left, and Justin Gaethje, right, during the ceremonial UFC Freedom 250 weigh-ins on the Ellipse, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Washington, ahead of Sunday's fight on the South Lawn of the White House. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) CORRECTION: Changes name from Joe Rogan to Dana White.

The arena for the UFC Freedom 250 fights is pictured on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

UFC commentator Joe Rogan during the ceremonial UFC Freedom 250 weigh-ins on the Ellipse, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Washington, ahead of Sunday's fight on the South Lawn of the White House. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

The arena for the UFC Freedom 250 fights is pictured on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, Saturday, June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

UFC commentator Joe Rogan, center, with Ilia Topuria, left, and Justin Gaethje, right, during the ceremonial UFC Freedom 250 weigh-ins on the Ellipse, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in Washington, ahead of Sunday's fight on the South Lawn of the White House. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)