Arsenal star Beth Mead will face her partner, Vivianne Miedema, at Euro 2025, as England have been drawn in Group D alongside the Netherlands.
England star Beth Mead is bracing for a highly personal showdown at Euro 2025, as the Lionesses have been drawn in Group D alongside the Netherlands, setting up a clash with her partner, Dutch forward Vivianne Miedema.
“It was inevitable,” Mead said with a smile, reflecting on the draw. “When the draw was made, we both sat there and said, ‘Of course that’s happened!’”
The high-stakes fixture, set for July 9 in Zurich, will see the Arsenal teammates go head-to-head on international duty, representing two of Europe’s top contenders. The tournament officially kicks off this Wednesday in Switzerland.
Mead, who plays for Arsenal and has been in a relationship with Miedema since 2022, insists that despite their close bond, professionalism will take over once they step on the pitch. “We’re both very, very competitive and professional,” she said. “We’re both excited for the tournament and to be able to play in it again.”
The couple have shared similar career paths in recent years. Miedema lifted the Euro trophy with the Netherlands in 2017, while Mead played a starring role in England’s triumphant Euro 2022 campaign, scoring six goals and earning the Player of the Tournament accolade.
They also experienced setbacks together, both suffering ACL injuries within a month of each other at the end of 2022, forcing them to miss the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Now fully fit, both are making their long-awaited returns to major international competition.
Though they remain in close contact off the pitch, Mead revealed that football is off-limits in their conversations as the match approaches. “We keep in contact but when it gets closer to our games, we don’t talk football whatsoever,” she explained. “Obviously, we want each other to do well—but not against each other!”
At 30, Mead is confident England can defend their European crown, despite changes within the squad. “The team’s changed quite a bit,” she acknowledged. “We’ve had retirements, we’ve had different players come in, young players coming to their first tournament. But I think we’ve got a very good blend at the moment.”
With expectations high, Beth Mead is embracing the pressure. “We’re going there to win—that’s our objective. We know we’ve got a target on our back, but now we’ve got to consistently perform at our highest level, which we know we’re very much capable of doing.”
