But England’s four friendlies since Euro 2025 have not been a vanity project. With qualifying for the 2027 Women’s World Cup to begin in the New Year, thus starting a new cycle for the back-to-back European champions, Wiegman has been using this opportunity to rotate and experiment, sussing out who is ready to step up and play a key role as attention turns to the next major tournament while also addressing some of the minor issues in her squad.
This camp, which began with a record-breaking 8-0 thumping of China at Wembley on Saturday before concluding in Southampton with victory over Ghana, has featured plenty of intrigue then, as was the case in October. That has only been intensified by the absences that have forced Wiegman to hand out even more opportunities, with Leah Williamson, Hannah Hampton, Alex Greenwood, Jess Carter, Michelle Agyemang and Lauren James among those missing this time.
So, before attention does turn to that qualifying campaign for the World Cup, and the need to pip Spain to top spot in their group to secure an automatic berth through to Brazil, what was there to be learned from the Lionesses’ last camp of 2025? BALLGM picks out the winners and losers from England’s final games of the year…
After emerging as one of the stories of England’s previous camp, thanks to her incredibly impressive debut in the win over Australia, Lucia Kendall again grabbed the headlines as the Lionesses closed out 2025, and in a very special way.
Named in Wiegman’s starting XI as England played at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium, the Saints’ first-ever Lioness broke the deadlock after just six minutes, sparking wonderfully wholesome celebrations from a player who spent 10 years with the club on the south coast. “She was so happy and she celebrated as if it was a Champions League final,” Wiegman said with a laugh after the game. “Good for her!”
That goal was the highlight of another very composed and solid performance from Kendall, who has shot up the midfield pecking order over the last few weeks. The Aston Villa star has an eye for goal, is excellent in her individual duels and offers accuracy on the ball, all of which is complemented by a maturity that belies her 21 years. She could have a real role to play moving forward.
After being the star of the show at Euro 2025, Chloe Kelly’s luck just isn’t in so far this season. It felt like she was going to come into this campaign with plenty of momentum, after that tournament and the superb end to 2024-25 she enjoyed at Arsenal. But having seemingly come through a period where she was nursing a knee problem, the winger limped off in the early stages of Tuesday’s win with a problem that seemed to affect that same knee.
“She felt something with her knee that didn’t feel right. She could walk but it just didn’t feel right,” Wiegman explained after the game. “For her, it’s sad because she had a start and she was playing and then she had to go off. Of course, you want to be available at all times and you don’t want to have those niggles, but that’s just the way it is now and what she has to sort out is: What is it? And just assess that and try to get back as soon as possible and get consistency. That’s what she wants too, but you have to take it as it is.”
With just three starts for Arsenal this term, Kelly has not had the rhythm she needs to be at her best so far in 2025-26. This latest setback isn’t going to help her in her quest to get there, either.
After making her England debut in the last camp, it felt like Taylor Hinds really stated her case to be the Lionesses’ starting left-back this week. Niamh Charles got the nod when the European champions hosted China at Wembley, and while the Chelsea star did little wrong in that 8-0 thrashing, Hinds put in a really impressive display when she was granted the opportunity to play against Ghana a few days later.
Only Aggie Beever-Jones, the Lionesses’ starting No.9 on the night, and Beth Mead, who replaced Kelly early on, played more key passes in Southampton than Hinds, while no England player won more ground duels than her seven in what was an all-action display. With her natural left foot, a very capable right and some brilliant deliveries from set pieces and open play also on show, Hinds really does look ready to fight hard to be Wiegman’s first-choice in a left-back role which has been so problematic for the manager.
After making an outstanding start to the new Women’s Super League season with Manchester City, Laura Blindkilde Brown appeared primed to continue that into these final two England camps of the year. However, to the surprise of many, she wasn’t handed the opportunities by Wiegman that were expected.
Tuesday actually brought about Blindkilde Brown’s first minutes of this ‘homecoming’ series, with her an unused sub in England’s first three games post-Euro 2025. She looked good in the 30-minute cameo in Southampton, too, reinforcing the belief held by many that she should’ve been given more game time across these friendlies.
However, with Kendall shining, Missy Bo Kearns winning a couple more caps and Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone still having a stronghold on the midfield in Wiegman’s first-choice XI, Blindkilde Brown seems to have fallen down the pecking order for now.
When it became apparent that Hampton would miss this camp due to injury, many expected Khiara Keating, who debuted in her absence in October, and Anna Moorhouse, a member of the Euro 2025 squad but still yet to win a cap, to split starting duties for the two matches. However, Keating’s withdrawal from the squad with a small injury on the morning of the China clash paved the way for Moorhouse to enjoy a huge week, making her first and second appearances for the Lionesses.
In truth, the 30-year-old didn’t have much to do, with England’s opponents managing just three shots on target between them across these two fixtures. But to finally get the chance to get out there for the Lionesses, and soak in the experience of playing on these big stages, will have been special for Moorhouse and also invaluable for the shot-stopper, whose two caps also help bolster a rather inexperienced goalkeeping unit.
The flip side of Moorhouse’s huge week is the disappointing one Keating endured, by having to withdraw from the squad. It said a lot that when Hampton was absent in October, Wiegman turned to the 21-year-old first, despite her not playing as regularly at club level as the more experienced Moorhouse, and this camp felt like a chance for her to build on that by potentially getting another cap under her belt.
When World Cup qualifying comes around in the New Year, opportunities for goalkeepers other than Hampton are going to be few and far between, unless the Chelsea goalkeeper is ill or injured. These four games were crucial for Keating and Moorhouse, then, and it was the latter who got to take advantage of them more, for reasons out of Keating’s control.
October represented a step in the right direction for Maya Le Tissier’s England career, with the Manchester United captain granted two chances to play at centre-back, one due to an in-game tweak and another as a starter, amid widespread debate around her position in this Lionesses’ team, sparked by comments from Wiegman in which she said she still saw the 23-year-old as a right-back in her team. This past week has been another step down that path.
With Williamson still missing, Greenwood absent due to a knock and Carter given a rest, Le Tissier started both of the Lionesses’ games in this camp as a centre-back, and she was solid as a rock in them. Yes, she and her fellow defenders were not challenged immensely by China or Ghana, but they kept two clean sheets and played an important part in back-to-back wins.
How things look in the New Year, when that aforementioned trio are all likely back in contention, is another question altogether. For now, though, Le Tissier can be very happy with how she has performed in her preferred position and just hope that gives Wiegman food for thought going forward.
