France Must Not Fear Anyone In Tough Euro 2025 Group D, Asserts Clara Mateo

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Clara Mateo believes that France should not fear any team despite being placed in a challenging group for Euro 2025. Les Bleus are set to face England, Wales, and the Netherlands in Group D, starting with a match against the reigning European champions. France has consistently reached the knockout stages in the last four Euros but has yet to win the tournament.

France has played more matches than any other team that hasn't reached a final, with 26 games under their belt. They made it to the semi-finals for the first time in the last edition but were defeated by Germany. Despite this history, Mateo, who has 31 caps for France, remains optimistic about their chances.

"Yes, it's true that the group is going to be complicated," Mateo told Stats Perform. "But we also know that to win a competition, you can't be afraid of anyone; you have to beat everyone. So, we'll be getting to the heart of the matter very quickly."

England, Wales, and the Netherlands present different but intriguing challenges for France. Mateo acknowledges these encounters will be tough but insists on taking one match at a time to advance from this group. "You have to beat everyone to win a trophy," she added.

Recent Performances

Since Euro 2022, France has reached the quarter-finals of both the Women's World Cup and Olympics held in Paris. They also finished as runners-up in the inaugural Women's Nations League after losing to Spain in the final.

Daphne Corboz, Mateo's Paris FC teammate who received her first national call-up in 2018 but hasn't played yet, is confident about France's readiness by July. "Yes, it's a difficult group," she said. "But in these tournaments, you have to get through. Not always, but to win, you have to beat the best."

Corboz added that although facing strong opponents early is challenging for France, she believes they will be prepared and hopes this Euro will celebrate women's football.