After stealing the show during England's Euros win three years ago, the Lionesses winger is important in a different way in Switzerland
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Most players can only dream of a major tournament being remembered most pertinently for their performances – in 2022, at the European Championships, Beth Mead lived that dream. As England's Lionesses ended their wait for a first major title, beating Germany in a memorably dramatic final, it was the Arsenal winger who stole the show, racking up six goals and five assists in just six matches to be crowned Player of the Tournament.
As England aim to defend that title in Switzerland, Mead's role has changed. Having been a regular starter throughout the calendar year, she now finds herself on the Lionesses' bench, with Lauren James' taking control of the place on the right of the attack thanks to some truly electric form.
That doesn't mean Mead can't make her mark on Euro 2025, though. Things might look a little different to three years ago but, with the knockout stages underway, the 30-year-old remains a vital asset to the Lionesses as they target three wins that would bring the European Championship title back to England again.
Getty ImagesAmazing high to incredible low
It's not been easy for Mead since the historic high of Euro 2022. Just a few months later, she suffered a devastating ACL injury that sidelined her for almost a year and forced her to miss the 2023 Women's World Cup, right as she was playing the very best football of her career.
Mead would cite her mother's cancer diagnosis as the fuel for the incredible level she was playing at before that injury, as she tried to make her "happy" and "proud" in the most difficult of circumstances. Then, in the first few days of 2023, while the winger was completing some of the first steps of her long rehab process, the devastating news that her mother had lost that battle and passed away came. It's near-impossible to comprehend how someone copes going through such difficult times in their personal and professional lives at the same time.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesBattling back
To see Mead playing well again, then, is a joy. After suffering an ACL tear, players can take months to feel like themselves again, with form up-and-down for a while. Recent months, though, have seen Mead tune-up nicely for Euro 2025. The Arsenal star ended the 2024-25 season with seven goals and three assists to her name in the Women's Super League, despite making just 13 starts, and she provided an outstanding assist for Stina Blackstenius' goal in the Champions League final, the monumental match that Mead chose to release her piece just before, detailing the impact of her mother like never before.
That 1-0 win over Barcelona in Lisbon, which confirmed Arsenal as European champions, will have only added another spring to Mead's step coming into a big summer with England. She's been in strong form for the Lionesses in 2025, with three goals and two assists from the five fixtures that preceded the Euros, and that helped her to nail down a starting role for the opening game despite the intense competition for places.
Getty ImagesA tough start
Still, it always felt like Mead's place in Sarina Wiegman's XI was under threat from the returning James, the most talented player in this England team. The Chelsea forward had been struggling with a hamstring issue and how fit she was as the tournament began was unclear, with just 30 minutes under her belt since early April. But Wiegman was happy enough to start her in England's first game against France – and keep Mead in the team, too.
It tipped the balance too far in the wrong direction, though. As Mead played on the right, James was deployed as a No.10, removing some necessary steel from the midfield. As such, Les Bleues ran the show, dominated the middle of the park and could've registered a much heavier win than their eventual 2-1 success.
Getty ImagesInfluential in other roles
It was a game that forced Wiegman to make changes, with one of those seeing Mead drop to the bench as James went onto the right and Ella Toone came into midfield. It has worked brilliantly for the team, who responded with a 4-0 thumping of the Netherlands and a 6-1 thrashing of Wales to make the last eight. It does, however, leave the hero of Euro 2022 without a starring role.
But as much as Mead would love to contribute from the first whistle, she is a team player and she has shown she can channel any frustration into her play when she enters the pitch. Against Wales, she was fantastic off the bench, netting a fantastic strike to make it 5-0 before providing a superb cross to Aggie Beever-Jones for England's final goal of the day.
When Mead's shot hit the back of the net, she poignantly pointed to the sky, dedicating her first major tournament goal in three years to her mother. It was something that Toone, who took Mead's place in the XI, had done earlier, too, having lost her father just last year.
"I've been a shoulder to be there for her," Mead said of Toone. "We both said the first game we really struggled. You look to the stands for your person who was standing there and they are not there anymore. My mum was the first person I would look for in the stands, so I understand what Ella felt in that moment. It's special to be able to have that moment to think about them and dedicate it to them."
Mead's impact goes beyond just that on the pitch in this England team.