2025 Friendly Matches: France U21 and England U21 Starting XIs

This Friday at 7:45 PM, England U21 take on France U21 at the Stade du Moustoir in Lorient. These two squads arguably boast the highest concentration of top-level talent in Europe, if not the world. Despite the low stakes of this friendly, the sheer quality of the 22 players on the pitch makes this a must-watch encounter.

england france u21 2025 — **Ethan Nwaneri (17 years old) is the youngest player in England’s squad and one of the most talented prospects.** (© X / B/R Football)

England and France lineups for tonight’s match:

On one side, Lee Carsley’s squad, assembled less than a week ago, is filled with promising young players, many of whom have already become key figures for their clubs this season. This includes Jarrad Branthwaite (Centre-Back – Everton FC), Ethan Nwaneri (Attacking Midfielder/Right Winger – Arsenal FC), and Elliott Anderson (Central Midfielder – Nottingham Forest)—not the most high-profile name but a crucial contributor to his club’s third-place position in the Premier League. Another exciting talent to watch is Jobe Bellingham, the younger brother of Jude Bellingham, who is forging his own path at Sunderland.

On the other side, France U21, the recent Olympic silver medalists, also possess a stacked squad. Gérald Baticle has an abundance of attacking talent at his disposal, including Rayan Cherki and Maghnes Akliouche, two of Ligue 1’s brightest young stars, as well as Ayoub Bouaddi, a highly-rated prospect from LOSC Lille.