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England star Beth Mead has revealed what she said to her partner Vivianne Miedema after the Lionesses beat the Netherlands 4-0 on Wednesday night.
Sarina Wiegman's side put in a ruthless performance to get their Euro 2025 hopes back on track after a disappointing opening defeat against France.
Mead, who was team-mates with Miedema at Arsenal for seven years before the latter departed for Manchester City, shared how the pair interacted after the match.
They have been in a relationship since 2022 and came up against one another with much on the line for both players.
Come the final whistle, it was Mead who was the happier of the two players, as England eased to victory thanks to a brace from Lauren James and goals from Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone.
But the forward said she would be supportive of her partner, who suffered a demoralising defeat.
England star Beth Mead has revealed what she said to her partner Vivianne Miedema after the Lionesses beat the Netherlands 4-0
They have been in a relationship since 2022 and came up against one another with much on the line for both players
Speaking to Match of the Day after the match, Mead said: 'I haven't properly [spoken to Miedema] yet.
'I gave her a cuddle and told her we'd speak in a bit so I'll let her have a little time to call off.
'It's hard. You obviously want your partner to do well but not when you're playing each other.
'I think obviously it's a tough day at the office for her and she was there for me [after England's defeat to France] so I'll do the same back.'
With a place in the knockout stages on the line, Miedema made it clear that their relationship would be put to one side prior to Wednesday's clash.
‘We both know what we’re going through,’ said the Netherlands No 9. ‘Our golden rule is we don’t discuss anything. I don’t know whether she’ll be starting tomorrow. For once, we will not be friends!’
‘As a Dutch player, I will do everything possible to win the game – all 23 of us, plus our staff. If it’s not a nice moment for Beth, it’s not a problem for me.’
Asked if she would be heartbroken should Mead and England be knocked out, Miedema replied: ‘I don’t think she’ll speak to me for a bit. I’ve also got some of my best friends in that team, but it’s just part of the game. I’ll be happy for us (the Netherlands) if we can get through tomorrow.’
‘It’s tough – I know I’m with Beth – but I’ve got some of my best friends in that team. That’s part of football. I’ve come up against this in club football before. I’ve probably been on the other end of it in the last couple of tournaments.’
England's win coupled with France's victory over Wales leaves Group D delicately poised but come the end of the group stage, both Mead and Miedema could see their sides advance to the knockout stages.
