Beth Mead exclusive interview: 'Mentality monster' Lionesses can lift World Cup after Euros title defence | OneFootball

Arsenal forward played a key role in the Euro 2025-winning squad

Beth Mead says the Lionesses have set their sights on winning the World Cup after proving they were “mentality monsters” at last summer’s Euros.

Mead has stressed how the Lionesses are hungry for more, having never won the World Cup, and she believes they have the mentality to claim further major honours.

“It is exciting times ahead. Ultimately, there is a World Cup there to go and win. We want to do that.

“We haven’t done that before. We have the ability to be able to go there and do that, but now we have got to put it into action. These next few years are going to be super important in that.”

Wiegman was the mastermind behind England’s back-to-back European triumphs, and Mead has hailed her impact.

“She makes the players from No1 to No23 feel like they are on top of the world,” she added.

“It’s a squad game, from the starting XI to the subs, it is very much a team effort and every squad player has a part to play, knows their role and is motivated by the manager and their team mates.”

England celebrated winning the Euros with a parade down The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace. There were around 65,000 fans in attendance to greet the squad, who arrived on open-top buses, and Mead found the experience emotional.

“It was like nothing I have ever experienced,” she said. “As a kid I went on holidays to London and Buckingham Palace, with that many people outside, was for the royal family.

“So for us to be on a bus with 65,000 people - so happy and emotional off the back of what we had done - is a feeling I will never be able to describe.

“You work so hard to get to that moment, you have got to let your hair down and enjoy it, soak it all in.”

Mead is hoping that winning the Euros inspires the next generation to follow in the Lionesses’ footsteps.

The Arsenal forward has been working with McDonald’s Fun Football, who are partnering with Girlguiding to offer free football sessions.

Inspiration: Lauren James and Beth Mead

McDonald's Fun Football

The programme aims to deliver coaching sessions to one million children aged five to 11 across the UK.

“We are trying to do something new, we are trying to push the game to the next level,” Mead added.

“I was a Brownie as a kid and I had nothing like this. They are the core memories as you are growing up and I am kind of jealous that I had nothing like this.

“I went to a local football session at my local village pitch, where we were playing football around molehills!

“There are still a lot of things at grassroots level and beyond that we can improve.”