England Blind Men edged out by France in EURO final

England were narrowly beaten by France in the IBSA Blind Football Championship final on Sunday as the host nation and defending champions won 1-0 in Strasbourg.

An impressive first-half strike from Frederic Villeroux was the difference as France won the European Championship on home soil.

Watch the highlights in the IBSA’s live stream here

But it was an excellent display by England as they improved on the 4-1 group stage defeat to France and were denied by a superb performance in defence from the home side’s backline.

And England still went one further than the 2022 European Championship, when they finished third behind France and Türkiye, the side the Para Lions beat in the semi-finals this time out.

How the game unfolded

The Para Lions had the first big chance of the game as Eesa Amjid carried the ball from one side of the pitch to the other before firing narrowly wide of Alessandro Bartolomucci’s goal.

However, Villeroux opened the scoring on the midway point of the first half, cutting inside from the left-hand side of the pitch before he fired a powerful effort past England goalkeeper Dylan Malpas.

Malpas was called into action again as the half drew to a close, this time denying the hosts from a Babacar Niang free-kick.

England had a chance of their own with a free kick, which Roy Turnham narrowly fired wide after making space in the French defensive zone.

Malpas again prevented Villeroux from adding to his earlier goal, while the France defence frustrated Turnham and England’s top scorer, Eesa Amjid, with a series of blocks and tackles in the defensive third.

Half Time: France 1-0 England

The second half began with neither side controlling possession as a cagey game ensued.

Efe Shimwell looked to continue his impressive tournament as he ventured forwards, but his positive run into opposition territory was denied by the France defence.

Villeroux nearly doubled the hosts’ lead as he went one-versus-one with Malpas, but the England ‘keeper was there to deny him with another fine save.

The game opened up in the last five minutes as the Para Lions pushed for an equaliser, but France held on to retain the title.

Full Time: France 1-0 England

England starting XI: 1 Dylan Malpas (GK), 6 Efe Shimwell, 7 Toby Addison, 9 Roy Turnham, 10 Eesa Amjid

France starting XI: 1 Alessandro Bartolomucci, 5 Hakim Arezki, 6 Martin Baron, 7 Babacar Niang, 10 Frédéric Villeroux

England 1-0 Türkiye
21 August

Efe Shimwell’s decisive strike gave England Blind Men a 1-0 victory over Türkiye in the torrential rain in Strasbourg as they reached the IBSA European Blind Football Championship final.

Adam Bendall’s side, who won the IBSA Nations Cup in 2025 in India, atoned for their 2022 IBSA Blind Football European Championship defeat to Türkiye, when they lost on penalties in the semi-final.

Shimwell struck the only goal in the first half this time around, latching onto a pass from captain Roy Turnham before he evaded two Türkiye defenders and poked the ball past the Turkish goalkeeper Arif Simsek.

Watch the highlights in the IBSA’s live stream here

In a first half of few clearcut chances, Turnham and Eesa Amjid, who scored five in the 8-0 win over Greece that put the Para Lions into the semi-finals on Wednesday, fired wide.

Second half: England 1-0 Türkiye

After the break, the rain poured down heavily to make the conditions difficult.

That didn’t stop Türkiye’s main threat, Emre Aslan, from going on a mazy run from inside his own half and firing towards the top corner of the net, only to be denied by a superb save from England goalkeeper Dylan Malpas, who diverted the ball over with his shoulder from close range.

Aslam fired wide and Turnham forced a smart save from Simsek in the latter stages, and England held on to secure a victory.

Full-time: England 1-0 Türkiye

England starting XI: 1 Dylan Malpas (GK), 6 Efe Shimwell, 7 Toby Addison, 9 Roy Turnham, 10 Eesa Amjid

Türkiye starting XI: 1 Arif Simsek (GK), 3 Muhammed Ali Öktem, 5 Ertuğrul Demirel, 7 Emrah Ocal, 17 Emre Aslan

England 8-0 Greece
19 August

England reached the semi-finals by beating Greece 8-0 and getting the seven-goal winning margin they needed to go through.

Eesa Amjid was the hero, scoring five and winning a penalty in an outstanding display to inspire the team to the biggest victory at the tournament so far.

Sitting three points behind second-placed Germany in Group A, England needed a victory. Then, they needed France to beat Germany in their match later on Wednesday afternoon, and for a seven-goal swing between them and Germany.

That’s exactly what happened as France made it three wins from three in Group A with a 1-0 triumph over Germany.

Amjid built on his solo strike in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw against Germany with another brilliant individual effort to open the scoring in this match.

The forward picked up the ball midway through the Para Lions’ half and dribbled past two players before firing into the left corner from outside the penalty area.

He then doubled England’s advantage one minute later, getting to the ball first on the edge of the area, skilfully shifting past two players and powering the ball into the roof of the net.

Shimwell then struck twice, first finding the right corner of the net with a penalty after Amjid was brought down in the area by Dimos Zacharos, before skipping around two players and cleverly scooping the ball into the roof of the net.

Half-time: England 4-0 Greece

Amjid then completed a deserved hat-trick, powering the ball high into the net after being set on a close-range free-kick.

He struck again with five minutes left, with more trickery before drilling the ball low into the right corner from distance.

And Amjid made it five for him and seven for England with a strike from just outside the area after cutting inside from the left corner.

Shimwell completed a hat-trick of his own with a strike into the left corner with two minutes remaining.

Full-time: England 8-0 Greece

England starting XI: 1 Dylan Malpas (GK), 6 Efe Shimwell, 7 Toby Addison, 8 Rainbow Mbuangi, 10 Eesa Amjid

Greece starting XI: 1 Konstantinos Alamisis (GK), 2 Stratos Englezos, 4 Paraskevas Ampatzis, 6 Nikolaos Gkagkoulis, 7 Adriano Bezhan

Germany 1-1 England
Tuesday 18 August

England picked up their first point of the IBSA European Blind Football Championship campaign with a 1-1 draw against Germany on Tuesday. 

It was a tale of two magnificent solo goals, with Eesa Amjid putting England ahead in the first half before Taime Kuttig levelled after the break. 

Following the 4-1 opening-day defeat to host nation France, the first notable chance came for Germany on six minutes, when Kuttig forced a good save from Dylan Malpus before Alexander Fangmann was denied from close range on the rebound.

After nine minutes, England captain Roy Turnham picked the ball up from a short corner, weaved his way to the edge of the penalty area and dragged his shot wide.

Amjid gave England the lead with a superb solo run and finish after 13 minutes, weaving past two Germany players before firing powerfully past the opposition goalkeeper. 

Within the next four minutes, Amjid nearly doubled his and England’s tally, going on another mazy run from the halfway line before hitting the left-hand post.

Half-time: Germany 0-1 England

In the second half, Shimwell went closest in the early stages, hitting the post with a lifted effort through a crowd of defenders from close range.

Then, moments after Amjid’s long-range strike flew narrowly wide, Kuttig went on a fine solo run and found the inside of the left-hand post, to level for Germany.

Neither side could find a breakthrough, leaving the Para Lions third in the group with one match left.

Full-time: Germany 1-1 England

Germany starting XI: 1 Sebastian Themel (GK), 5 Rasmus Narjes, 7 Taime Kuttig, 8 Mulgheta Russom, 10 Alexander Fangmann

England starting XI: 1 Dylan Malpas (GK), 6 Efe Shimwell, 7 Toby Addison, 9 Roy Turnham, 10 Eesa Amjid.

France 4-1 England
Monday 17 August 2026

England suffered a 4-1 defeat at the hands of hosts France in the opening game of the IBSA European Blind Football Championship in Strasbourg on Monday.

Four goals from France’s Frédéric Villeroux put Les Bleus in control, despite Roy Turnham pulling a goal back for the Para Lions.

England started brightly, with Eesa Amjid having two great opportunities just a minute apart within the opening five minutes of the first half.

Frenchman Villeroux then opened the scoring for the hosts on five minutes, dribbling past three England players to place the ball into the bottom corner of Dylan Malpas’ goal.

Roy Turnham (pictured above) almost netted an equaliser in the eighth minute, forcing a smart near-post save from French goalkeeper Alessandro Bartolomucci.

Villeroux found the net again in the 13th minute, nutmegging Malpas to extend the hosts’ lead.

Shimwell came close to regaining a goal for the Para Lions, firing just over the bar from close-range after some clever build-up play.

Half-time: France 2-0 England

Efe Shimwell was agonisingly close to finding the net for England in the second minute of the second half, though his short-range effort was dragged just wide of the right-hand post.

England found the net in superb style from a set piece following a first ‘team foul’ from France, with Turnham dribbling forward from the free-kick to find the bottom left-hand corner.

Villeroux netted his hat-trick just five minutes into the second half, to put further pressure on England.

Villeroux added a fourth for France halfway through the second half, dribbling past several England players to finish with the outside of his right boot.

Full-time: France 4-1 England

France starting XI: 1 Alessandro Bartolomucci, 5 Hakim Arezki, 6 Martin Baron, 9 Khalifa Youmé, 10 Frédéric Villeroux.

England starting XI: 1 Dylan Malpas (GK), 6 Efe Shimwell, 7 Toby Addison, 9 Roy Turnham, 10 Eesa Amjid.