Lauren James' top five England games

From first goals to major tournament breakthroughs, England forward Lauren James has already delivered a series of defining moments on the international stage.

Here, she picks out five of her standout England games.

Austria 0-2 England, September 2022

James made her England debut, aged just 20, in a 2-0 victory over Austria in September 2022, coming into the squad following Lionesses’ historic EURO triumph on home soil the previous summer.

And there was no better time to burst onto the scene and introduce herself, having previously represented her country at youth level.

“On the back of the EUROs, it was the perfect way to come in," she said. "Women’s football was on the rise, the team had just won the EUROs and I probably came in at a good time.”

And, coincidentally, it was the game that saw the Lionesses qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 - which James would go on to play in - with Alessia Russo and Nikita Parris making the scoresheet.

England 2-1 USA, October 2022

Just a month after making her senior bow, James’ first England start came at Wembley against the USA - the world champions, no less - marking a major early milestone in her international career.

“My first start for England came against USA at Wembley,” James recalled. “It was special because I’d been waiting to make my debut and when I got the call-up, I was thinking, 'OK, I’ve got to stay here now'."

And what an occasion it was. The Lionesses ran out 2-1 winners in front of a sell-out Wembley on their homecoming at the national stadium to continue a remarkable calendar year.

England 1-0 Denmark, July 2023

A defining moment came against Denmark, where - after making Sarina Wiegman's squad for the World Cup in Australia - James scored her first tournament goal in Sydney.

“It was actually my first start at the World Cup and it was a chance to show why I started and I guess I paid them back with the goal!” she said.

“It’s crazy to score at the World Cup. Your head kind of blows up within seconds so it was all a bit mad in the moment.”

It proved to be the only goal of the game as England made it two wins from two in Group D, going on to top the table to advance to the knockout stages.

China 1-6 England, August 2023

Another standout World Cup memory came against China, where James contributed two goals and three assists in a dominant display to round off the group stage and book England's place in the round of 16.

“I just remember anything that left my foot seemed to hit the net,” she said. "It’s amazing to be involved in games like this. Once the score line is high then you can just have fun with it.”

And boss Wiegman was full of praise for the forward - who, in her words, made 'special things' happen - after the game

“The experience to play in a World Cup and the atmosphere was huge," reflected James. "I’d say it was bigger than the EUROs.”

England 4-0 Netherlands, July 2025

More recently, the Chelsea star identified England's victory over the Netherlands as an important game in her development, returning from a spell on the sidelines.

She opened the scoring with 22 minutes on the watch before doubling her own tally on the hour mark as the Lionesses bounced back from defeat in their UEFA Women's EURO 2025 opener to show everybody just what they were capable of.

“I think that was a good game for me to get off the mark,” she said. “I’d just come back from a long injury and to find some rhythm, those were the first games I was coming back from. It was manic to play in these tournaments.”

And England came out on top, retaining their European crown in Switzerland as James won her first major honour with her country.

“Any tournament you win is a good tournament,” said James. “We had a difficult start but it was very up and down - late equaliser, late winners, going through on penalties. We managed to get through with every situation possible.”