Looking forward to UEFA Women’s EURO 2017
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
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The football family gathered in Rotterdam for the UEFA Women's EURO 2017 draw, with the stage set for a thrilling 16-team tournament in the Netherlands next summer.
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Taking place from 16 July to 6 August 2017 across seven venues in the Netherlands, UEFA Women's EURO 2017 promises to be one of the most exciting pan-European sports events of next summer.
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, who made the journey to Rotterdam for Tuesday's final draw, said during his speech at the Luxor Theatre: "The 2017 UEFA European Women's Championship is an event that will write another important chapter in the flourishing history of women's football."
With the final tournament field expanded from 12 teams to 16, the best European women's national teams will compete for the title last won by Germany in 2013.
The finals draw was conducted by the Dutch women's national team's all-time top scorer of the Manon Melis and Nadine Kessler, a UEFA Women's Football Development Ambassador as well as a member of Germany's UEFA Women's EURO 2013-winning side.
German Football Association (DFB) president Reinhard Grindel handed the UEFA European Women's Championship trophy back to the UEFA President, who in turn gave it to the president of the host national association, Michael van Praag of the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB).
UEFA continues to work closely with the KNVB on the organisation of UEFA Women's EURO 2017. The host country has shown an outstanding dedication and enthusiasm in preparing the tournament.
The UEFA President, meanwhile, reminded the audience that he will continue to support women's football – both the elite competitions and women's football development programmes – in UEFA's 55 national associations.
"I am fully committed to women's football and I can assure you that UEFA will continue to support its member associations in creating and building fruitful initiatives, programmes and strategies in this respect."
Click on the video player to learn more about the 16 teams in UEFA Women's EURO 2017.