Women's EURO 2025 beginner's guide: How it works, contenders, tickets

UEFA Women's EURO 2025 runs from 2 to 27 July in Switzerland.

Read our full guide to what looks like being another blockbuster tournament.

Women's EURO 2025: Key info

How long has Women's EURO been going?

The first UEFA European Competition for Representative Women's Teams ran from 1982 to 1984 and was won by Sweden. After that a four-team final tournament was introduced, and a rise in status gave birth to the UEFA European Women's Championship in 1991.

For 1997, the finals moved to eight teams with a group stage and was played every four years. The final tournament expanded to 12 teams in 2009, and 16 in 2017. The 2021 edition was postponed a year due to COVID but the regular schedule returns in 2025.

When and where are the Women's EURO games?

It all kicks off at 18:00 CET on Wednesday 2 July at Arena Thun when Iceland play Finland. Three hours later hosts Switzerland kick off against Norway in Basel, where St. Jakob-Park also hosts the final on Sunday 27 July at 18:00 CET. In between matches are also at Stadion Wankdorf in Bern, Stade de Genève in Geneva, Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich, Arena St.Gallen in St.Gallen, Allmend Stadion Luzern in Lucerne and Stade de Tourbillon in Sion.

How does Women's EURO work?

There are four groups of four teams, with the top two in each progressing to the quarter-finals, after which it is straight knockout. Games level after 90 minutes go to extra time and, if needed, penalties.

Who are the favourites to win Women's EURO?

England are the defending champions after victory at home in 2022 gave them their first major senior trophy, and reached the following year's FIFA Women's World Cup final. They lost to Spain, who claimed their maiden senior title after multiple world and European successes at youth level, and La Roja followed it up by winning the first UEFA Women's Nations League in February 2024.

Germany, who took England to extra time in the 2022 final at Wembley, won six editions of this tournament in a row from 1995 to 2013, and have lifted the trophy in eight of the 13 finals as well as claiming two World Cups and 2016 Olympic gold. Netherlands won as hosts in 2017 but showed it was no fluke by reaching the Women's World Cup final two years later. The coach that masterminded those successes, Sarina Wiegman, then moved on to England, where she repeated those feats, but Netherlands remain among the elite.

France were often tipped to win trophies in the 2010s, not least due to Lyon's club success in the same period, but had to wait until last year to reach a first senior final in the Nations League. Nordic teams have always been a force and Sweden completed an all-European top three in the World Cup as they took bronze, while Norway can call on superstars like Caroline Graham Hansen and Ada Hegerberg, and Pernille Harder's Denmark should not be written off either.

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What about the other Women's EURO contenders?

Switzerland have a tough task if they are to make it three host champions in a row but coach Pia Sundhage has a long record of masterminding long runs in a major tournaments with the United States, Sweden and Brazil. Italy finished above Netherlands and Norway in their qualifying group and have a fine pedigree while Iceland are in their fifth final tournament in a row.

Belgium reached the quarter-finals in 2022 ahead of Italy, who again stand in their way in a group that also contains fast-improving Portugal. Finland have not got past the group stage since 2009 but against Iceland, Norway and Switzerland could put that right while in their debut final tournaments, Poland (featuring the prolific Ewa Pajor) and Wales have been handed tough draws but have already upset the odds just by qualifying.

How big will the crowds be?

England 2022 smashed all records with 87,192 attending the final in in all 574,865 fans attending the 31 matches, more than double the previous record. With seats starting from CHF 25, including free train travel within Switzerland for all ticket-holders, the aim is to beat that mark.

By March more than 500,000 tickets had already been sold, including around 90,000 in the 24 hours after December's draw.

Refereeing technologies: Is there VAR in Women's EURO?

The exact same technologies used at men's UEFA EURO 2024 will also be implemented at Women's EURO 2025 – video assistant referee (VAR), goal-line technology (GLT), connected ball technology and semi-automated offside technology (SAOT). Notably, both connected ball technology and SAOT will be used at the Women's EURO for the first time. The VAR+football technologies hub for the tournament will be based in Nyon.

Past finals

UEFA European Women's Championship

16 teams
2022: England 2-1 Germany (aet); Wembley, England
2017: Netherlands 4-2 Denmark; Enschede, Netherlands
12 teams
2013: Germany 1-0 Norway; Solna, Sweden
2009: Germany 6-2 England; Helsinki, Finland
8 teams
2005: Germany 3-1 Norway; Blackburn, England
2001: Germany 1-0 Sweden (aet, golden goal); Ulm, Germany
Two-legged knockout, one-off final
1995: Germany 3-2 Sweden; Kaiserslautern, Germany
Four-team knockout
1993: Norway 1-0 Italy; Cesena, Italy
1991: Germany 3-1 Norway (aet); Aalborg, Denmark

UEFA European Competition for Representative Women's Teams

Four-team knockout
1989: West Germany 4-1 Norway; Osnabruck, West Germany
1987: Norway 2-1 Sweden; Oslo, Norway
Two-legged knockout
1984: Sweden 1-1 England (4-3 pens); two legs, Gothenburg and Luton

Who are the 16 contenders?

Belgium

Reached the quarter-finals for the first time in 2022 and spearheaded by prolific Tessa Wullaert.

Denmark

Surprise finalists in 2017, with Harder among their stars then and now.

England

Stormed to the 2022 amid an outpouring of home support and then made the World Cup final.

Finland

Boreal Owls do not draw attention to themselves but are spectacular when seen and the team nicknamed after them does likewise, reaching the semi-finals on debut in 2005.

France

Semi-finalists in 2022, pipped by hosts Australia in an epic penalty shoot-out in the 2023 World Cup quarter-finals and runners-up in the first Nations League in 2024, Les Bleues seem to be gearing up to finally claim a first senior honour.

Germany

Champion in 1989 and 1991. And 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2013. Not to mention the 2003 and 2007 World Cups and 2016 Olympics. Took England to extra time in the EURO 2022 final and beat Spain for 2024 Olympic bronze.

Iceland

Their men's team charmed the world at UEFA EURO 2016, but Iceland's women are veterans at this level. This is their fifth final tournament in a row.

Italy

The Azzurre were one of the early forces in this competition and are on the rise again.

Netherlands

Aiming to claim back the trophy they won in 2017 and not short of top-class talent spread across Europe's top leagues, as well as some emerging prodigies.

Norway

Two-time winners, Norway went out in the group stage in 2017 and 2022 but a team with stars like Graham Hansen, Hegerberg, Frida Maanum and Guro Reiten ought to be considered among the contenders.

Poland

On their major tournament debut and boast the prolific Pajor, one of several squad members who were part of the ground-breaking 2012/13 UEFA European Women's Under-17 Championship victory.

Portugal

Now in a third straight final tournament, Benfica's European runs in recent years attests to the growing pool of Portuguese talent.

Spain

The 2023 World Cup was their senior breakthrough and with Ballon d'Or laureates Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas just two of their many options, could add the last of UEFA's current national-team trophies that Spain have never won.

Sweden

World Cup bronze in 2019 and 2023, Olympic silver in 2021 and EURO semi-finalists in 2022; the gold is all that is missing for this squad who under Peter Gerhardsson (stepping down after this tournament) have become finals specialists.

Switzerland

As hosts Switzerland have a lot to live up to but coach Sundhage won the 1984 title for Sweden as a player and got them an impressive 2016 Olympic silver medal as coach; she had led the United States to two Olympic golds and in 2022 won the Copa América Femenina with Brazil.

Wales

Like Poland in their first major tournament, having shown nerves of steel against both Slovakia and the Republic of Ireland in the play-offs. The talisman is Jess Fishlock, who made her debut in 2006 and became their all-time leading scorer during this historic qualifying campaign.