2025 UEFA Women's Nations League league Matchday 1: Stunning Spain comeback as Austria, France, Italy, Sweden open with wins

Friday, February 21, 2025

Spain scored twice in added time to beat Belgium as Austria, France, Italy and Sweden also won in Group A.

Spain celebrate their dramatic winner against Belgium Getty Images

Spain scored twice in added time to gain a dramatic win and begin their UEFA Women's Nations League title defence, while Austria and Italy also started with victories in League A.

Belgium led 2-0 in Spain with 13 minutes left but the world champions produced a dramatic Group A3 turnaround ahead of Wednesday's trip to Wembley to play England, who drew 1-1 in Portugal. France, who lost the first Nations League final to Spain a year ago, won 1-0 against Norway in Group A2, where UEFA Women's EURO 2025 hosts Switzerland drew 0-0 with Iceland.

The two other 2023/24 Nations League semi-finalists, the Netherlands and Germany, drew 2-2 as Austria won in Group A1, 1-0 against Scotland. In Group A4, Sweden won 2-1 in Denmark and Italy defeated Wales 1-0.

Marie-Antoinette Katoto struck France's winner against NorwayGetty Images

There were mixed fortunes for the two teams in League B who will be at the Women's EURO finals; Poland defeated Northern Ireland 2-0 but Finland were beaten 1-0 in Serbia. Also winning in League B were Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Hungary, the Republic of Ireland, Slovenia and Ukraine.

Two teams made their senior women's competitive debuts in Group C; Liechtenstein were defeated in Armenia and Gibraltar lost to a heartbreaking added-time goal in Moldova. Cyprus, Georgia, Israel, Kosovo and Slovakia also tasted victory.

The four League A group winners qualify for the finals in the autumn. The group standings also determine the teams contesting promotion and relegation matches to establish their starting league position in the Women's European Qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, running through 2026.

Standings

League A

Group A1

Netherlands 2-2 Germany
Lineth Beerensteyn, who has been in prolific form in Germany for Wolfsburg, gave the Netherlands the lead against their fellow 2023/24 Nations League semi-finalists after being found by a Veerle Buurman through ball. Germany levelled just before half-time when Lea Schüller headed in a Klara Bühl cross.

Five minutes after the break, Jule Brand set up Sjoeke Nüsken to give Germany the advantage. However, in the 66th minute Beerensteyn produced a looping header from substitute Chastity Grant's cross to make it 2-2.

Austria 1-0 Scotland
Austria won the meeting of the two League A sides who missed out on Women's EURO 2025. Scotland had early chances but Austria went ahead in the 14th minute when Lilli Purtscheller pounced on a loose ball in the box to strike.

Manuela Zinsberger denied Emma Lawton and Kirsty Hanson with a vital double save on the half-hour to keep Austria in front. After the break Austria had the better of the play as they secured the three points.

Tuesday's fixtures
Germany vs Austria
Scotland vs Netherlands

Group A2

France 1-0 Norway
France celebrated victory in Toulouse on a night when Eugénie Le Sommer came off the bench to equal Sandrine Soubeyrand's record of 198 caps for Les Bleues. Norway edged the first-half play and went closest when Caroline Graham Hansen hit the crossbar from distance.

France, though, presented the greater threat in the second half with Selma Bacha and Sandy Baltimore going close. And in the 73rd minute substitute Marie-Antoinette Katoto bundled home a Bacha corner to seal the points.

Switzerland 0-0 Iceland
In their first match of a year when they host Women's EURO, Switzerland finished goalless against one of their July finals opponents.

At Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich, also to be a venue this summer, Switzerland began with teenagers Iman Beney and Sydney Schertenleib up front less than two years after they helped their nation to the EURO semis at Under-17 level, but they were not able to find a way through and Iceland too were frustrated.

Tuesday's fixtures
Norway vs Switzerland
France vs Iceland

Group A3

Spain 3-2 Belgium
Spain, who beat Belgium twice in Women's EURO qualifying and face them again in the finals on 3 July, had most of the play but were behind just past the quarter-hour when a Tessa Wullaert cross was only half-cleared and Mariam Toloba volleyed in. Belgium lost Saar Janssen to injury but held out to half-time and on 72 minutes went two up as Toloba sent Wullaert clear to beat Cata Coll.

Five minutes later Clàudia Pina pulled one back with a curling effort and early in added time Aitana Bonmatí and Salma Paralluelo combined to set up Lucía García to equalise. And as time ran out the ball fell at the feet of another Spain substitute, Cristina Martin-Prieto to ensure the world champions began their campaign with a last-gasp 3-2 victory, just as in the previous edition on Matchday 1 in Sweden.

Portugal 1-1 England
England took a 15th-minute lead when Lauren James found Lucy Bronze on the touchline, and her cross was volleyed home by Alessia Russo.

Kika Nazareth was brought on just before the hour and with 14 minutes left she ran on to Ana Capeta's ball, held off Grace Clinton and looped a shot past Mary Earps. With Nazareth a constant threat, Portugal might even have forced a winner against the European champions.

Wednesday's fixtures
Belgium vs Portugal
England vs Spain

Group A4

Denmark 1-2 Sweden
Sweden took a seventh-minute lead when Hanna Bennison's cross from the left was volleyed towards goal by Linda Sembradt and although the ball was parried by Maja Bay Østergaard, it rolled in despite Stine Ballisager's best efforts on the line. Pernille Harder levelled from the spot in the 17th minute following a handball by Sembrant.

Nine minutes into the second half a ferocious left-footed strike by Fridolina Rolfö restored Sweden's lead. And that proved enough for Sweden to defeat their neighbours, who after these two Nations League meetings meet again at Women's EURO on 5 July.

Italy 1-0 Wales
Italy made a winning start thanks to an early goal as Barbara Bonansea headed in Manuela Giugliano's fifth-minute corner.

Wales, for who Hayley Ladd won her 100th cap, came into the game as the first half went on but Italy continued to have the better chances. That pattern continued in the second half with Martina Piemonte, Arianna Caruso and Giulia Dragoni all going close and Olivia Clark the busier keeper.

Tuesday's fixtures
Italy vs Denmark
Wales vs Sweden

League B

League C

Group C1

Friday's results
Moldova 1-0 Gibraltar
Slovakia 3-0 Faroe Islands

Tuesday's fixtures
Slovakia vs Moldova
Gibraltar vs Faroe Islands

Group C2

Friday's results
Georgia 2-1 Andorra
Cyprus 2-1 Malta

Tuesday's fixtures
Cyprus vs Georgia
Malta vs Andorra

Group C3

Friday's results
Armenia 6-1 Liechtenstein
Luxembourg 2-2 Kazakhstan

Tuesday's fixtures
Armenia vs Kazakhstan
Luxembourg vs Liechtenstein

Group C4

Friday's result
Azerbaijan 0-0 Montenegro

Tuesday's fixture
Montenegro vs Lithuania

Group C5

Friday's result
Bulgaria 1-3 Israel

Tuesday's fixture
Israel vs Estonia

Group C6

Friday's result
North Macedonia 0-4 Kosovo

Tuesday's fixture
Kosovo vs Latvia

2025 UEFA Women's Nations League calendar

League stage
Matchday 2: 25/26 February
Matchday 3: 4 April
Matchday 4: 8 April
Matchday 5: 30 May
Matchday 6: 3 June

Finals
Draw: 6 June 2025, Nyon (date TBC)
Semi-finals (two legs): Between 22 and 28 October 2025
Final/third-place play-off (two legs): Between 26 November and 2 December 2025

Promotion/relegation play-offs
Draw: 6 June 2025, Nyon (date TBC)
Matches (two legs): Between 22 and 28 October 2025

Who plays in the UEFA Women's Nations League finals?

The four League A group winners qualify for the knockout finals.

How do the UEFA Women's Nations League finals work?

In a change from the first edition, all the ties will be played over two legs. As previously, there will be two semi-finals, a third-place play-off and a final. A draw will determine the ties and the home team in each of the first legs.

The final winners are declared the UEFA Nations League winners.

Who is promoted or relegated or goes into play-offs?

League A

The top two teams in each group remain in League A for the European Qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.

The four third-placed teams play off over two legs against the second-placed teams in each group of League B. The winners of each tie will play in League A for the European Qualifiers phase; the defeated teams will play in League B.

The fourth-placed teams are relegated to League B.

League B

The four group winners are promoted to League A.

The four second-placed teams play off over two legs against the third-placed teams in League A. The winners of each tie will play in League A; the defeated teams will play in League B.

The two best third-placed teams play off over two legs against the two best-ranked second-placed teams of League C. The winners will play in League B for the European Qualifiers phase; the defeated teams will play in League C.

The two lowest-ranked third-placed teams and the four fourth-placed teams are relegated to League C.

League C

The six group winners are promoted to League B.

The two best-ranked second-placed teams play off over two legs against the two best third-placed teams of League B. The winners will play in League B for the European Qualifiers phase; the defeated teams will play in League C.

The remaining teams stay in League C.