The 2025 girls’s European Championship kicks off in Switzerland on July 2, when 16 groups can have the possibility to get their fingers on the enduring trophy. However how a lot are you aware in regards to the match that began formally in 1984? Utilizing the alphabet, listed here are some info you may not have come throughout earlier than.
A is for … Angerer, Nadine: Switzerland’s goalkeeping coach and former Germany custodian is certainly one of two gamers, alongside compatriot Birgit Prinz, to earn 5 Euros winners’ medals. The spotlight of her quintet got here within the ultimate in 2013, when her two penalty saves helped Germany beat Norway 1-0. She gained the Participant of the Match award and, in 2014, grew to become the primary goalkeeper, and first girl, to win the FIFA World Participant of the 12 months.
B is for … Breakthrough?: Alongside Norway, Italy have missed just one occasion since 1984 and have appeared in essentially the most European Championships (this yr shall be their thirteenth). Nevertheless, not like their Nordic counterparts, they’re but to win it, making them the crew with essentially the most finals appearances (12) with out lifting the trophy. Le Azzurre have twice been runners-up, in 1993 and 1997, and have additionally reached the semifinals 4 occasions.
C is for … Coultard, Gillian: The England trailblazer is the document holder for most ladies’s Euros appearances, with 61 (together with qualifying matches). She performed within the ultimate in 1984, through which the Lionesses misplaced to Sweden on penalties, earlier than turning into the primary English girl to achieve 100 caps. She was awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Glorious Order of the British Empire) for providers to soccer 20 years after retiring.
D is for … Die Nationalelf: Germany have lengthy been the dominant power at Europe’s prime desk. They’ve gained the competitors eight occasions in complete, together with six occasions in a row between 1995 and 2013. They’ve performed extra matches than anybody else, 46, profitable 36 of them, additionally a document. They’ve scored essentially the most targets (107) and boast the very best objective distinction (+80) … you get the image.
E is for … European Competitors for Consultant Girls’s Groups: The primary three iterations of the Euros (in 1984, 1987 and 1989) had been named the “European Competitors for Consultant Girls’s Groups.” This modified in 1990 due to UEFA’s rising acceptance of the ladies’s sport, when it was renamed and awarded European Championship standing.
F is for … First-timers: Three groups have gained the Euros on the first try. Sweden set the bar, defeating England on penalties in 1984 due to Pia Sundhage who scored the decisive spot-kick after netting thrice within the semifinals and within the first leg of the ultimate. Norway repeated the feat in 1987 on dwelling soil, at Sweden’s expense, whereas Germany’s dominance started at their first time of asking, in 1989. On dwelling soil, they beat Italy within the semifinal in what was the primary televised match on German TV, earlier than thrashing favorites Norway.
G is for … Groundhog Day: Speaking of Germany vs. Norway, the 2 nations have met in 4 finals. They swapped blows in 1989 when, as West Germany, the house nation stunned their opponents with a 4-1 win. Two years later, Germany gained once more, 3-1 after extra-time. They met for a 3rd time in 2005, and once more in 2013, when Germany made it a clear sweep. The 2 nations have met 10 occasions in complete in Euros finals historical past, greater than another fixture.
0:31
Bonmatí: Spain deserved extra from final Euros vs. England
Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí speaks about her hopes of profitable the Girls’s European Championship.
H is for … Hat-trick heroes: There have been solely six hat tips on the Girls’s European Championships, with each England’s Beth Mead (in opposition to Norway) and France’s Grace Geyoro (in opposition to Italy) becoming a member of the unique membership in 2022. Arguably essentially the most spectacular was Sweden sub Lena Videkull, who netted three targets in 17 minutes within the semifinal second leg vs. Norway in 1995. She boasts the quickest treble, although Norway’s Marianne Pettersen is the youngest hat trick scorer; she was simply 22 years and 79 days previous when she hit three in opposition to Denmark in 1997.
I is for … Within the dugout: Germany’s Tina Theune-Meyer is essentially the most profitable coach in girls’s European Championship historical past, profitable 13 of her 15 matches in cost between 1997 and 2005. Theune, who in 1985 grew to become the primary girl in Germany to earn the DfB Fußball-Lehrer license, gained three Euros within the scorching seat, plus one other three as assistant. Sarina Wiegman is the one coach to win the Euros with two nations (Netherlands in 2017 and England in 2022).
J is for … Joint-top: Two gamers prime the ladies’s Euro goal-scoring charts, with Germany duo Inka Grings and Birgit Prinz netting 10 targets apiece. Grings can lay declare to being essentially the most prolific, netting 4 occasions in 2005 and 6 in 2009.
Ok is for … Knockout queens: In terms of profitable knockout matches, a Germany duo leads the way in which. Midfielder Doris Fitschen (1989-2001), thought-about essentially the most profitable German feminine footballer of all time, and Prinz once more (1995-2009), a five-time Euros winner, have performed in essentially the most knockout matches (11).
L is for … Loss: When Norway had been overwhelmed within the 2013 ultimate, you’d have anticipated them to return all weapons blazing 4 years later. They arrived within the Netherlands in 2017 because the fifth-highest ranked nation, however misplaced all three group video games to seal a shocking early exit. Furthermore, they returned dwelling with out scoring a objective — outstanding given their assault was led by Ada Hegerberg, the then-UEFA Finest Girls’s Participant in Europe.
M is for … Morace, Carolina (Italy): The very best objective scorer in Euros historical past (together with finals matches and qualifiers) is Italy ahead Carolina Morace. She made her worldwide debut aged simply 14, and scored 42 of her 105 targets within the Euros earlier than taking cost of the nationwide crew as supervisor between 2000-2005. Extra lately, she certified as a lawyer and was elected to the European Parliament in 2024.
N is for … Neid, Silvia: A former participant and coach, Neid has a particular place within the hearts of German soccer followers as a result of she has been concerned in all eight of their Euro triumphs. She was victorious as a participant in 1989, 1991 and 1995; then as assistant coach to Tina Theune-Meyer in 1997, 2001 and 2005; after which as head coach in 2009 and 2013. She was named the FIFA Girls’s Coach of the 12 months thrice.
O is for … Oldest participant: Present Paris FC coach Sandrine Soubeyrand made historical past as a participant in 2013, when she performed for France in opposition to Denmark aged 39 years and 340 days. It was her fifth Euros as a France worldwide. She retired shortly afterwards and stays the nation’s most-capped footballer.
P is for … Pellerud, Even: The previous Norway coach was simply 39 years and 354 days previous when he guided his nation to victory on the 1993 finals due to a slender 1-0 win in opposition to Italy. Two years later, he was within the dugout when Norway grew to become the primary Europeans to raise the World Cup.
1:53
How will England cope after senior Lionesses’ departures?
Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens talk about how the retirements of Mary Earps and Fran Kirby, and the withdrawal of Millie Shiny will influence England’s Euro 2025 marketing campaign.
Q is for … Quatre: The Euros has advanced into the 16-team match we all know and love in the present day, however from 1984 till 1995 simply 4 groups competed for the trophy. Sixteen groups tried to qualify through 4 teams, with solely the highest crew heading into the match correct. Eight nations took half in 1997; two years later it was 16.
R is for … Document breakers: England did not simply win the Euros in 2022 on dwelling soil, they did so in swashbuckling type. They recorded the largest margin of victory in Euros’ historical past due to their 8-0 drubbing of Norway, which in flip contributed to 14 group targets, one other document. They completed the competitors with 22 targets, a Euros excessive, and lifted the trophy in entrance of the largest attendance (87,192) within the competitors’s historical past.
S is for … Spot-kick success: Norway boast a 100% document in penalty shootouts. In 1991, they wanted eight penalties to see off Denmark within the semifinals, earlier than Gro Espeseth lastly broke Danish hearts. Denmark had been the opponents once more in 2013, on the semifinal stage, when 4 spot-kicks had been required to separate the 2 sides. Speaking of Denmark, they have been in essentially the most penalty shootouts (4), profitable twice.
T is for … Time to attain: France had been quickest out of the blocks in opposition to Iceland in 2022, as Melvine Malard slotted dwelling from the sting of the field after simply 43 seconds to open the scoring and safe the quickest Euros objective. Although Iceland equalized late on, 12 minutes into damage time.
1:27
All it is advisable to learn about Group B on the Girls’s Euros
Check out some key info for Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Italy forward of the Girls’s European Championship.
U is for … Unbeaten: Such was Germany’s Euros dominance for twenty years that they boast not solely the longest sequence of matches with out defeat (26) but additionally one of the best run of consecutive victories (19). This outstanding run began in opposition to Denmark in 1997 and ended with a stalemate in opposition to Netherlands in 2013, a mere blip, as they gained the following 5 matches to go all the way in which. Once more.
V is for … Volley: There have been volleyed targets aplenty at Euro 2022, together with Alexandra Popp’s net-buster in opposition to France for Germany and Ella Toone’s close-range end for England in opposition to Spain. Nevertheless, neither can lay a glove on Angelique Roujas’ spectacular contact and looping effort for France in opposition to Russia in 1997. Roujas’ stunner was one a part of a hat trick performed out in entrance of simply 626 followers in Karlstad, Sweden.
W is for … West Berlin: Roots of the European Championship as we all know it in the present day had been sown in West Germany in 1957, when 4 groups took half in a match staged by the Worldwide Women Soccer Affiliation. At the moment, girls’s soccer groups had been banned by the German FA, however England, West Germany, Netherlands and Austria defied the authorities to participate within the round-robin held at Poststadion.
X is for … X-rated: There should have been one thing within the water on the 2017 Euros held within the Netherlands, because it noticed essentially the most playing cards awarded within the historical past of the competitors to this point. There have been three purple playing cards and a outstanding 90 yellows. Furthermore, by the quarterfinal stage, 13% (7) of the 53 targets scored got here through the penalty spot.
Y is for … Younger gun: Norway striker Isabell Herlovsen was simply 16 years and 351 days previous when she discovered the online in a 1-1 draw in opposition to France in June 2005. This made her not solely the youngest participant at that competitors, but additionally the youngest scorer in girls’s Euros historical past. And she or he discovered the online once more within the semifinals.
Z is for … Zero: Norway’s protection stood agency after they gained the competitors in 1993, beating Denmark 1-0 within the semifinals and Italy by the identical scoreline within the ultimate. Their good document included the qualifying spherical, after they scored 24 targets of their 4 matches with out keeper Manuela Goller having to choose the ball out of her internet as soon as.
