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Nick JuddJun 28, 2025, 06:00 AM ET
The 2025 women's European Championship kicks disconnected successful Switzerland connected Wednesday, erstwhile 16 teams volition person the accidental to get their hands connected the iconic trophy. But however overmuch bash you cognize astir the tourney that officially started successful 1984? Using the alphabet, present are immoderate facts you mightiness not person travel crossed before.
A is for ... Angerer, Nadine: Switzerland's goalkeeping manager and erstwhile Germany custodian is 1 of 2 players, alongside compatriot Birgit Prinz, to gain 5 Euros winners' medals. The item of her quintet came successful the last successful 2013, erstwhile her 2 punishment saves helped Germany bushed Norway 1-0. She won the Player of the Match grant and, successful 2014, became the archetypal goalkeeper, and archetypal woman, to triumph the FIFA World Player of the Year.
B is for ... Breakthrough? Alongside Norway, Italy person missed lone 1 lawsuit since 1984 and person appeared successful the astir European Championships (this twelvemonth volition beryllium their 13th). However, dissimilar their Nordic counterparts, they're yet to triumph it, making them the squad with the astir finals appearances (12) without lifting the trophy. Le Azzurre person doubly been runners-up, successful 1993 and 1997, and person besides reached the semifinals 4 times.
C is for ... Coultard, Gillian: The England trailblazer is the grounds holder for astir women's Euros appearances, with 61 (including qualifying matches). She played successful the last successful 1984, successful which the Lionesses mislaid to Sweden connected penalties, earlier becoming the archetypal English pistillate to scope 100 caps. She was awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for services to shot 20 years aft retiring.
D is for ... Die Nationalelf: Germany person agelong been the ascendant unit astatine Europe's apical table. They've won the contention 8 times successful total, including six times successful a enactment betwixt 1995 and 2013. They've played much matches than anyone else, 46, winning 36 of them, besides a record. They've scored the astir goals (107) and boast the highest extremity quality (+80) ... you get the picture.
E is for ... European Competition for Representative Women's Teams: The archetypal 3 iterations of the Euros (in 1984, 1987 and 1989) were named the "European Competition for Representative Women's Teams." This changed successful 1990 acknowledgment to UEFA's increasing acceptance of the women's game, erstwhile it was renamed and awarded European Championship status.
F is for ... First-timers: Three teams person won the Euros astatine the archetypal attempt. Sweden acceptable the bar, defeating England connected penalties successful 1984 acknowledgment to Pia Sundhage who scored the decisive spot-kick aft netting 3 times successful the semifinals and successful the archetypal limb of the final. Norway repeated the feat successful 1987 connected location soil, astatine Sweden's expense, portion Germany's dominance began astatine their archetypal clip of asking, successful 1989. On location soil, they bushed Italy successful the semifinal successful what was the archetypal televised lucifer connected German TV, earlier thrashing favorites Norway.
G is for ... Groundhog Day: Talking of Germany vs. Norway, the 2 nations person met successful 4 finals. They swapped blows successful 1989 when, arsenic West Germany, the location federation amazed their opponents with a 4-1 win. Two years later, Germany won again, 3-1 aft extra-time. They met for a 3rd clip successful 2005, and again successful 2013, erstwhile Germany made it a cleanable sweep. The 2 nations person met 10 times successful full successful Euros finals history, much than immoderate different fixture.
0:31
Bonmatí: Spain deserved much from past Euros vs. England
Spain's Aitana Bonmatí speaks astir her hopes of winning the Women's European Championship.
H is for ... Hat-trick heroes: There person been lone six chapeau tricks astatine the Women's European Championships, with some England's Beth Mead (against Norway) and France's Grace Geyoro (against Italy) joining the exclusive nine successful 2022. Arguably the astir awesome was Sweden sub Lena Videkull, who netted 3 goals successful 17 minutes successful the semifinal 2nd limb vs. Norway successful 1995. She boasts the fastest treble, though Norway's Marianne Pettersen is the youngest chapeau instrumentality scorer; she was conscionable 22 years and 79 days aged erstwhile she deed 3 against Denmark successful 1997.
I is for ... In the dugout: Germany's Tina Theune-Meyer is the astir palmy manager successful women's European Championship history, winning 13 of her 15 matches successful complaint betwixt 1997 and 2005. Theune, who successful 1985 became the archetypal pistillate successful Germany to gain the DfB Fußball-Lehrer license, won 3 Euros successful the blistery seat, positive different 3 arsenic assistant. Sarina Wiegman is the lone manager to triumph the Euros with 2 countries (Netherlands successful 2017 and England successful 2022).
J is for ... Joint-top: Two players apical the women's Euro goal-scoring charts, with Germany duo Inka Grings and Birgit Prinz netting 10 goals apiece. Grings tin laic assertion to being the astir prolific, netting 4 times successful 2005 and six successful 2009.
K is for ... Knockout queens: When it comes to winning knockout matches, a Germany duo leads the way. Midfielder Doris Fitschen (1989-2001), considered the astir palmy German pistillate footballer of each time, and Prinz again (1995-2009), a five-time Euros winner, person played successful the astir knockout matches (11).
L is for ... Loss: When Norway were beaten successful the 2013 final, you would person expected them to instrumentality each guns blazing 4 years later. They arrived successful the Netherlands successful 2017 arsenic the fifth-highest ranked nation, but mislaid each 3 radical games to seal a astonishing aboriginal exit. Moreover, they returned location without scoring a extremity -- singular fixed their onslaught was led by Ada Hegerberg, the then-UEFA Best Women's Player successful Europe.
M is for ... Morace, Carolina (Italy): The highest extremity scorer successful Euros past (including finals matches and qualifiers) is Italy guardant Carolina Morace. She made her planetary debut aged conscionable 14, and scored 42 of her 105 goals successful the Euros earlier taking complaint of the nationalist squad arsenic manager betwixt 2000-2005. More recently, she qualified arsenic a lawyer and was elected to the European Parliament successful 2024.
N is for ... Neid, Silvia: A erstwhile subordinate and coach, Neid has a peculiar spot successful the hearts of German shot fans due to the fact that she has been progressive successful each 8 of their Euro triumphs. She was victorious arsenic a subordinate successful 1989, 1991 and 1995; past arsenic adjunct manager to Tina Theune-Meyer successful 1997, 2001 and 2005; and past arsenic caput manager successful 2009 and 2013. She was named the FIFA Women's Coach of the Year 3 times.
O is for ... Oldest player: Current Paris FC manager Sandrine Soubeyrand made past arsenic a subordinate successful 2013, erstwhile she played for France against Denmark aged 39 years and 340 days. It was her 5th Euros arsenic a France international. She retired soon afterwards and remains the country's most-capped footballer.
P is for ... Pellerud, Even: The erstwhile Norway manager was conscionable 39 years and 354 days aged erstwhile helium guided his state to triumph astatine the 1993 finals acknowledgment to a slender 1-0 triumph against Italy. Two years later, helium was successful the dugout erstwhile Norway became the archetypal Europeans to assistance the World Cup.
1:53
How volition England header aft elder Lionesses' departures?
Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens sermon however the retirements of Mary Earps and Fran Kirby, and the withdrawal of Millie Bright volition interaction England's Euro 2025 campaign.
Q is for ... Quatre: The Euros has evolved into the 16-team tourney we cognize and emotion today, but from 1984 until 1995 conscionable 4 teams competed for the trophy. Sixteen teams attempted to suffice via 4 groups, with lone the apical squad heading into the tourney proper. Eight countries took portion successful 1997; 2 years aboriginal it was 16.
R is for ... Record breakers: England didn't conscionable triumph the Euros successful 2022 connected location soil, they did truthful successful swashbuckling style. They recorded the biggest borderline of triumph successful Euros' past acknowledgment to their 8-0 drubbing of Norway, which successful crook contributed to 14 radical goals, different record. They finished the contention with 22 goals, a Euros high, and lifted the trophy successful beforehand of the biggest attendance (87,192) successful the competition's history.
S is for ... Spot-kick success: Norway boast a 100% grounds successful punishment shootouts. In 1991, they needed 8 penalties to spot disconnected Denmark successful the semifinals, earlier Gro Espeseth yet broke Danish hearts. Denmark were the opponents again successful 2013, astatine the semifinal stage, erstwhile 4 spot-kicks were required to abstracted the 2 sides. Talking of Denmark, they've been successful the astir punishment shootouts (4), winning twice.
T is for ... Time to score: France were quickest retired of the blocks against Iceland successful 2022, arsenic Melvine Malard slotted location from the borderline of the container aft conscionable 43 seconds to unfastened the scoring and unafraid the quickest Euros goal. Though Iceland equalized precocious on, 12 minutes into wounded time.
1:27
All you request to cognize astir Group B astatine the Women's Euros
Take a look astatine immoderate cardinal facts for Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Italy up of the Women's European Championship.
U is for ... Unbeaten: Such was Germany's Euros dominance for 2 decades that they boast not lone the longest series of matches without decision (26) but besides the champion tally of consecutive victories (19). This singular tally started against Denmark successful 1997 and ended with a stalemate against Netherlands successful 2013, a specified blip, arsenic they won the adjacent 5 matches to spell each the way. Again.
V is for ... Volley: There were volleyed goals aplenty astatine Euro 2022, including Alexandra Popp's net-buster against France for Germany and Ella Toone's close-range decorativeness for England against Spain. However, neither tin laic a mitt connected Angelique Roujas' awesome interaction and looping effort for France against Russia successful 1997. Roujas' stunner was 1 portion of a chapeau instrumentality played retired successful beforehand of conscionable 626 fans successful Karlstad, Sweden.
W is for ... West Berlin: Roots of the European Championship arsenic we cognize it contiguous were sown successful West Germany successful 1957, erstwhile 4 teams took portion successful a tourney staged by the International Ladies Football Association. At that time, women's shot teams were banned by the German FA, but England, West Germany, Netherlands and Austria defied the authorities to instrumentality portion successful the round-robin held astatine Poststadion.
X is for ... X-rated: There indispensable person been thing successful the h2o astatine the 2017 Euros held successful the Netherlands, arsenic it saw the astir cards awarded successful the past of the contention truthful far. There were 3 reddish cards and a singular 90 yellows. Moreover, by the quarterfinal stage, 13% (7) of the 53 goals scored came via the punishment spot.
Y is for ... Young gun: Norway striker Isabell Herlovsen was conscionable 16 years and 351 days aged erstwhile she recovered the nett successful a 1-1 gully against France successful June 2005. This made her not lone the youngest subordinate astatine that competition, but besides the youngest scorer successful women's Euros history. And she recovered the nett again successful the semifinals.
Z is for ... Zero: Norway's defence stood steadfast erstwhile they won the contention successful 1993, beating Denmark 1-0 successful the semifinals and Italy by the aforesaid scoreline successful the final. Their cleanable grounds included the qualifying round, erstwhile they scored 24 goals successful their 4 matches without keeper Manuela Goller having to prime the shot retired of her nett once.
