Euro 2025: Finland team guide – can the underdogs produce another historic upset?

Yahoo

5 hours ago

Never the winners, but capable of an upset or two against the right opponents, Finland's women's national team are seated in European soccer's mid-tier. The Helmarit (the Boreal Owls) shocked the women's football world in 2005, reaching the semifinals after drawing with Sweden and defeating Denmark, before falling to Germany in the penultimate match.
As hosts in 2009, expectations were high, but they've yet to return to those elite heights. Under coach Marko Saloranta, they have qualified for this year's tournament via the playoffs, landing in Group A alongside Norway, Iceland, and hosts Switzerland. Ranked 26th in FIFA's standings, they won't stun crowds; however, they are not going down without a fight.
Who is the manager?
Saloranta has led the senior team since 2022 after briefly taking charge in 2017. He has also led youth teams and served as an assistant coach since 2009. The 53-year-old former player has worked with many on this squad since their under-16 and under-17 years and guided them through a difficult qualifying campaign.
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Saloranta is a cautious, defensive-minded manager, unwilling to take too many risks, which could be good when results matter more than style.
How do they play?
Finland's game is exhausting for wingers as they are compact and disciplined. Expect a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 base. They like to press defensively and are sharp on the counter. Defenders push high, such as Chicago Stars defender Natalia Kuikka, who often joins attacks as she did in the qualifying play-off against Scotland.
Overall, Finland are more territorial and take organization over flair, which makes them tough to break down, but against experienced attackers, they can be slow.
Who are their three most influential players?
Eveliina Summanen is their creative midfielder. She is a playmaker who sparks transitions and links defence to attack. The Tottenham Hotspur player recently returned from injury. Emma Koivisto is a defender with over 100 caps across WSL, Serie A and Damallsvenskan. The AC Milan player is a versatile option for Finland, having played both full-back and winger.
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Natalia Kuikka has recovered from injury in time to make the squad and, if back to full fitness, will be a key dynamic defender. The 29-year-old currently plays for the NWSL's Chicago Stars FC. She was named Finnish Footballer of the Year in 2022.
What is their biggest strength?
The squad is strong as a collective and has an element of being an underdog, which they've taken advantage of in the past. They are known for playing with a compact defensive structure led by strong full-backs and an organised midfield that can make an impact on counterattacks.
What weakness might other teams be able to exploit?
A lack of creativity in midfield and attacking structure hurts this team. Against high-press or possession-heavy teams, they can be overrun, slowed, and starved of the ball. As the lowest-ranked team in Group A, they will come up against teams used to higher levels of competition. Finland have had a nice run of form heading into the Euros, but many of those wins came from competition in League B of the UEFA Nations League.
Any notable absences?
No major injuries have been reported recently, and the squad that featured in the May/June 2025 Nations League is expected to arrive in Switzerland at full strength.
What is their strongest starting XI?
How have they performed over the past 12 months?
Finland's last year was a mixed bag. Of the 16 matches played, they won nine, drew four and lost three. They beat Italy in Euro qualifying (2‑1), they had a surprise draw against the Netherlands (1-1), but they also experienced multi-goal losses against Norway (4‑0) and Italy (4-0). They performed better in League B of UEFA Nations League, with five wins, one draw and one loss, but they still failed direct promotion due to a draw with Serbia (1‑1).
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The highlight of their last 12 months was a playoff win against Scotland (2‑0) in December 2024, which earned them a spot at the Euros.
What are they expected to achieve at these Euros?
Saloranta is hoping for a better performance than the team's 2022 run, when they lost all group stage matches against Germany, Spain and Denmark. Their best hope is for a mistake from Norway or Switzerland to advance beyond the group stage for the first time since 2009. In Group A, they're underdogs among Iceland, two-time champion Norway, and hosts Switzerland.
It will be tough for them to beat Norway, but with their defensive structure, they might find a result against Switzerland and a draw against Iceland, leaving them with four points to get out of the group if the stars align. Just getting to the tournament after the two-leg playoff with Scotland was a win for Finland.
Did you know?
The Helmarit recently mistakenly called up a retired 51-year-old player for their match against Serbia. Defender Nanne Ruuskanen missed the June 3 Nations League match due to a clerical error when team manager Outi Saarinen accidentally put Stina Ruuskanen's name, a player who retired 29 years ago, instead of Nanne Ruuskanen, a current player.
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Saarinen apologised for the error via a formal statement from the Finnish federation.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Finland, UK Women's Football, Women's Euros
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