Path Opens Up For Norway To Progress At UEFA Women's Euro

Forbes

10-07-2025

THUN, SWITZERLAND - JULY 09: The players of Norway pose for a photo prior to the Norway Training ... More Session And Press Conference ahead of the UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Group A match between Norway and Iceland at Arena Thun on July 09, 2025 in Thun, Switzerland. (Photo by Chris Ricco - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Former European champions Norway go into tonight's final group game against Iceland at the UEFA Women's Euro with the pressure off as they eye a path into the knockout stages.
With two wins from their opening two matches, the Norwegians are guaranteed to win Group A ahead of Switzerland, Finland and the already-eliminated Iceland. Knowing they will play their quarter-final next Wednesday in Geneva, they are likely to avoid world champions Spain, who will win Group B barring an unlikely defeat to Italy tomorrow.
This means Norway will take on either Italy or Portugal for a place in tbe last four. Should they reach the semi-finals, it will be the Scandianavians best performance at a major tournament in twelve years, since they reached the final of the UEFA Women's Euro in 2013.
Then, Ada Hegerberg was 18 years of age, the young star of the team. Today the first-ever woman to win the Ballon D'Or turns 30, having never fulfilled her potential at a major international tournament. Eliminated in the group stage of the two subsequent editions of the UEFA Women's Euro in 2017 and 2022, Hegeberg was part of the team that suffered a humiliating 8-0 trouncing by England three years ago. Norway also suffered defeat in the first knockout rounds of the 2015 and 2023 FIFA Women's World Cups.
KALMAR, SWEDEN - JULY 22: Ada Hegerberg (#21) of Norway celebrates after she scores her team's 3rd ... More goal during the UEFA Women's Euro 2013 quarter final match between Norway and Spain at Kalmar Arena on July 22, 2013 in Kalmar, Sweden. (Photo by)
Indeed, the all-time record goalscorer in the UEFA Women's Champions League, had failed to find the net for her country at a major tournament since 2015. That was until Hegerberg bravely headed Norway level during their opening game against hosts Switzerland. It was her 50th goal for the national team.
More importantly, Hegerberg's goal turned her country's fortunes around as they almost immediately took the lead after an indifferent first half performance in Basel. They followed up that victory with another 2-1 win over Finland to secure their quarter-final place with a game to spare.
Norway's forward #14 Ada Hegerberg (Top) score a goal during the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 Group A ... More football match between Switzerland and Norway at the St Jakob-Park Stadium in Basel on July 2, 2025. (Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP) (Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images)
Norway's form, however, has been far from impressive in what has been a kind group stage for them. Hegerberg missed a penalty in the win over Switzerland and the team have scrapped through both games thanks to the goals and assists of FC Barcelona's Caroline Graham Hansen which have elicited two own goals.
With nothing at stake during their final group match against Iceland tonight, head coach Gemma Grainger has hinted she may rotate the team tonight to save the legs of some of her leading players. That may include Hegerberg, who could be rested on her birthday.
The Manchester United trio of Lisa Naalsund, Celin Bizet and Elisabeth Terland could all potentially come in, as well as young SK Brann starlet Signe Gaupset. Terland in particular can count herself unfortunate not to have played more than 15 minutes after a season in which she scored ten times for Manchester United and provided five assists.
Ahead of the game, Grainger said yesterday 'we have a really strong squad. The first day we met, we talked about the importance of every player in the team. We have, a highly-competitive group. We'll take a look at what we think is best for the team tomorrow. We won't make any indication of what that will be just at the moment but, of course, it's about what is best for the next game. We plan to utilise all of the squad. Whether that will be tomorrow, you'll have to wait and see.'
Before the tournament, Hegergerg said that a place in the quarter-finals would be her ideal birthday present. Between 2017 and 2022, Hegerberg withdrew herself from selection for the national team citing a lack of commitment from the Norwegian federation in the women's team, a situation which she said left her 'broken mentally.'
Now as the new captain of the national side, succeeding Maren Mjelde, she understands how important it is to make every member of tbe squad feel valued. 'I think it's important in a group to create as much trust as possible between the players, between the staff, in order to have a healthy environment where people feel they can be themselves, 100%.'
'I mean, sports are a tough thing, you demand a lot from yourself, you demand a lot from the environment, and there's going to tough situations. The more trust you have among your team-mates, among your staff, from your coach, the easier it is to stand tall in the tough moments as well. To feel like you're a collective, to fell that you're a team.'
'That's something that I bear in mind all the time when I'm in this group, is that everyone is feeling that they're seen. I think to be able to be seen, is something incredible. That every individual knows they're role, knows how they can contribute."
'We talk a lot about the eleven playing and maybe those who come in and out but you have a group of 23 players who all play their role in something that's going to be, hopefully, a long tournament and you're going to count on everyone. So having trust, having a safe ground where people feel they can contribute is something essential to me.'