Women's soccer at Euro 2025 aims for global impact with world champion Spain eyeing 1st title
The 16-team tournament that opens Wednesday in Switzerland features 31 games in total and will be broadcast in the United States by Fox and across Latin America by Disney+.
It will draw a tournament record attendance of more than 600,000 fans in the eight stadiums with ticket buyers from more than 120 countries, according to European soccer body UEFA.
'We knew we needed to activate a bigger global fan base that travels (and) follows their team,' said Nadine Kessler, the managing director of women's soccer at UEFA.
She said 35% of the tickets sold so far went to traveling fans including 5,000 to residents of the United States. The biggest international buyer is Switzerland's neighbor Germany with 61,000 tickets.
'That is unheard of in women's football,' Kessler told reporters at a pre-tournament briefing.
World champion Spain is the expected favorite — even with a question mark on the status of star Aitana Bonmati — and starts Thursday against Portugal in Bern.
Record revenue
The third Women's Euros in the 16-team format has drawn record income from broadcasters and sponsors, which include global brands Adidas, Amazon, PlayStation and Visa.
Overall tournament revenue close to 130 million euros ($152 million) will be more than double the Euro 2022 edition in England.
Prize money also has more than doubled — to 41 million euros ($48 million) from 16 million euros ($18.75 million). The champion can get more than 5 million euros ($5.9 million) if its run includes winning all three group-stage games.
The revenue share to clubs releasing players selected for the tournament also doubled, to 9 million euros ($10.5 million), lifted by a bonus subsidy of 3 million euros ($3.5 million) from a similar program for men's national-team competitions in Europe.
UEFA will make a loss on the tournament of up to 25 million euros ($29.3 million) though is happy to do so.
'We invest more despite not making money with the Euro because it's just the right thing to do,' said Kessler, a former FIFA World Player of the Year who won the Euro 2013 title with Germany.
Title contenders
Germany's title with Kessler 12 years ago was its sixth straight but a seventh has been elusive. The Germans are an expected contender after several high-scoring victories in 2025 and taking a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they lost twice to the United States.
Spain is the current World Cup and Nations League title holder though has never reached a Euros final and lost that bronze medal game in Paris to Germany.
Spain's plans have been disrupted by star player Aitana Bonmatí being hospitalized over the weekend with viral meningitis.
England-Netherlands rivalry
The host nation won in each of the past two Euros editions, and now defending champion England and 2017 champion the Netherlands are in the same group; they'll meet on July 9 in Zurich. It's a tough group that includes France.
Both title wins were coached by Sarina Wiegman, who will lead England against her native country with an extra layer of intrigue. After the tournament, Wiegman's assistant Arjan Veurink will go home to coach the Dutch toward qualifying for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil.
Swiss outsiders
A host nation hat trick looks unlikely, even with coaching great Pia Sundhage hired for the Switzerland job and a kind group draw with Norway, Iceland and Finland.
The Swedish veteran, and two-time Olympic champion with the United States, has called finding a winning blend in her squad of veterans and teenagers — like Barcelona prospect Sydney Schertenleib — the biggest challenge of her career.
Losing a training game 7-1 to the Under-15 boys' team of top-tier men's club Lucerne fueled negative headlines though Sundhage insisted: 'The result doesn't matter.'
'This is a good way to prepare,' Sundhage insisted, and seemed to be proven right days later when a final warmup friendly against the Czech Republic was won convincingly 4-1.
Switzerland opens its tournament Wednesday evening against Norway at a sold-out St. Jakob Park in Basel.
Host society
Switzerland, which co-hosted the men's Euro 2008 with Austria, wants the women's version to drive progress on gender equality in soccer and society.
A wider goal around the tournament is doubling the number of female players, referees, coaches and club directors, said national soccer federation president Dominique Blanc, one of 52 male leaders of the 55 national members of UEFA.
'We have come a long way in a really short time,' said former national-team great Lara Dickenmann, who was 29 when Switzerland first played at a major tournament in the 2015 World Cup.
The Ohio State University graduate said showcasing so many teenagers in this squad at home 'is massive. A lot of younger kids are going to identify with these players.'
All eight tournament venues are home stadiums of top-division men's teams, including all four Euro 2008 venues: in Basel, Bern, Geneva and Zurich.
Fans with tickets will have free public transport on match days using a national train service which should be more reliable than Germany's proved to be at the men's Euro 2024.
Club World Cup clashes
Euro 2025 games are on the main national free-to-air networks in Europe, unlike the live-streamed FIFA Club World Cup, which runs until July 13 in the United States.
Broadcast overlaps mostly involve France, whose game against England on Saturday clashes with the first half of a Club World Cup quarterfinal in New Jersey likely featuring Real Madrid. France-Wales on July 9 goes against a semifinal at the FIFA event.
The Club World Cup final goes directly up against the simultaneous kickoffs of France-Netherlands and England-Wales that complete Group D.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
German Medtech Shelves IPO After Investors Said to Pull Orders
Medical technology company Brainlab postponed its initial public offering in Frankfurt on Tuesday after some investors withdrew their orders, according to people familiar with the matter, the latest deal to be shelved as Europe's market for new listings remains subdued. An IPO at a later time for the Munich-based firm remains under consideration, according to a statement, which did not give a reason for the postponement. The deal had been expected to price at the low end of its marketed range, with enough investor demand to cover the offering multiple times at that level, according to terms of the offering seen earlier by Bloomberg.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Report: Liverpool 'agree personal terms' with Marc Guehi
Liverpool Make Major Move for Guehi: Personal Terms Agreed Guehi Deal Edges Closer for Liverpool Liverpool's summer recruitment drive has taken another big step forward with revealing that personal terms have been agreed between the Reds and Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi. It's another assertive move in what's shaping up to be a transformative window at Anfield. Advertisement At just 24 years old, Guehi is already a proven Premier League performer and a leader on the pitch. Captaining Crystal Palace to their historic FA Cup victory over Manchester City in May, the England international continues to enhance his reputation with consistency and maturity well beyond his years. Following an initial report from DaveOCKOP back in March, this latest development confirms that Liverpool's interest has advanced significantly. While a deal with Palace still needs to be finalised, agreeing personal terms is a crucial milestone—especially given competition for his signature could rise rapidly if the situation drags. Squad Impact and Quansah Replacement The potential arrival of Guehi is not just about depth; it's about elevating Liverpool's defensive standards. With Jarell Quansah's departure, the need for a centre-back with Premier League pedigree and international experience has grown urgent. Guehi fits that profile perfectly. Photo: IMAGO Advertisement His commanding displays last season, coupled with a key role in England's Euro 2024 campaign, underline why he's viewed as one of the league's most reliable defenders. 'He has an excellent body of work in the Premier League,' the original report rightly notes. Timing and Strategic Fit Securing deals early in the window allows players to integrate fully during pre-season—something Liverpool have done efficiently with Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez already through the door. Adding Guehi to that list would be another statement of intent under Arne Slot. His homegrown status adds further strategic value, helping Liverpool meet Premier League registration quotas. But negotiations remain tricky, with Chelsea owed 20% of any future fee—a clause that might complicate Crystal Palace's valuation. Guehi's Motivation and Palace's Dilemma From Guehi's perspective, the move makes perfect sense. With the 2026 World Cup in the US on the horizon, staying at the top of Gareth Southgate's radar is vital. Joining Liverpool would give him the platform to play Champions League football and compete at the highest level weekly. Advertisement Palace, meanwhile, risk losing a prized asset for free if they hold on too long. 'Patience would be necessary,' Guehi's camp was told in early talks—but now it's clear: Liverpool are ready to act. Our View – Anfield Index Analysis For Liverpool fans, this development is both exciting and strategic. Marc Guehi isn't just another defensive option—he's a natural leader who could easily become a long-term pillar at the back alongside Virgil van Dijk or Ibrahima Konaté. At just 24, with over 100 Premier League appearances and a major FA Cup medal to his name, Guehi has already built an impressive CV. Supporters have grown increasingly vocal about the need for reinforcements in central defence, especially with Quansah's exit and Joe Gomez's ongoing fitness concerns. Guehi ticks all the right boxes: composure, aerial dominance, and a growing international reputation. Advertisement His FA Cup final performance—helping to shut out City's relentless attack—demonstrated both tactical intelligence and mental steel. If Liverpool can now agree a fee with Palace, they won't just be gaining a defender—they'll be signing a potential captain for the post-Van Dijk era. There's a sense among the fanbase that the club is finally showing real transfer ambition early in the window, setting the tone for a competitive and refreshed squad under Arne Slot. With Guehi, the Reds aren't just thinking about the now—they're building a spine for the next generation.
Wall Street Journal
2 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
Zalando Gets Green Light From European Commission to Acquire About You
Zalando ZAL 4.04%increase; green up pointing triangle said it got merger control clearance from the European Commission to acquire online retailer About You. Having received the green light from the EU's executive arm, the company said Tuesday that the transaction meets all closing conditions.
