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New York Times
20-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
How Wales and Poland can turn this year's Euros debut into a reoccurring affair
Wales and Poland had two things in common at Euro 2025. It was their first major tournament — and a reality check. The two nations left with a combined three points (all from Poland's 3-2 win against Denmark), five goals scored, and 20 conceded. How their first crack at the competition played out is not unusual. Advertisement Six nations had made their debut across the 2017 and 2022 editions of the European Championship — five of them did not get past the group stage. Austria were the exception when they reached the semi-finals eight years ago. 'We've found out just how big that level is and how big that jump is,' Wales' record goalscorer Jess Fishlock told UK broadcaster ITV after a 6-1 defeat to England confirmed their elimination. '(We've got to) just keep moving forward and get into another major tournament and do better.' That is easier said than done. Scotland, who debuted in that 2017 tournament, and Northern Ireland, who followed suit in 2022, failed to qualify for the next Euros. Portugal also made their bow in 2017 and only got to the next finals five years later as replacements for Russia, who were suspended by UEFA following the invasion of Ukraine. So, how do teams evolve from debutants into consistent qualifiers? There is often a gulf between these first-timers' domestic football environments and those of their competitors. Nine of Spain's starting XI for their final group match against Italy play in Liga F. In contrast, none of the 23 players in the Welsh squad play at home in the Adran Premier, which is still a semi-professional competition. Only four players from Poland's domestic top flight made their Euros squad. 'There's a talent drain in Wales, where a lot of players end up getting pushed over the border (to clubs in England) to seek more professional environments,' says Sian Cousins, league development manager at the Football Association of Wales (FAW). 'My players have to be playing,' Wales head coach Rhian Wilkinson said after that loss to England. 'I had five players out of contract (at club level) here. It's mind-blowing. Esther Morgan (a defender) starts all of our games and doesn't have a club (her contract at Sheffield United having just expired). It drives me wild.' The lack of suitable domestic clubs cannot help, but Cousins, whose role is to develop the profile of Wales' domestic leagues, estimates professionalisation is a way off for Adran Premier clubs: 'There are a lot of clubs really striving to become more professional. Questions have always been asked of whether the four big clubs (Wrexham, Cardiff City, Swansea City and The New Saints) look to make that turn and become professional, full-time clubs. Advertisement 'It's definitely an opportunity. They have the kind of club structures to do that. (But) we're probably a good eight to 10 years off even considering it.' Wales is not in a position to provide the domestic football that its senior internationals need. 'We've acknowledged realistically all of our better players are going to go play (for English teams) in the Women's Super League,' Cousins says. 'Our long-term goal would absolutely be to have some of our Adran League players featuring in the (national team) squad. Our medium-term goal is nurturing the youth talent coming through and allowing our Adran clubs to play a bigger role in supporting youth development.' Scotland have spent years trying to rejoin Europe's leading pack. They made their Euros and World Cup debuts in 2017 and 2019 respectively, but have missed out on qualification for the past three major tournaments. Experienced internationals such as Kim Little, Jen Beattie, and most recently Rachel Corsie have retired from the team since that 2019 World Cup. A new generation is emerging, with the likes of Hibernian forward Kathleen McGovern (23 years old) and Manchester United and Liverpool midfielders Emma Watson (19) and Kirsty Maclean (20) all breaking into the Scotland team. The 10-team Scottish Women's Premier League is not fully professional, but some of its clubs — including Rangers, Celtic, Hibernian and Glasgow City — have players on full-time contracts. The league has become more challenging, with three different champions in the past three seasons. 'There's high competition and rivalries now appearing — that in itself creates a great environment for player development, especially for young players,' says Michael McArdle, head of women's elite football for the Scottish FA. Part of McArdle's role is building a youth pathway that can better feed the national team for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil and the next Euros in 2029, the host country for which is still to be confirmed. Advertisement '(Sustained qualification) comes back to having a strong pathway and strong youth development,' McArdle tells The Athletic. 'Primarily, it's cycles of talent that can achieve qualification. We're not hoping for the next. It's our job to provide the next group of talent and keep that going. The key is having a robust, evolving youth system that's focused on creating talent for a sustainable future.' Scotland now have an under-23 side, put in place to bridge the gap between youth and senior football. Starting from October's international window, they will participate in an invitational competition with group matches against their counterparts from Sweden, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands. It is the first time the team will participate in an organised competition. Celtic defender Emma Lawton and Hibernian forward McGovern are among those to have progressed from the under-23s to make their senior debuts. 'The key challenge, in both men's and women's football, is the transitional period and that gap between youth to senior,' McArdle says. This fluidity from youth to senior level is a focus for Wales, too. 'More competitive football for youth players coming through in the girls' game is an area where we've probably never really created that best environment for them to achieve their full potential,' says Cousins. The girls' pathway in Wales is being overhauled from 2025-26. There will be 11 new girls' academies introduced across the country, increasing regular training and levels of match experience. 'We are really controlling the environments that are created so that they are elite,' Cousins says. 'We want them to be competitive. We want them to be a step up, pushing the players to achieve further.' The National Academy system will begin at under-13 level and gradually introduce higher age groups until there is a complete pathway to the Under-19 Adran Development League. Advertisement 'It was all disconnected,' Cousins says. 'Domestic, grassroots, and international were all just running their own things, whereas we've really tried to align it so there's clarity and consistency through the pathway. Giving younger players an opportunity to come through has been massive over the last couple of international windows, so that we can see the talent coming through when the likes of Jess Fishlock (38) and Sophie Ingle (33) do end up retiring.' The FAW have been playing catch-up with the women's team, having not formally recognised them until 1993. The team were even withdrawn from Euro 2005 qualification due to budget cuts. There has been huge progress since: the Welsh men's and women's senior national teams receive equal pay as of 2023, as well as sharing training facilities. The Polish Football Association's 'Time For Us' women's football strategy set the target of qualifying for Euro 2025 and the 2027 World Cup. They have declared their interest in staging those 2029 Euros, which would mean automatic qualification as hosts. Fishlock summed it up perfectly at the end of Wales' campaign last week. 'This is the beginning of a journey for us,' said the veteran of 164 caps and 48 international goals. 'We have to work together now, as a group but (also) as an association, to keep investing and keep building to make sure that this isn't just a one-off.'
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Group stage of Women's Euro 2025 sets attendance records
The group stage of Women's Euro 2025 in Switzerland was the highest-attended in the tournament's history, breaking the previous record from 2022. UEFA confirmed that a record-breaking 461,582 people attended the 24 games, surpassing the 357,993 that watched in England three years ago. The 24 matches were held across eight different cities, with 22 of the games sold out, while the average attendance was 19,233 spectators per match. UEFA confirmed some other records broken across the two weeks include: Highest attendance at a group stage match not involving the host nation (broken twice): 29,520 Spain vs Portugal in Bern; 34,165 Germany vs Denmark in Basel. Most fans at a women's football match in Switzerland: 34,165 Germany vs Denmark in Basel. Most away fans at a Women's Euro match: More than 17,000 from Germany in the stands to see their team defeat Denmark. Most fans at a Switzerland women's national team match: Switzerland vs Norway in Basel on the opening day, 34,063. On the pitch, the 89 goals scored was also the highest ever in the tournament's group stage, surpassing the 78 scored in 2022. Spain matched England's group stage record of 14 goals, a feat the Lionesses achieved in 2022, where they went on to win the tournament. Wales and Poland made their Euro 2025 tournament debuts, with Wales' Jess Fishlock making more history in the process by becoming the oldest goalscorer in Women's Euro finals history at 38 years and 176 days. UEFA's women's football director Nadine Kessler said: 'If it was not clear before, it is undeniable now – women's football is unstoppable and here to stay. 'Before a ball was even kicked, over 600,000 tickets were sold – a record-breaking milestone that speaks volumes about the growing passion for the women's game. 'Nearly every match has been a sell-out, with electric atmospheres and fans turning out in unprecedented numbers. Millions more are following the action around the world through social media and live broadcasts. 'This is more than a tournament; it's a movement, and the response from across Europe and beyond proves that women's football is not only here to stay – it is setting the new standard.'
Washington Post
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
By the numbers: Records fall and fans dance at Euro 2025 in Switzerland
ZURICH — Women's soccer is continuing to grow and this time it is Switzerland which is highlighting that trend. The Women's European Championship is being played in the picturesque, Alpine country and it has become a festival of color, with fans dancing in the streets as well as the stands. Records are tumbling on and off the pitch and are expected to continue to do so until the final on July 27 in Basel. Here's a look at some of the numbers after the 24 matches of the group stage: How many teams remain: Spain, England, Germany, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway and Italy. The number of goals scored in the group stage, surpassing the previous record of 78 set in 2022. Only seven goals would have to be scored to better the all-time mark of 95, also set in 2022. The number of red cards that were shown, beating the record of three brandished in the 2017 group stage. Germany's Carlotta Wamser, Norway's Marit Lund, Iceland's Hildur Antonsdóttir and Portugal's Ana Borges were the players dismissed. Jess Fishlock became the oldest goalscorer at the Women's Euros when she netted Wales' first-ever goal at the tournament in its 4-1 loss to France . The number of group stage matches that were sold out. Almost half a million people attended the group stage matches, breaking the mark of 357,993 set in England at Euro 2022. Among other records to fall were the highest attendance at a group stage match not involving the host nation (34,165 at Germany vs. Denmark) and the most fans at a Switzerland women's national team match (34,063 against Norway in Basel). Aleksander Ceferin, the president of European soccer's governing body UEFA, has attended just one match — Switzerland's opening game against Norway. The number of supporters taking part in the lively fan walk — that was mainly a sea of red — to the Stadion Wankdorf ahead of Switzerland vs. Iceland. In total, around 60,000 people took part in the colorful fan walks before some of the matches in Switzerland. The peak audience on British broadcaster ITV for England's 6-1 win over Wales . That match and France's against the Netherlands was directly competing with the Club World Cup final between an English and French team — Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. Euro 2025 won by far in the United Kingdom, with around 1.2 million viewers tuning into the Club World Cup final on Channel 5. However, 4.8 million viewers in France watched PSG's loss compared to the 2.3 million people who watched France beat the Netherlands. ___ AP soccer:
Associated Press
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
By the numbers: records fall and fans dance at Euro 2025 in Switzerland
ZURICH (AP) — Women's soccer is continuing to grow and this time it is Switzerland which is highlighting that trend. The Women's European Championship is being played in the picturesque, Alpine country and it has become a festival of color, with fans dancing in the streets as well as the stands. Records are tumbling on and off the pitch and are expected to continue to do so until the final on July 27 in Basel. Here's a look at some of the numbers after the 24 matches of the group stage: 8 How many teams remain: Spain, England, Germany, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway and Italy. 89 The number of goals scored in the group stage, surpassing the previous record of 78 set in 2022. Only seven goals would have to be scored to better the all-time mark of 95, also set in 2022. 4 The number of red cards that were shown, beating the record of three brandished in the 2017 group stage. Germany's Carlotta Wamser, Norway's Marit Lund, Iceland's Hildur Antonsdóttir and Portugal's Ana Borges were the players dismissed. 38 years, 176 days Jess Fishlock became the oldest goalscorer at the Women's Euros when she netted Wales' first-ever goal at the tournament in its 4-1 loss to France. 22 The number of group stage matches that were sold out. 461,582 Almost half a million people attended the group stage matches, breaking the mark of 357,993 set in England at Euro 2022. Among other records to fall were the highest attendance at a group stage match not involving the host nation (34,165 at Germany vs. Denmark) and the most fans at a Switzerland women's national team match (34,063 against Norway in Basel). 1 Aleksander Ceferin, the president of European soccer's governing body UEFA, has attended just one match — Switzerland's opening game against Norway. 14,000 The number of supporters taking part in the lively fan walk — that was mainly a sea of red — to the Stadion Wankdorf ahead of Switzerland vs. Iceland. In total, around 60,000 people took part in the colorful fan walks before some of the matches in Switzerland. 4.5 million The peak audience on British broadcaster ITV for England's 6-1 win over Wales. That match and France's against the Netherlands was directly competing with the Club World Cup final between an English and French team — Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. Euro 2025 won by far in the United Kingdom, with around 1.2 million viewers tuning into the Club World Cup final on Channel 5. However, 4.8 million viewers in France watched PSG's loss compared to the 2.3 million people who watched France beat the Netherlands. ___ AP soccer:
Straits Times
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Euro 2025 group games draw record crowds
Find out what's new on ST website and app. OBERENTFELDEN, Switzerland - The group stage of the Women's European Championship which finished on Sunday had record-breaking attendances with close to half a million fans attending games, and 22 of the 24 of them sold out. As well as 461,582 fans attending matches, there were several individual game records as well, according to European soccer's governing body UEFA. The Germany v Denmark match in Basel drew 34,165 fans, which was the highest attendance at a group game not involving the host nation and the most spectators to attend a women's football match in Switzerland. The more than 17,000 fans from Germany at that game was the most away fans to attend a women's Euro match ever while the crowd of 34,063 at Switzerland's game against Norway was a record crowd at a Swiss women's national team match. "If it was not clear before, it is undeniable now – women's football is unstoppable and here to stay," Nadine Kessler, UEFA's head of women's football, said in a statement. "This is more than a tournament; its' a movement, and the response from across Europe and beyond proves that women's football is not only here to stay – it is setting the new standard." Even before the tournament kicked off, Euro 2025 had sold more than 600,000 tickets to surpass the 574,875 sold in 2022 in England. Some 60,000 fans took part in fan walks to the stadiums, including 14,000 Swiss and Icelandic supporters who walked three kilometres to that game at the Stadion Wankdorf in Bern. The tournament has also been a success on digital platforms, with 8.4 million engagements across its social media platforms, a 55% increase over the same period in 2022. Spain and England scored 14 goals apiece in the group stage, matching the mark set by the English in 2022. Wales' Jess Fishlock became the oldest women's Euro goalscorer at the age of 38 years and 176 days. The quarter-finals begin in Geneva on Wednesday when Norway play Italy. REUTERS
