Sarina Wiegman's side may have beaten Germany in the final three years ago but they are not the front-runners in 2025
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Secure your Women's Euro 2025 tickets for this summer's international tournamentLocation: SwitzerlandStadiums: Various, including St. Jakob Park, Stadion Wankdorf, Stade de Genève and moreDate: July 2 – 27Final: July 27, St. Jakob Park
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Women's Euro Tickets
Secure your Women's Euro 2025 tickets for this summer's international tournamentLocation: SwitzerlandStadiums: Various, including St. Jakob Park, Stadion Wankdorf, Stade de Genève and moreDate: July 2 – 27Final: July 27, St. Jakob Park
From
€149
Buy nowRead MoreAccommodation
Where to stay
Book hotels, apartments and accommodation across Switzerland for the Women's EurosSearch for places to stay near the stadiums, across Zurich, Basel, Bern, Geneva and moreLook for accommodation based on your dates, number of bedrooms, and budget on Booking.com
From
€49
Book nowRead MoreKits
Shop your kit
New kits from adidas, Nike and Puma have been released for the Women's Euro tournamentGrab your favourite team's kit to support throughout the gamesSearch for your team, including Italy, England, Germany and moreAvailable in sizes XS – XXL
From
€50
Buy nowRead MoreTickets
Women's Euro Tickets
Secure your Women's Euro 2025 tickets for this summer's international tournamentLocation: SwitzerlandStadiums: Various, including St. Jakob Park, Stadion Wankdorf, Stade de Genève and moreDate: July 2 – 27Final: July 27, St. Jakob Park
From
€149
Buy nowRead MoreAccommodation
Where to stay
Book hotels, apartments and accommodation across Switzerland for the Women's EurosSearch for places to stay near the stadiums, across Zurich, Basel, Bern, Geneva and moreLook for accommodation based on your dates, number of bedrooms, and budget on Booking.com
From
€49
Book nowRead MoreKits
Shop your kit
New kits from adidas, Nike and Puma have been released for the Women's Euro tournamentGrab your favourite team's kit to support throughout the gamesSearch for your team, including Italy, England, Germany and moreAvailable in sizes XS – XXL
From
€50
Buy nowRead More
And then there were eight. The field at the 2025 European Championships was cut in half this past week, as the group stages concluded and the quarter-final line-up was set.
It was a dramatic first stage of the tournament, with the Netherlands, winners in 2017, the biggest name to crash out, while there was jubilation for the hosts, as Switzerland made it through to the knockout stages of this competition for the very first time. Still, despite there being a few shocks and surprises, the last eight is largely made up of heavyweights.
Both of the semi-finals from Euro 2022 will be repeated at this earlier stage, as Sweden face England, and France take on Germany, while Spain's bid for a first European title remains on track, with the world champions big favourites in their clash with Switzerland. Then, there is a battle between two of the dark horses, Norway and Italy, who will both fancy their chances of making the last four.
So, as the knockout stages begin, who looks capable of going all the way? GOAL ranks all eight teams left fighting for the Euro 2025 title…
Getty Images8Switzerland ↔️
Despite getting a relatively kind draw thanks to their status as hosts, the extremely tight and competitive nature of Group A meant it was still going to be tough for Switzerland to make the knockout rounds of the European Championship for the first time. That was evident in the manner in which they achieved that feat, through Riola Xhemaili's stoppage-time goal.
It looked like Natalia Kuikka's penalty a little over 10 minutes prior was going to send Finland through to the last eight instead but there was always a feeling that La Nati weren't done. Indeed, they got the equaliser their positive play deserved, and the fantastic home support craved, in the most dramatic fashion.
It's hard to see Switzerland's summer continuing beyond this next round, though. Pia Sundhage's side will come up against Spain in the quarter-finals, with La Roja sure to have too much quality for them – and that's fine.
The hosts have achieved what set out to and hopefully provided a watershed moment for women's football in the country. Plus, Spain's defence continues to look vulnerable so, with some clinical counter-attacking, Switzerland could still have a big moment to celebrate, even if it's unlikely to contribute to victory.
AdvertisementGetty Images7Italy ↔️
Despite suffering group-stage exits at both Euro 2022 and the 2023 World Cup, Italy looked more than capable of making a big impact in Switzerland, having recorded wins over Spain, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark under new coach Andrea Sochin. The Azzurre had been mixing it with some of the best teams on the planet and coming out on top in some real goal-fests.
The first objective was just reaching the knockout stage. It was vital that Italy got over that hurdle and perhaps the, at times, nervy nature in which they did so was a consequence of recent disappointments.
Now that is out of the way, though, how might Sochin's side look in the knockouts? Can they start to show what made them such an attractive outside bet? Both they and Norway have a huge opportunity here to make the semi-finals, but Italy's opponents will be slight favourites to progress, given they have been the more impressive of the two teams at this tournament.
Getty Images6Norway ↔️
It's been a long time coming but Norway are finally back in the knockout stages at the Euros, 12 years on from their memorable run to the final of the competition. This felt like the perfect opportunity for them to exorcise some demons, given the kind group they were drawn in, but it was by no means straight-forward, with two of the three goals that secured their spot in the last eight actually scored by the opposition.
Norway have so much star quality in attack, including Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg and Barcelona winger Caroline Graham Hansen, but it doesn't feel like it has been maximised as of yet. Indeed, their 4-3 win over Iceland in Thursday's dead rubber was executed by a heavily rotated XI, with 20-year-old Signe Gaupset the star of the show. Things will clearly need to change if they are to make the most of what is arguably the best possible quarter-final draw they could have hoped for, given Italy are far from flawless
There is also the issue of how exactly Norway will line up against the Azzurre, after an unnecessary red card for Marit Lund in the meaningless clash with Iceland. It means Grainger has a big decision to make in a backline that hasn't convinced. Fortunately, if the first-choice attack really clicks, it could certainly make up for their defensive deficiencies.
Getty Images5Germany ⬇️
Germany have been left in a tricky spot following a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Sweden on Saturday. The eight-time winners were poor defensively even before Carlotta Wamser’s red card and that dismissal is going to hurt them, given the 21-year-old was playing well in the place of Giulia Gwinn, the captain who suffered a tournament-ending knee injury on matchday one.
Christian Wuck will have to find a way to adapt, again, at right-back, which is going to be a particularly important position in their quarter-final with France. It's down the left that Les Bleues often look most dangerous, with Sandy Baltimore well-supported by Selma Bacha, and they will surely focus on that side given Germany's issues.
It's going to be a tall order, though it must be said that Germany do have the firepower in attack to trouble a France defence that hasn't been watertight either.
