Spain UEFA Women's Euro 2025 Preview: Players to watch and schedule
Here's what you need to know about Spain leading into the Euros:
Check out every penalty kick in this matchup between the United States and Costa Rica in the Concacaf Gold Cup Quarter Finals. Spain UEFA Women's Euro 2025 Preview
Previous Euro Appearances: 4 (1997, 2013, 2017, 2022)
Best Finish: Semifinals (1997)
Group: Spain is in Group B along with Portugal, Belgium and Italy
What Stands Out: The defending World Cup and UEFA Nations League champs, Spain — FIFA's No. 2-ranked team after the 2024 Olympic gold medalist United States — enters this summer's Euro as the favorite to win what would be La Roja's first major continental honor.
Top Players To Watch: With Alexia Putellas, at the time the world's best player, severely limited at the 2023 World Cup following knee surgery, Aitana Bonmatí and Irene Paredes keyed Spain's iconic win. The two veterans plus Putellas will lead the way this summer, especially with fellow vet Jenni Hermoso — La Roja's top scorer during qualifying — controversially left off the final roster by head coach Montserrat Tomé.
Keep An Eye On: Eighteen-year-old Barcelona playmaker Vicky López, the youngest member of Tomé's 23-woman squad.
This Euro Will Be A Success If: Spain wins the title for the first time. Anything less would be a major disappointment for the consensus pick to win it all. Bonmatí is also working back from a brief hospitalization due to viral meningitis, but hopefully it won't affect her too much. Spain UEFA Women's Euro 2025 Schedule Spain vs. Portugal – 3 p.m. ET (FOX)
Spain vs. Belgium – 12 p.m. ET (FS1)
Spain vs. Italy – 3 p.m. ET (TBD)
Check out our full UEFA Women's Euro 2025 preview for more.
recommended
Get more from UEFA Women's EURO Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Fox Sports
What Are the 10 Best Sports Moments Representing Team USA?
For as long as there have been sports competitions between countries, the United States has always put together amazing efforts, leading to incredible successes and iconic moments. No matter the sport or competition, Team USA has some memorable leaders who have led the country to seismic wins and monumental upsets. The history of Team USA's play is incredibly rich with talent. If you ask someone what the best performance from the U.S. is on the world stage, you'll likely get a few different answers. That said, FOX Sports Research is here to help sort through the Americans' undeniably rich and successful history. 10 Best Team USA Performances 10. Michael Johnson at the 1996 Olympics Johnson delivered an all-time Olympic performance in 1996, becoming the first male athlete to claim gold in both the 200-meter and 400-meter races. That would even undersell his dominance. Johnson, at the time, would set an Olympic record in the 400-meter race, winning by nearly a full second. 9. Landon Donovan's goal at the 2010 World Cup vs. Algeria Few moments can match the pure adrenaline and excitement of Donovan's 2010 World Cup goal. With the U.S. needing a win to advance, Donovan came through. With just one minute of stoppage time added to the end of the match, Donovan came up with the game-winner, sending Team USA to the next round with one emphatic kick. 8. Carli Lloyd's hat trick in the 2015 World Cup Final vs. Japan One of the most efficient performances in World Cup history belongs to Lloyd. In the biggest match of the year, she delivered, punctuating the final with a hat trick — in just 16 minutes of game action. That 16-minute hat trick is a record for the fastest in a World Cup, and Lloyd is one of only two players to score a hat trick in a World Cup final. 7. Mark Spitz at the 1972 Olympics There's no possible way to do any better than Spitz did in 1972. After feeling like he had a subpar performance in the previous Olympic run, Spitz crushed it in 1972. He competed in seven swimming events in those Olympics and won all seven, doing so by setting a world record in each of the contests. 6. Simone Biles at the 2024 Olympics The hype around Biles returning to the Olympics in 2024 was at an all-time high, and she delivered. In the end, she finished the competition with four medals, three golds and one silver. Moreover, that gave her an eye-popping 11 medals in her illustrious gymnastics career, one that leaves her as the most decorated American gymnast of all time. 5. Michael Phelps at the 2008 Olympics Driven by his determination to better the performance of Spitz in the Olympics, Phelps had his eyes on the prize in 2008. He competed in eight different swimming competitions, collecting gold in all eight of them, while setting world records in seven of them. His eight gold medals are still the record for the most for an athlete in a single Olympics. 4. Brandi Chastain in the 1999 World Cup Final vs. China Perhaps the most indelible image in sports history, Chastain came through clutch in the 1999 World Cup, which was played on the home soil of the United States. With the final game pushing all the way to penalty kicks, Chastain stepped up and drilled the game-winner to seal the home victory for the team and country. 3. "Dream Team" at the 1992 Olympics The 1992 Olympics marked the first time that NBA players were allowed to suit up for their home countries. That year, the U.S. put together one of the greatest rosters of all time. The squad consisted of 12 players, and 11 of them went on to make the Professional Basketball Hall of Fame. The "Dream Team" easily won the gold medal, beating opponents by an average of 43.8 points per game during the tournament. 2. Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics At a time in history filled with turmoil, Owens was a shining star. He showed up for the U.S. and delivered with four track and field gold medals, setting three Olympic records and one world record over the course of those four events. Owens became the first track and field athlete to collect four or more gold medals in a single Olympics. 1. "Miracle on Ice" at the 1980 Olympics This one needs no introduction. The Soviet Union was considered the international powerhouse for ice hockey and deemed unbeatable, while the U.S. was a scrappy group of junior players — a team no one thought could contend with the full roster of Soviet Union pros. Team USA was down 3-2 entering the final 20 minutes before netting two goals in the final frame to seal the 4-2 victory, birthing the now-famous television call, "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" Honorable mentions: Keri Strug at the 1996 Olympics "Redeem Team" at the 2008 Olympics Katie Ledecky at the 2024 Olympics Stephen Curry at the 2024 Olympics vs. France Check out all of our Daily Rankers. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! Get more from Summer Olympics Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Report: Williams signs 10-year Bilbao deal despite Barcelona interest
Williams Stays in Bilbao: Basque Legend Rejects Big Move Athletic Bilbao have officially announced that Nico Williams has committed his long-term future to the club by signing a new 10-year contract, ending intense speculation surrounding a potential move to Barcelona or Bayern Munich. Advertisement The 22-year-old winger has extended his stay with the Basque outfit until June 2035, with his previous contract due to expire in 2027. Athletic have also confirmed that his release clause, previously reported to be €62 million (£53 million), has increased by 50 percent. That places it around €93 million (£78 million), effectively placing him out of reach for most of Europe's top clubs under current financial regulations. 'When decisions have to be made, for me, what weighs most is the heart. I'm where I want to be, with my people, this is my home,' said Williams. This statement brings a sense of finality to one of the more drawn-out transfer stories of the summer. For weeks, Williams was considered Barcelona's priority target, especially after their sporting director Deco publicly declared interest in signing one of Athletic's first-team players. Barcelona had reportedly agreed personal terms with Williams, but their efforts were ultimately halted by La Liga's stringent 1:1 financial rule. Under this regulation, clubs must match player spending with revenue. Despite the club having money available, La Liga ruled that income from future VIP seating in the revamped Camp Nou could not be counted towards this season's budget. Advertisement As a result, Barcelona were unable to guarantee that they could register Williams, which became a sticking point in negotiations. The player's camp was clear that unless registration was certain, a deal could not proceed without a clause allowing for contract termination. Such a clause would have left Barcelona exposed, potentially losing a €50 million investment if the winger could not be registered and walked away for free. The outcome forced Barcelona to withdraw from the deal earlier this week. The club attempted to maintain pressure via Catalan media outlets, but Williams remained silent. Instead, he focused on the European Championship, where he scored in Spain's 2-1 win over England in the final. Bilbao signal ambition with decade-long commitment In retaining Williams, Athletic Bilbao have made one of the most significant statements of intent in recent club history. The winger has risen through their youth system and made his first-team debut in April 2021 at the age of 18. Since then, he has made 167 appearances and scored 31 goals, while forming a key attacking partnership with his older brother, Inaki Williams. Advertisement His performances in the 2024-25 season were instrumental in Bilbao finishing fourth in La Liga and qualifying for the Champions League. With that achievement now backed by his extended contract, Williams is poised to become a true Basque legend. The decision comes despite significant outside interest, particularly from Bayern Munich, who were quietly monitoring developments. However, Bilbao's loyalty and financial backing, coupled with Williams' emotional connection to the club, proved decisive. Williams' decade-long deal continues a growing trend in modern football where clubs are committing to longer-term contracts to protect their assets. Chelsea in particular have employed this strategy, with forward Cole Palmer extending his contract until 2033. Erling Haaland also agreed a new deal with Manchester City earlier this year that runs until 2034. UEFA and the Premier League introduced a five-year cap on amortisation in 2023, meaning transfer fees can only be spread over five years of an initial deal. However, clubs are still able to offer longer contracts as a signal of intent and to ensure greater stability. Advertisement Andres Iniesta once signed a lifetime deal with Barcelona in 2017 before moving on a year later. In contrast, Williams' deal reflects a new form of modern loyalty, shaped by financial constraints, homegrown pride and calculated planning.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Valencia Willing to Sell PSG, Real Madrid Transfer Target to Arsenal for £25M
PSG are reportedly preparing for a transfer battle with Arsenal, AC Milan, Juventus, and Real Madrid over one of Spain's top young defensive talents. However, Arsenal appear to be leading the race, with reports suggesting they've already reached a personal agreement with the player. Despite having one of the strongest defensive records in Ligue 1 last season, PSG still have questions to answer at the back. Lucas Hernandez is available again but continues to recover from a serious injury. Marquinhos brings leadership and experience, though he no longer has the same explosiveness that once made him elite. Advertisement Presnel Kimpembe remains a respected figure in the locker room, but his long-term fitness is uncertain. Meanwhile, Luis Enrique has been encouraged by the progress of Lucas Beraldo, though the Brazilian is still viewed more as a rotation piece than a full-time starter. According to previous information from Marca, Real Madrid are already planning for next summer's free agents, with Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly and Cristhian Mosquera reportedly on their watchlist. Foot Mercato also reported that Mosquera is on PSG's radar for this summer as the club looks to add more youth to its center-back group. A regular for Valencia, the Spanish side could sell the defender to help the club address its financial issues. Valencia ready to sell Arsenal, PSG target this summerAdvertisement Sky Sports reports that Valencia are open to selling Mosquera to Arsenal for around £25 million. According to a recent report from Las Provincias, Mosquera has rejected a lucrative new contract from Valencia as he looks to secure a move to Arsenal. Meanwhile, Fichajes reported that Sergio Barila, the agent of Cristhian Mosquera, has sparked concern within Valencia CF after publicly voicing his frustration with the club's latest contract offer. Valencia have put forward an improved deal running through 2028, which includes a gross salary bump to around €3.2 million. But according to the report, Barila feels the proposal still doesn't reflect Mosquera's talent or long-term upside. Advertisement The message from the agent's camp is clear: unless the offer improves soon, Mosquera may start looking at opportunities elsewhere.
