Women's Euros 2025: Guide to Group A – Hosts' hopes, Hegerberg and a long-throw weapon

New York Times

5 days ago

It is a Nordic takeover in this intriguingly open group as Norway, Iceland and Finland join hosts Switzerland.
None of these four teams made it past the group stage in the last edition of this competition in England in 2022, with only Norway even managing to win a single game. Switzerland will be hoping that this favourable group and their home advantage give them the opportunity to make it to the knockout stage of a European Championship for the first time.
Norway are something of a fallen giant within the women's game, having reached the finals of the first four European Championships and first two World Cups. They won the Euros in 1987 and 1993, and the World Cup in 1995. However, recent tournament performances have been disappointing — their 8-0 drubbing against England at the last Euros was a particular low.
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This is despite a glut of talent that includes Lyon's Ada Hegerberg, Barcelona's Caroline Graham Hansen and Chelsea's Guro Reiten. All three of those players will be 30 by the time this tournament ends, and there is a sense this generation is running out of time to truly make its mark at international level.
Former Wales boss Gemma Grainger took charge of the side in January of last year, but they only won one of six matches in their qualifying group, eventually making the tournament through two-legged wins against Albania and Northern Ireland.
If Norway are to top the group, it may well be that they look to some of their younger talent coming through. Celin Bizet and Elisabeth Terland, both 23, have put together impressive seasons at Manchester United, and may see this as a coming-of-age summer.
Switzerland vs Norway
Norway and Switzerland will fancy themselves as potential group winners here and finishing top could be particularly important at Euro 2025, as the runner-up in Group A will face the winner of Group B, which holds world champions Spain. The two sides know plenty about each other, having faced off at the 2023 World Cup in a 0-0 draw that helped Switzerland top the group. Norway finished as runners-up but both sides went out in the round of 16.
They have also been competing in the same Nations League group, with Norway coming out 2-1 winners in their first match in February and following that up with a 1-0 away win on June 3.
Ada Hegerberg (Norway)
It has been a tough couple of years for Hegerberg, who has struggled to find regular playing time due to a range of injuries. But the fact that new manager Grainger named her as captain in March, taking over from veteran defender Maren Mjelde, shows how important Hegerberg still is to this side.
The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner missed the 2017 Euros and 2019 World Cup in protest at the treatment of the women's side by the Norwegian Football Federation and struggled to make an impact in 2022 and 2023. She has not scored a goal at a major international tournament since the 2015 World Cup. At club level, it seems Lyon manager Joe Montemurro prefers 21-year-old Haiti forward Melchie Dumornay.
Although Hegerberg will turn 30 in July, there is a sense that there is surely more to come from her providing she can stay fit.
Sydney Schertenleib (Switzerland)
The 18-year-old Barcelona midfielder looks set to be the home nation's standout star this summer after a breakout year at domestic and international level. Recruited by the Catalan club via an Instagram message, she made her debut for Switzerland in February last year, barely a month after turning 17. She has been capped 12 times, scoring twice, while she made eight league starts for Barcelona during 2024-25, no mean feat for a teenager competing with some of the best players in the world.
Her ability to carry the ball helps her open up space in congested areas of the pitch, and she has a maturity beyond her years when it comes to the technical aspects of the game.
Pia Sundhage is the one manager at this European Championship who has actually won it as a player. The Switzerland coach has a lengthy and impressive coaching CV that includes winning two Olympic gold medals with the United States, as well as time managing Sweden and Brazil internationally. All eyes will be on whether her significant pedigree can inspire the home nation.
Switzerland have only ever won one game in their two previous appearances at the Euros, but they have twice made the round of 16 at the World Cup, in 2015 and 2023. More pertinently, not since England in 2005 has a host of the competition failed to make it beyond the group stage.
Keep an eye out for Sveindis Jane Jonsdottir's long throws. The Iceland forward is known for her ability to hurl the ball into the box, which could prove crucial for her team, particularly with the aerial prowess of West Ham United's Dagny Brynjarsdottir, who is 5ft 11in (180cm).
Possibly the longest throw I've ever seen from Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir @footballiceland pic.twitter.com/bHXkzlhEjz
— Lucas Arnold (@FotboltiLucas) June 16, 2021
Jonsdottir appeared to have fallen out of favour with German club Wolfsburg and, with her contract expiring, it was announced last month she would be joining Angel City in the NWSL on a two-year deal.
(Top photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)