One week to go; final Women’s Euros preparations in place

No rest for the wicked, or the professionals. Regardless if any football club finishes first, second or last in their respective domestic leagues at the end of each season, a clean slate begins with the start of one of the most prestigious international tournaments over summer. The UEFA Women’s Euros comes once every four years, including a silver trophy to top it all off with continental glory. For the players of FC Barcelona, some will represent their homeland of Spain while others from neighbouring nations will compete under different flags.

In the melting pot are 16 nations, ranging from Austria to Wales, Belgium to Poland. The European mainland has showcased its talent dominating in international competitions, including the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics. England’s Lionesses managed to clinch the 2022 version of the Women’s Euros, signifying a major societal change while increasing overall popularity and participation of the sport for girls and women. Following 2022, Spain secured a #1 world ranking for a dominant period of time, winning the World Cup in 2023, until the inevitable United States secured the front seat. As it stands now, out of the top 10 FIFA world ranked countries, five are European.

Set to begin on the 2nd of July, Iceland will kick off against Finland to commence group A, all the way through to Group D play. Heavy hitters include England, Germany and the Netherlands; Not to forget France or underdogs such as Denmark or Italy. The tournament will last nearly a month, with the final set to be staged on the 27th of July in Basel, Switzerland.

Many notorious names will be represented amongst the talent pool of participants, although in contrast to club, nothing beats the feeling of honouring your homeland. For example, FC Barcelona’s Caroline Graham Hansen leads the front line for Norway while Ewa Pajor has the opportunity to captain Poland in its first ever Women’s Euros tournament appearance. Although one person who has had a rocky start before the competition has even begun is golden girl Aitana Bonmatí. Not related to any on-field injury or outcome, in a rare announcement, the Spanish Federation’s official social media pages announced that Bonmatí was in hospital undergoing treatment for viral meningitis. A scary revelation, as Bonmatí is a figurehead of women’s football and she did not travel with the initial team itinerary to Switzerland. Although health comes before success, wishing Aitana a speedy recovery.

In the meantime, the 2025 Women’s Euros begin on July the 2nd with group stages, followed by knockout rounds, accumulating to one final between two teams. May the games be entertaining. Enjoy.