Moving the Goalposts | From the Euros to Canada’s new league: women’s football in 2025
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Controversially postponed Wafcon will finally take place and Brazil will hope to retain Copa América title. New landmarks, historic wins and the USA gaining Olympic redemption – the last 12 months in the women’s game certainly delivered once again. And 2025 promises to be yet another memorable year as Switzerland host the European Championship, the Africa Cup of Nations finally gets under way and the start of a brand new league brings new hope for Canada.
![[Sophie Downey]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/06/06/Sophie_Downey.png?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Three years on from England’s memorable win at Wembley, the European Championship returns with the stakes higher and the competition ever closer. The tournament will take centre stage in Switzerland this July and there are multiple questions to be answered with all teams showing their inconsistencies since the 2023 World Cup. There are plenty of eye-catching group matches to contend with – Spain-Portugal; Germany-Sweden; England-France – while Poland and Wales will be making their major tournament debuts. Can the Lionesses retain their crown? Will Spain resume their dominance of international football? Or can Germany or France discover the consistency needed to challenge for the title?.
![[Alessia Russo (right) celebrates with Georgia Stanway (centre) and Lauren James after scoring against Sweden during the Euro 2025 qualifier in April]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/53d2e9520856286b6903c3b521a3740c58323cc7/0_0_4401_2933/master/4401.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
After the Confederation of African Football’s contentious decision to postpone the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations last year due to a “scheduling nightmare”, the 2024 edition will take place in Morocco this summer, a full 18 months after qualification ended. Twelve nations will participate with South Africa looking to retain their crown but the hosts, Zambia and Nigeria aiming to mount a serious challenge. The Democratic Republic of the Congo feature for the first time since 2012 while 2022 quarter-finalists Botswana, Senegal and Tunisia all return. Algeria, Ghana and Mali will all make their first appearance in seven years while Tanzania have qualified for only the second time in their history.
![[The Jose Alvalade stadium]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/4ee3c3f1a1b9b9a659fc759570011a028f483e3c/0_0_5472_3078/master/5472.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
