Women’s Euro 2025 finals draw: group-by-group analysis and predictions
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Despite a tricky draw for England, the reigning champions will be among the teams expecting to progress. Group A: Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Finland. Statistically, this is the weakest group. Switzerland, the hosts, could scarcely have wished for a kinder draw, having avoided England, the Netherlands and Sweden. Everybody else in Group A can consider themselves fortunate to have avoided the world champions, Spain, from Pot 1. That said, this group has thrown up the potential for very close games and an evenly fought battle for the top two spots. Norway, whose squad is full of talent and will be many people’s dark horses, could thrive. Their influential players include the Chelsea winger Guro Reiten, the Arsenal forward Frida Maanum, the Barcelona winger Caroline Graham Hansen and the former Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg, plus three Manchester United first-team regulars in Elisabeth Terland, Celin Bizet and Lisa Naalsund.
![[Tom Garry]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2024/06/19/Tom_Garry.png?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Predicted qualifiers: Norway, Switzerland. Group B: Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Italy. Spain, the World Cup winners, will look to build on their 2023 success and they have been handed a good draw and a group from which they will be the clear favourites to progress. Italy, who won away in Germany in a friendly earlier this month, have been improving and are not to be underestimated, while Portugal are enjoying a 12-match unbeaten run and Belgium – who reached the quarter-finals three years ago in England – did well to eliminate Greece and Ukraine in the playoffs. All eyes will be on Spain, though, marshalled by the Ballon d’Or holder, Aitana Bonmatí.
