June 2022: pub gardens and living rooms across the UK roared as the Lionesses emerged victorious from a gruelling final in UEFA Women’s Euro 2022.
Chloe Kelly's extra-time goal secured a historic 2-1 win over Germany. Football finally came "home" for the first time since 1966.
Three years on, the time is here again - but will the Lionesses, led by Leah Williamson and coached by Sarina Wiegman once more, be able to hoist the trophy again?
MORE: England Euro 2025 squad: Who's going, key players, tactics, style and more
History of the Women’s Euros
The first Women’s Euros in 1984 featured just four teams – England, Sweden, Norway and Italy.
The competition, which was called the European Competition for Women’s Football at the time, was played with truncated halves of 35 minutes rather than the 45-minute standard, as well as with a size 4 rather than a size 5 ball.
These adjustments, based around mitigating the ‘unsuitable’ elements of football for women, highlight the prejudice that female footballers had to contend with at the time, having been banned in England a mere 14 years previously.
The 1997 tournament signified a growth of the competition towards the one we know today, with 8 teams qualifying – but it wasn't until 2017 that the tournament grew to the 16 teams that play today. In line with the increasing support of women's football, games were duly increased to 90 minutes and the tournament was rebranded UEFA Women’s Championship, benefitting from UEFA's official confederation backing.
The competition has continued to grow year on year, and when England hosted the UEFA Women’s Championship in 2005, spectator numbers were surprisingly solid, with TV viewership peaking at three million.
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But of course, those numbers are nothing when compared to the present day, as the Women’s Euros have continued to climb in popularity and visibility.
The 2022 Euros broke records, becoming the most watched edition with a cumulative live viewership of 365 million, and a record attendance of nearly 575,000, more than doubling the attendance from 2017 in the Netherlands. The final alone was watched by 17 million people.
Euro 2025 is set to continue this record-breaking trend, a forecast reflected in UEFA’s decision to increase the prize money by a huge 156% to €41 million.
UEFA Women's Euro: Previous winners
Sweden won their only Euros title in the first ever tournament in 1984, before Norway took the title from their neighbours in 1987.
Germany are the most successful nation, having won a staggering eight of 13 titles with a streak that lasted from 1989 to 2017, when the Netherlands claimed a maiden success under the coaching of Sarina Wiegman.
The most recent winners of the UEFA Women’s Euros are England, who narrowly defeated Germany after extra time in 2022.
Full list of UEFA Women's Euro winners
- 1984: Sweden
- 1987: Norway
- 1989: West Germany
- 1991: Germany
- 1993: Norway
- 1995: Germany
- 1997: Germany
- 2001: Germany
- 2005: Germany
- 2009: Germany
- 2013: Germany
- 2017: Netherlands
- 2022: England
Can the Lionesses win Euro 2025?
The Lionesses have been placed in Group D alongside France, the Netherlands, and Wales.
Although only the Dutch are the only other team to have a trophy under their belt from this group, France are England's most dangerous rivals. They reached the semifinals in 2022 and beat the Lionesses home and away during qualification for Euro 2025.
Germany and Sweden face one another in Group C and are England's most likely quarterfinal opponent. The winners of Group D will face the runners-up from Group C, where the team placed first will face the side that comes second in England's section.