UEFA Women's Championship explained

Organiser:	UEFA
Number Of Teams:	16 (finals) 52 (qualifiers)
Region:	Europe
Website:	Official website
Current:	UEFA Women's Euro 2025
Qualifier For:	Women's Finalissima

The UEFA European Women's Championship, also called the UEFA Women's Euro, held every four years and one year after the men’s UEFA European Championship first held in 1984, is the main competition in women's association football between national teams of the UEFA confederation. The competition is the women's equivalent of the UEFA European Championship. The reigning champions are England, who won their home tournament in 2022. The most successful nation in the history of the tournament is Germany, with eight titles.

History

^[1] In 1957 in West Berlin, a European Championship was staged by the International Ladies Football Association.^{[2] [3]} Four teams, representing West Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and the eventual winners, England, played the tournament at the Poststadion,^{[2] [3]} at a time when women's football teams were officially forbidden by the German Football Association, a ban that was widely defied.^[4]

The FICF, which eventually merged into the Italian Football Federation, organised a European tournament in Italy in 1969 for women's national teams, a tournament won by the home team, Italy, who beat Denmark 3–1 in the final.^[5] The two nations were also the finalists of the 1970 Women's World Cup in Italy.

Italy hosted another European women's tournament a decade later, the 1979 European Competition for Women's Football – won by Denmark.^[6]

UEFA displayed little enthusiasm for women's football and were particularly hostile to Italy's independent women's football federation. Sue Lopez, a member of England's squad, contended that a lack of female representation in UEFA was a contributory factor:^[7]

At a conference on 19 February 1980 UEFA resolved to launch its own competition for women's national teams.^[8] The meeting minutes had registered the 1979 competition as a "cause for concern".^[9] The first UEFA-run international tournament began only in 1982, when the 1984 European Competition for Women's Football qualification was launched. The 1984 Finals were won by Sweden. Norway won the 1987 Finals. Since then, the UEFA Women's Championship has been dominated by Germany, which has won eight out of ten events. Norway won in 1993 and the Netherlands in 2017. Germany's 2013 win had been their sixth in a row. In 2022, England won UEFA Women's Euro 2022, becoming the country's first senior association football team of either gender to win a major tournament since the men's team won the 1966 FIFA World Cup.

From 1984 to 1995, the tournament was initially played as a four-team event. The 1997 edition was the first that was played with eight teams, followed by the 2001 and 2005 editions. The third expansion happened between 2009 and 2013 when 12 teams participated. From 2017 onwards 16 teams compete for the championship.^[10]

The first three tournaments of the UEFA competition in the 1980s had the name "European Competition for Representative Women's Teams". With UEFA's increasing acceptance of women's football, this competition was given European Championship status by UEFA around 1990.^[11] Only the 1991 and 1995 editions have been used as European qualifiers for a FIFA Women's World Cup; starting in 1999, women's national teams adopted the separate World Cup qualifying competition and group system used in men's qualifiers.

Results

See also: List of UEFA Women's Championship finals.

Editions	Years	Host Nation	width = 1% rowspan=17		Finals			width = 1% rowspan=17		Third place playoff or losing semi-finalists				Number of teams
width=15%	Winners	width=8%	Scores	width=15%	Runners-up	width=15%	Third place	width=8%	Score	width=15%	Fourth place
1	1984	No official host		1–1 (agg.)		and			4
2	1987	Norway		2–1			2–1		4
3	1989			4–1			2–1		4
4	1991	Denmark		3–1			2–1		4
5	1993	Italy		1–0			3–1		4
6	1995	No official host		3–2		and			4
7	1997	Norway Sweden		2–0		and			8
8	2001	Germany		1–0		and			8
9	2005			3–1		and			8
10	2009	Finland		6–2		and			12
11	2013	Sweden		1–0		and			12
12	2017	Netherlands		4–2		and			16
13	2022			2–1		and			16
14	2025	Switzerland							16
15	2029	TBA							16

Summary

See also: List of UEFA Women's Championship records.

Team	Winners	Runners-up	Losing semi-finalists
^1	8 (1989*, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2001*, 2005, 2009, 2013)	1 (2022)	1 (1993)
	2 (1987*, 1993)	4 (1989, 1991, 2005, 2013)	3 (1995, 2001, 2009)
	1 (1984)	3 (1987, 1995, 2001)	5 (1989, 1997*, 2005, 2013*, 2022)
	1 (2022*)	2 (1984, 2009)	3 (1987, 1995, 2017)
	1 (2017*)		1 (2009)
		2 (1993*, 1997)	4 (1984, 1987, 1989, 1991)
		1 (2017)	5 (1984, 1991*, 1993, 2001, 2013)
			1 (2017)
			1 (2005)
			1 (2022)
			1 (1997)

• hosts

¹ named West Germany until 1990

Medal table

In the inaugural 1984 tournament, no bronze medal was awarded. In 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1993 there was a third-place play-off to determine bronze. From 1995 onwards, both losing semi-finalists are awarded bronze. Only Norway and Germany have won the competition more than once.

Debut of teams

width=40 rowspan=2	Year	Debuting teams			Successor teams
Teams	width=40		width=40
1984	,,,	4	4
1987		1	5
1989		1	6
1991	0	6
1993	0	6
1995	0	6
1997	,,	3	9
2001		0	9
2005		1	10
2009	,,	3	13
2013		0	13
2017	,,,,	5	18
2022		1	19
2025	TBD	≥1	≥20
2029	TBD

Overall team records

In this ranking 3 points are awarded for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss. As per statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws. Teams are ranked by total points, then by goal difference, then by goals scored.

Rank	width=200	Team	Part	M	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Points
1		11	46	36	6	4	107	27	+80	114
2		11	42	22	6	14	72	47	+25	72
3		12	39	16	7	16	51	58	−7	55
4		9	34	17	3	14	62	53	+9	54
5		7	26	11	8	7	39	34	+5	41
6		10	33	10	8	15	33	46	−13	38
7		4	18	10	3	5	27	15	+12	33
8		12	35	8	7	20	38	63	−25	31
9		4	16	5	3	8	16	19	−3	18
10		2	9	4	3	2	8	4	+4	15
11		4	14	3	3	8	12	27	−15	12
12		2	7	2	1	4	6	7	−1	7
13		4	13	1	4	8	7	22	−15	7
14		5	15	1	3	11	10	31	−21	6
15		2	6	1	2	3	7	11	−4	5
16		2	6	1	1	4	7	15	−8	4
17		1	3	1	0	2	2	4	−2	3
18		1	3	1	0	2	2	8	−6	3
19		1	3	0	0	3	1	11	−10	0

Team results by tournament

Legend

• – Champions
• – Runners-up
• – Third place (1987–1993)
• – Fourth place (1987–1993)
• – Semi-finalists (1984, and since 1995)
• – Quarter-finalists (since 2009)
• GS – Group stage
• Q – Qualified for upcoming tournament
• – Did not qualify
• – Did not enter / Withdrew / Banned
• – Hosts

For each tournament, the number of teams in each finals tournament (in brackets) are shown.

Team	1984	1987	1989	1991	1993	1995	1997	2001	2005	2009	2013	2017	2022	2025	Total
	(4)						(8)			(12)		(16)
	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	SF	QF		2
	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	QF		2
	SF	•	•	3rd	3rd	•	GS	SF	GS	GS	SF	bgcolor=Silver	2nd	GS	Q	11
	bgcolor=Silver	2nd	4th	•	•	•	SF	•	GS	GS	bgcolor=Silver	2nd	GS	SF	1st	Q	10
	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	SF	QF	GS	•	GS		4
	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	GS	GS	QF	QF	QF	SF	Q	8
	•	•	1st	bgcolor=Gold	1st	4th	bgcolor=Gold	1st	bgcolor=Gold	1st	1st	bgcolor=Gold	1st	bgcolor=Gold	1st	bgcolor=Gold	1st	QF	bgcolor=Silver	2nd	Q	12
	•	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	GS	QF	GS	GS	Q	5
	SF	3rd	4th	4th	2nd	•	bgcolor=Silver	2nd	GS	GS	QF	QF	GS	GS	Q	13
	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	SF	GS	1st	QF	Q	5
	•	•	×	•	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	GS		1
	•	1st	bgcolor=Silver	2nd	bgcolor=Silver	2nd	bgcolor=Gold	1st	SF	GS	SF	bgcolor=Silver	2nd	SF	bgcolor=Silver	2nd	GS	GS		12
	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	GS		2
	Part of				•	•	GS	GS	•	GS	GS	GS	×	×	5
	•	•	•	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•		1
	×	•	•	•	•	•	SF	•	•	•	QF	QF	QF	Q	5
	bgcolor=Gold	1st	bgcolor=Silver	2nd	3rd	•	•	bgcolor=Silver	2nd	SF	bgcolor=Silver	2nd	bgcolor=#9acdff	SF	QF	SF	QF	SF		11
	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	GS	Q	3
	Part of				×	•	•	•	•	GS	•	•	•		1

Notes:

• The team was created only in 1990 and did not participate in continental competitions.
• The team was created only in 1990 and did not participate in continental competitions.
• Most of the countries of the "Eastern Bloc" ("Socialist camp") did not field their women teams.

Hosts

Results of host nations

Year	Host nation	Finish
1984	No fixed host	n/a
1987		bgcolor=Gold	Champions
1989		bgcolor=Gold	Champions
1991		Third place
1993		bgcolor=Silver	Runners-up
1995	No fixed host	n/a
1997		Group stage
		Semi-final
2001		bgcolor=Gold	Champions
2005		Group stage
2009		Quarter-final
2013		Semi-final
2017		bgcolor=Gold	Champions
2022		bgcolor=Gold	Champions
2025		To be determined

Results of defending finalists

Year	Defending champions	Finish	Defending runners-up	Finish
1987		bgcolor=Silver	Runners-up		Fourth place
1989		bgcolor=Silver	Runners-up		Third place
1991		bgcolor=Gold	Champions		bgcolor=Silver	Runners-up
1993		Fourth place		bgcolor=Gold	Champions
1995		Semi-final		Did not qualify
1997		bgcolor=Gold	Champions		Semi-final
2001		bgcolor=Gold	Champions		Group stage
2005		bgcolor=Gold	Champions		Semi-final
2009		bgcolor=Gold	Champions		Semi-final
2013		bgcolor=Gold	Champions		Group stage
2017		Quarter-final		Group stage
2022		Quarter-final		Group stage
2025		To be determined		To be determined

Tournament statistics

See main article: UEFA Women's Championship records.

All-time top scorers

Rank	Name	Euro													Total
		1984	1987	1989	1991	1993	1995	1997	2001	2005	2009	2013	2017	2022
1	Inka Grings									4	6				10
	Birgit Prinz						2	2	1	3	2				10
3	Carolina Morace	2	1	0	0	1		4							8
	Heidi Mohr			1	4	1	2								8
	Lotta Schelin									0	1	5	2		8
6	Hanna Ljungberg							1	2	3					6
	Beth Mead													6	6
	Alexandra Popp													6	6
9	Melania Gabbiadini									2	1	2	0		5
	Solveig Gulbrandsen								0	3	0	2			5
	Maren Meinert					1	1	1	2						5
	Patrizia Panico							1	2	0	2	0			5
	Pia Sundhage	4	0	1			0								5
	Jodie Taylor												5		5
	Lena Videkull	0	1	1			3								5
	Bettina Wiegmann				0	0	2	1	2						5

Top scorers by tournament

Year	Player	Maximum matches	Goals
1984	Pia Sundhage	4	4
1987	Trude Stendal	2	3
1989	Sissel Grude Ursula Lohn	2	2
1991	Heidi Mohr	2	4
1993	Susan Mackensie	2	2
1995	Lena Videkull	3	3
1997	Carolina Morace Marianne Pettersen Angélique Roujas	5	4
2001	Claudia Müller Sandra Smisek	5	3
2005	Inka Grings	5	4
2009	Inka Grings	6	6
2013	Lotta Schelin	6	5
2017	Jodie Taylor	6	5
2022	Beth Mead Alexandra Popp	6	6

UEFA.com Golden Player by tournament

Year	Player
1984	Pia Sundhage
1987	Heidi Støre
1989	Doris Fitschen
1991	Silvia Neid
1993	Hege Riise
1995	Birgit Prinz
1997	Carolina Morace
2001	Hanna Ljungberg
2005	Anne Mäkinen
2009	Inka Grings
2013	Nadine Angerer^1
2017	Lieke Martens^1
2022	Beth Mead^1

¹Official player of the tournament since 2013

Highest attendances

• 87,192 – England v Germany, Wembley, London (2022 final)
• 68,871 – England v Austria, Old Trafford, Manchester (2022 group stage)
• 41,301 – Germany v Norway, Friends Arena, Solna (2013 final)
• 30,785 - England v Northern Ireland, St Mary's Stadium, Southampton (2022 group stage)
• 29,092 – England v Finland, City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester (2005 group stage)
• 28,994 – England v Spain, Falmer Stadium, Brighton and Hove (2022 quarter-final)
• 28,847 – England v Norway, Falmer Stadium, Brighton and Hove (2022 group stage)
• 28,624 – England v Sweden, Bramall Lane, Sheffield (2022 semi-final)
• 28,182 – Netherlands v Denmark, De Grolsch Veste, Enschede (2017 final)
• 27,445 – Germany v France, Stadium MK, Milton Keynes (2022 semi-final)

See also

• UEFA Women's Champions League
• UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship
• UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship
• FIFA Women's World Cup
• FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
• FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup

External links

• UEFA Women's Championship
• BBC Sport – "How Women's Euros have evolved"

Notes and References

1. A comparative analysis of the 1921 English Football Association ban on women's football in Britain and Ireland . Sport in History . 27 Jan 2022. 42 . 1 . 49–75 . 10.1080/17460263.2021.2025415 . Skillen . Fiona . Byrne . Helena . Carrier . John . James . Gary . 246409158 . free .
2. Web site: Damenfußball in der Verbotszeit [Ladies' football in the banned era] ]. BPB . https://web.archive.org/web/20220218220314/https://www.bpb.de/themen/sport/graue-spielzeit/65065/damenfussball-in-der-verbotszeit/ . 18 Feb 2022 . 4 Sep 2007.
3. Web site: Women's european football championship scene from match germany (GFR) against England in Berlin (West-Berlin) . final result 0:4 05.Nov. 1957 . Getty Images.
4. Web site: Frauenfußball-Verbot 1955 [Women's football ban 1955] ]. Deutschlandfunk . 30 July 2015.
5. Web site: Coppa Europa per Nazioni (Women) 1969 . Rsssf.com . 19 March 2001 . 12 September 2009.
6. Web site: Inofficial European Women Championship 1979 . Rsssf.com . 15 October 2000 . 12 September 2009.
7. Book: Sue Lopez

   . Lopez . Sue . Sue Lopez. Women on the Ball: A Guide to Women's Football . Scarlet Press . 1997 . London, England . 1857270169 . 99.

8. Web site: 2013 Uefa Women's Competitions. . August 2013 . 12 January 2014. 4 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131217110606/https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/Women/General/01/99/05/49/1990549_DOWNLOAD.pdf . 17 December 2013 . live .
9. Book: Williams, Jean. Jean Williams

   . A Beautiful Game: International Perspectives on Women's Football. Jean Williams. Berg Publishers. 2007 . 978-1845206758 . 30.

10. Web site: Women's EURO and U17s expanded. UEFA. 8 December 2011. 8 December 2011.
11. Web site: Schlenker . Anika Leslie-Walker, Marisa . 2020-07-08 . Four decades of UEFA Women's Championships "come home" . 2023-11-23 . Football Makes History . en-US.