Sports News | Women””s Soccer World Champion Spain Drawn with Italy, Belgium and Portugal in Euro 2025 Group

Lausanne, Dec 17 (AP) World Cup winner Spain will chase a sweep of major women’s soccer titles at the 2025 European Championship after drawing a group with Italy, Belgium and Portugal.

A European title would complete the set for Spain women after winning the inaugural UEFA Nations League in February for coach Montse Tomé, who took over when the team and federation was in turmoil after the 2023 world title win in Sydney. Tomé is the only female coach in Spain’s Euro 2025 group.

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Euro 2025 host Switzerland will open the 16-nation tournament against Norway on July 2 in Basel. The group also includes Iceland and Finland.

The past two European champions, titleholder England and Euro 2017 winner the Netherlands, landed in a strong group with top-seeded France and Wales.

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France and England reunite next July 5 in Zurich after coming through the same qualifying group, in which they traded away wins in a five-day spell and France finished on top of the standings.

“We had some beautiful matches in May and June. It’s a very good challenge,” France coach Laurent Bonadei said.

Germany, the record eight-time European champion, was drawn with Denmark, Poland and Sweden, the inaugural winner in 1984.

Basel’s St. Jakob Park stadium also will host the final on July 27.

More than 700,000 tickets are publicly available for the 31 games being hosted in eight Swiss cities.

Switzerland has the responsibility to continue the momentum in European women’s soccer after three successful major tournaments.

France hosted the 2019 Women’s World Cup, won by the United States; host England won the Euro 2022 final against Germany watched by more than 87,000 fans at Wembley Stadium; and Spain and England played for the 2023 world title at the first 32-team tournament, hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

“For me it is the perfect moment for this tournament to come here,” said retired Swiss great Lara Dickenmann, a two-time Champions League winner with Lyon.

“It will be a game-changer for us,” Dickenmann told The Associated Press. “It’s going to be really important for the Swiss population but also for the Swiss media, Swiss politics, on any level that takes part in football.”

Switzerland will start against Norway — which lost the 2023 World Cup opening game against New Zealand — one month after the same teams meet in a Nations League group that also includes Iceland.

Switzerland coach Pia Sundhage said she aimed to field her best team in what will be a final competitive warmup for Euro 2025.

“Confidence can take any team anywhere,” said Sundhage, the Swedish veteran who led the U.S. to back-to-back Olympic titles in 2008 and 2012.

England coach Sarina Wiegman has won the past two Euros titles, after leading her native Netherlands to the 2017 title, and suggested it will be an open and exciting tournament in Switzerland.

“It’s not just three or four countries” who can win, Wiegman said. “You can’t predict anymore.” (AP)

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