From the Euros to Canada’s new league: women’s football in 2025

 

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.

Who will shine at Euro 2025?

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?

Delayed Wafcon finally takes place

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.

Will Brazil defend Copa América crown?

The third major tournament this summer will see the 10th edition of the Copa América take place in Ecuador. Brazil are the heavy favourites having lifted the trophy eight times. Arthur Elias’s side will look to make it a fourth win in a row to continue their domination of South American football. They face Colombia in an eye-catching Group B fixture as well as Paraguay, Venezuela and Bolivia. The only other winners of the tournament, Argentina, will launch their campaign in Group A alongside the hosts, Chile, Uruguay and Peru. The two finalists will also secure their spot at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Women’s Nations League returns

The second edition of the Nations League begins in February with some mouth-watering encounters. There will be a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final as Spain and England reignite their rivalry while there will be useful preparation for the current champions and Portugal, a preamble to their Euros meeting later in the year. Both Scotland and Wales have been given strong League A tests while Germany v the Netherlands and Denmark v Sweden are sure to be matches that catch the eye. Northern Ireland will attempt to mount a challenge in League B, as will the Republic of Ireland as they look to bounce back from the disappointment of not making Euro 2025. Elsewhere, Gibraltar will make history against Moldova when they play their first ever competitive game. The four League A winners will progress to the semi-finals and final which is due to be played in December. How the groups finish will also determine the groups for 2027 World Cup qualifying.

Lisbon awaits for Champions League finalists

Can anyone mount a challenge to Barcelona’s recent dominance of European club football? Fellow quarter-finalists Lyon, Wolfsburg, Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Arsenal and Bayern Munich will certainly try their best to get their hands on the trophy in May. All will be left on tenterhooks until the draw in February – an inexplicable wait that hampers tickets sales among other things – before they will discover their fates and attempt to forge a path to the final in Lisbon. The presence of three English teams in the knockouts provides a significant boost for the development of the WSL while Joe Montemurro’s Lyon have looked comfortable, winning a potentially tricky Group A with ease.

Birth of Canada’s Northern Super League

The prolonged absence of a professional domestic game in Canada will come to an end in April when the highly anticipated Northern Super League begins. The competition is the vision of former Canada international Diana Matheson, a co-founder of Project 8 who will own and run the league. Six teams will take part in the inaugural season – Halifax Tides, Montreal Roses, AFC Toronto, Calgary Wild, Ottawa Rapid and Vancouver Rise – while a series of sponsorship and broadcast deals have been completed in recent months. Players and coaches have also started to arrive – the former Canada goalkeeper Erin McLeod joined Halifax; Afghanistan midfielder Farkhunda Muhtaj became Calgary Wild’s first signing while Ottawa Rapid named former Denmark international Katrine Pedersen as their head coach.