Home nations, heatwave & Swiss ‘heart’ – what to expect from Euro 2025

The wait is almost over.

Thun, Switzerland, hosts Iceland and Finland (17:00 BST) on Wednesday for Euro 2025.

Hosts Switzerland kicks off their campaign in Basel at 2:00 BST against Norway later that day.

What will the tournament have in store, then? What will the nation’s own fate be? And who is most likely to receive the trophy on July 27th?

England and Wales, who are drawn together in Group D, will receive the majority of the attention in the UK.

On July 13 (2:00 BST), the two teams’ final group game will feature a potentially decisive duel between them.

However, France and the Netherlands, who won the tournament in 2017, are both top teams, who are in danger of making it to the knockout stages.

Wales struggled against stronger opposition recently after advancing to League A in the Nations League despite losing just one of their ten games in qualifying.

Rhian Wilkinson, who led Wales to their first major tournament, has stated that her team “can compete with the best teams.”

England are currently the defending champions, but elimination is not a guaranteed outcome.

England showed promise in the defeat by favorite Spain last month, while the disruption brought on by the exits of Millie Bright and Mary Earps abroad did not.

“There have been injuries, headlines, and a lot of noise,” the statement read. Former Scotland international Jen Beattie argued that the key to effective strategy is to focus on performance and the opening game.

After a 7-0 thrashing of Jamaica in their final warm-up game, Sarina Wiegman’s squad will feel better, with six different goal scorers.

Spain are the reigning world champions and have a lot of talent in their squad, which makes their debut in Switzerland as favorites to take the trophy.

They have never reached the final, but they have only ever reached the semi-finals of the Euros.

Despite having a divided squad in the tournament and a background of unrest, La Roja won the 2023 World Cup.

When Luis Rubiales, the then president of the Spanish football federation, kissed player Jennifer Hermoso on the lips, he claimed it was consensual, but Jennifer Hermoso claimed it wasn’t. In February of this year, Rubiales was found guilty of sexual assault and fined.

The players appear to have grown stronger and appear to be more united than ever almost two years later.

Vicky Losada, a former Spain midfielder, stated in the Euro 2025 preview on BBC Radio 5 Live, “The girls finally want to put an end to that story.”

They will win a significant championship in a good location. They haven’t done anything they haven’t done in the past two major tournaments, but they are all promising to be able to perform and enjoy it.

They are unwilling to discuss it further. They are confident in the new manager and prepared for it.

Just in time for Euro 2025, the record-breaking June heatwave that has affected Europe is coming to Switzerland.

The Swiss government has issued amber heatwave warnings for the majority of the week. Temperatures are anticipated to be around 10C above average, with daytime highs of about 35C (95F) and around 35C above average.

Even though the temperatures will be easing, the first round of matches will take place in the evening.

For the 18: 00 CET (17: 00 BST) kick-offs temperatures will hover between 27-30C. Kick-offs scheduled for 21:00 CET (20:00 BST) are expected to take place between 24 and 27 degrees Celsius.

Drink breaks may be used during Euro 2025 when the weather is high, like in all Uefa competitions.

At the end of the teams’ warm-ups, Uefa delegates will use a wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) thermometer to measure the temperature. Cooling breaks will be used for the match if the temperature exceeds 35C. The referee has the discretion to implement drinks breaks if the temperature is below those thresholds.

Uefa has issued a heat advisory for all games on July 2, 3, and 4. Fans may enter the stadium with a 500ml water bottle for these games.

But how do players react to playing in the cold?

Meriame Terchoun, a midfielder for Switzerland, told BBC Sport, “Of course it’s not easy, but we have staff that is taking that into account.” We can use cold baths or cryotherapy to recover, which are both available to us.

With six goals and Beth Mead’s Golden Boot at Euro 2022, will Alessia Russo’s Arsenal team-mate steal the show this summer?

The 26-year-old striker scored 12 goals in the Women’s Super League last season, one more than Mead had in the previous campaign to win the 2022 championship.

Russo started a game at Euro 2022, but she came in second place behind Ellen White in the pecking order, and she scored four goals from the bench, including an outrageous backheel finish in the semi-final against Sweden.

Former Wales international Danny Gabbidon stated on BBC Sport, “You would expect her to be there or thereabouts for the Golden Boot. She is going to be the one leading the line for England.”

Russo will win the Golden Boot, according to five of BBC Sport’s pundits, but Claudia Pina and Esther Gonzalez from Spain were also mentioned.

This will be Switzerland’s first women’s sporting occasion of this magnitude.

In 2023, it defeated Poland, France, and Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway to be awarded the host country award by Uefa.

The tournament will take place in eight cities, including Basel, Bern, Geneva, Zurich, St Gallen, Sion, Lucerne, and Thun, in a setting that evokes the iconic mountainous landscape of Switzerland.

The organizers have set the match schedule to lessen team travel during the group stage, making the free public transportation available to all ticket holders traveling within the country and to and from games.

Additionally, they have developed a strategy to increase the number of girls and women playing football in Switzerland from 40, 000 to 80, 000 by 2027.

Former England international Ellen White stated on BBC Radio 5 Live, “For the tournament, it will be absolutely amazing for the host country to leave the group and advance.”

“Getting behind this team and pushing them over the line will be huge for Switzerland as a country.”

Kathrin Lehmann, the former Switzerland goalkeeper, said: “We all know we have the best fans. We have not that good of a team like England.”