France secured its spot at Euro 2025 with a 2-1 victory over Sweden, putting them in a strong position for the upcoming tournament. Reigning champion England also moved closer to qualifying, securing a 2-1 home win against Ireland in their penultimate League A group game. The top two teams in each of the four groups in League A will join host Switzerland in the finals, with the remaining pairs competing in playoffs for the remaining seven spots.
France, with 10 points from its five games, has secured a top-two finish in Group 3. Meanwhile, England needs only a draw against Sweden in their next match to secure qualification. The Swedes currently have seven points. France’s victory was secured by a stunning long-range strike from Sakira Karchaoui, followed by a winning goal from Marie-Antoinette Katoto, despite Johanna Rybrink equalizing for Sweden in the second half.
England’s victory was achieved thanks to a goal from Alessia Russo in the fifth minute, who capitalized on a brilliant through-ball from Beth Mead. Despite a spirited performance from Ireland, a penalty converted by Georgia Stanway early in the second half effectively ended their hopes of a comeback. However, Ireland found a consolation goal in the final moments of the game, with substitute Julie-Ann Russell scoring their first goal of the campaign.
In other matches, Spain suffered a shocking 2-1 defeat to the Czech Republic in Group 2, despite remaining at the top of the group with a three-point lead over Denmark, which secured a comfortable 3-0 win against Belgium. Germany also experienced a surprise loss, falling 3-0 away to Iceland, despite remaining in first place with 12 points. Iceland, now three points behind Germany, sits in second place.
Group 1 saw Finland snatch a 1-1 draw against Norway in the final minutes of the match. The Netherlands and Italy played out a goalless draw, leaving the Dutch at the top of the group with eight points. Norway and Italy trail by two points, while Finland sits three points behind. All four teams remain in contention for direct qualification going into the final round of matches next Tuesday.
In Group B2, Scotland celebrated a 2-0 victory over Slovakia, thanks to a brace from Claire Emslie. The match, however, was significantly disrupted by a torrential thunderstorm that forced a 40-minute break just before the hour mark. These results have set the stage for an exciting final round of matches, with several teams still vying for qualification to the Euro 2025 tournament.
