EURO2025 will be an exciting battle for the final
Yesterday saw the semi-final between Italy and England, and once again England managed to reach the European Championship final. Tonight, the second semi-final between Spain and Germany. But where has the Netherlands stood during this women's competition? A brief look back at the ups and downs during this European Championship. Do you prefer watching the European Championship, or are you a fan of the Tour de France? Or both? The summer of sports offers plenty of excitement and thrills.
The Netherlands has slipped in the world rankings
On the In the FIFA Women's World Ranking (as of December 13, 2024), the Dutch women are in 10th place (behind North Korea and ahead of France). The highest ranking was 3rd place in 2019 and 2021. The results of this European Championship still need to be processed on this list. Little remains of the euphoria of the 2017 European Championship on home soil. This European Championship was held from July 16 to August 6, 2017. The Netherlands won the final against Denmark 4-2. Both countries did not even survive the group stage during Euro 2025. They lost two matches against France and England by large margins. They were simply no match for the physical condition of both countries and also lost out to the speed of both teams. They played too slowly and there was little cohesion among the players. The coach has also failed to make changes to the squad in recent years. The team featured many 'veterans'.
European Football Championship 2017
To date, the following issues from PostNL and the Royal Dutch Mint (KNM) have appeared for women's football: a high-value silver stamp (Registered) and a medal from the Mint. These issues were released to commemorate the Orange Lionesses winning the European title in 2017.
Silver seal
The stamp was available for purchase at PostNL at the time in a luxury presentation box for €25. Mintage: 2300 copies.
The KNM issued the medal shown below. Available from various dealers for approximately €12.
Conclusion: It is a pity that PostNL opted for a very expensive stamp, which is available in limited quantities. The KNM medal has little collector's value, because it is not official legal tender in the Netherlands. That would be the case if it were a commemorative coin.
Italy
Women's football in Italy is booming. Most of the team's players play in the Italian domestic league. This league is now also attracting players from other countries. After being in a group with Spain and Portugal during EURO 2025, it turned out they had a favorable draw in the quarter-final against Norway. In the semi-final, they lost the match against England 2-1 in extra time. A country to watch out for in future tournaments.
England
Twice, the English team escaped elimination during the quarter-finals against Sweden and Italy. Twice, a Houdini act by the players and staff of the English team. Harry Houdini was a famous escape artist, known for his spectacular stunts and escape acts. He was able to escape from handcuffs, straitjackets, boxes, and even a water-filled Chinese water torture cell. His popularity grew due to his ability to take on challenges that seemed impossible and his talent for amazing the public with his perfectly executed tricks.
The Hague-born Sarina Wiegman is preparing for her fifth final at a major tournament in eight years. Moreover, she is the first national coach (in men's and women's football) to have reached five consecutive finals at major tournaments. Wiegman won the last two European Championships with the Netherlands and England and lost the finals of the last two World Cups with those national teams. In Sunday's final, she may have the opportunity to take revenge with England against Spain, which proved just too strong in the 2023 World Cup final.
Spain
The Spanish women played attractive football with fixed playing patterns, featuring mainly players from Barcelona. They are the 2023 world champions. The championship was not really celebrated due to the 'kiss' controversy. Spanish player Jennifer Hermoso was not selected for this tournament by current coach Montserrat Tomé Vázquez. She was appointed on September 5, 2023, as the successor to Jorge Vilda, making her the first female head coach of the Spanish national women's team.
Germany
The German women's national football team is the most successful national football team in Europe. Eight (1989, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013) of the thirteen editions of the European Championship were won by Germany. They have now defeated title contender France on penalties in the quarter-finals.
Final match July 27, 2025
European Championship Final: England – Spain 1-1. Sarina Wiegman has won the European Championship with her team for the second time in a row. For Wiegman, it is even her third consecutive European title. England secured the victory at the expense of Spain after a thrilling penalty shootout.
On the day England became European Champions, Royal Mail had a special cancellation ready. See blog.