Ultimate guide to the UEFA Women's Championship in Switzerland

From July 2, the eyes of the footballing world will be focused on Switzerland, as the country hosts the UEFA Women’s Championship. Here’s how you can enjoy the event from across the alpine nation:

What you need to know about EURO 2025 in Switzerland

At 6pm on July 2 at the Arena Thun, the whistle will blow and Switzerland will kick off as host of the UEFA Women’s Euros. Teams from 16 countries will play 31 games to decide which team is the best on the continent. The event is three years in the making, with Switzerland heading off rival bids from France, Poland and a collection of Nordic countries to become the official host. 

Here’s what you need to know about the UEFA Women’s Championship and how you can enjoy all the tournament has to offer.

When will the Women's Euros take place?

The Women’s Euros in 2025 will run from July 2 to 27, 2025. Group stage games will take place between July 2 and 13, with the knockout rounds following from July 16 and 23. The tournament will reach its climax at 6pm on July 27, when Basel’s St. Jakob-Park hosts the final.

At first, the 16 teams are divided into four groups of four, in which each team plays each other once. The two times with the highest scores from each group are then sent to a quarter-final round, eventually leading to the final.

Where will the games be played?

Stadiums in eight different Swiss cities will be used during the competition, these are:

1. St. Jakob-Park, Basel
2. Stadion Wankdorf, Bern
3. Stade de Genève, Geneva
4. Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich
5. Arena St.Gallen, St. Gallen
6. Allmend Stadion, Lucerne
7. Arena Thun, Thun
8. Stade de Tourbillon, Sion

In terms of the most notable games, the first match of the tournament will be held in Thun, the semi-finals will take place in Geneva and Zurich, and the final will be held in Basel.

Who are the favourites (and does Switzerland have a chance)?

As to whether host nation Switzerland has a chance in this tournament, Die Nati have only qualified twice for the Women’s Euros since the first tournament was first held in 1984, and both times they were defeated in the group stage.

Nevertheless, with a decidedly Nordic-looking group featuring Iceland, Finland and Norway ahead of them, it’s hoped home advantage will propel the team to the latter stages. If they clinch a top-two finish in the group, in the quarter finals Switzerland will either face the runner-up of group B (Spain, Portugal, Belgium or Italy) in Geneva on July 16, or the winner of group B in Bern on July 18. 

As to who will win the whole tournament, the Women’s World Cup winners Spain are the favourites as it stands. World Cup runners-up and 2022 European champions England, France and Germany are also in with a chance of victory.

How to enjoy the Women's European Championship 2025

With Switzerland hosting the whole of the Women’s Euros in 2025, there are many great ways for locals and expats to experience the tournament:

In the stadium

Of course, the best way to see the competition is to be actually in the stadium itself. While many of the more prominent match-ups are sold out, there are still a handful of tickets available for group stage games, which can be found on Ticketcorner.

Ticket holders have the added benefit of being able to use public transport for free to get to and from the stadium. Swiss Federal Railways is also set to run 400 extra trains during the tournament to cater to the higher demand.

In fan zones across Swiss cities

If you haven’t got yourself a ticket, there are still loads of great ways to experience the tournament at dedicated fan zones. These are places where you can sit back, relax and enjoy the games on a wide screen with some good food and drink. Many of the locations also offer free concerts, games and more!

Here’s where each fan zone will be in the largest Swiss cities:

• Europaallee, Zurich
• Barfüsserplatz and Messeplatz, Basel
• Quai Gustave Ador, Geneva 
• Bundesplatz, Bern
• Marktgasse, St. Gallen
• Europaplatz, Lucerne
• Cour de Gare and Place du Midi, Sion
• Waisenhausplatz, Thun
• Cabanakai and Ouchy, Lausanne

Most of the official fan zones will run throughout the tournament, opening in the late morning and closing around 30 minutes after the final full-time whistle of the day is blown. In addition to the larger events, bars, restaurants and cafes are all set to have their own programmes tailored to helping you experience the Women’s Euros, so get out there and explore!

Where will EURO 2025 be broadcast?

If you want to see the tournament from the comfort of your own home, all games in the UEFA Women’s Championships will be broadcast live on television and the internet. In Switzerland, SRF, RTS and RSI will be broadcasting the tournament on TV, alongside a livestream online.