UEFA Women's Championship

The UEFA European Women's Championship, also called the UEFA Women's Euro, held every four years and one year after the men's UEFA European Championship first held in 1984, is the main competition in women's association football between national teams of the UEFA confederation. The competition is the women's equivalent of the UEFA European Championship. The reigning champions are England, who won their home tournament in 2022. The most successful nation in the history of the tournament is Germany, with eight titles.

History

In 1957 in West Berlin, a European Championship was staged by the International Ladies Football Association. Four teams, representing West Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and the eventual winners, England, played the tournament at the Poststadion, at a time when women's football teams were officially forbidden by the German Football Association, a ban that was widely defied.

The FICF, which eventually merged into the Italian Football Federation, organised a European tournament in Italy in 1969 for women's national teams, a tournament won by the home team, Italy, who beat Denmark 3–1 in the final. The two nations were also the finalists of the 1970 Women's World Cup in Italy.

Italy hosted another European women's tournament a decade later, the 1979 European Competition for Women's Football – won by Denmark.

UEFA displayed little enthusiasm for women's football and were particularly hostile to Italy's independent women's football federation. Sue Lopez, a member of England's squad, contended that a lack of female representation in UEFA was a contributory factor:

In 1971, UEFA had set up a committee for women's football, composed exclusively of male representatives, and by the time this committee folded in 1978 they had failed to organise any international competitions.

At a conference on 19 February 1980 UEFA resolved to launch its own competition for women's national teams. The meeting minutes had registered the 1979 competition as a "cause for concern". The first UEFA-run international tournament began only in 1982, when the 1984 European Competition for Women's Football qualification was launched. The 1984 Finals were won by Sweden. Norway won the 1987 Finals. Since then, the UEFA Women's Championship has been dominated by Germany, which has won eight out of ten events. Norway won in 1993 and the Netherlands in 2017. Germany's 2013 win had been their sixth in a row. In 2022, England won UEFA Women's Euro 2022, becoming the country's first senior association football team of either gender to win a major tournament since the men's team won the 1966 FIFA World Cup.

From 1984 to 1995, the tournament was initially played as a four-team event. The 1997 edition was the first that was played with eight teams, followed by the 2001 and 2005 editions. The third expansion happened between 2009 and 2013 when 12 teams participated. From 2017 onwards 16 teams compete for the championship.

The first three tournaments of the UEFA competition in the 1980s had the name "European Competition for Representative Women's Teams". With UEFA's increasing acceptance of women's football, this competition was given European Championship status by UEFA around 1990. Only the 1991 and 1995 editions have been used as European qualifiers for a FIFA Women's World Cup; starting in 1999, women's national teams adopted the separate World Cup qualifying competition and group system used in men's qualifiers.

Results

Editions	Years	Host nation		Finals				Third place playoff or losing semi-finalists				Number of teams
				Winners	Scores	Runners-up		Third place	Score	Fourth place
1	1984	No official host		File:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden	1–1 (agg.) Template:Pso	File:Flag of England.svg England		and				4
2	1987	Norway		File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway	2–1	File:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden		File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy	2–1	File:Flag of England.svg England		4
3	1989	West Germany		File:Flag of Germany.svg West Germany	4–1	File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway		File:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden	2–1 Template:Aet	File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy		4
4	1991	Denmark		File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany	3–1 Template:Aet	File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway		File:Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark	2–1 Template:Aet	File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy		4
5	1993	Italy		File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway	1–0	File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy		File:Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark	3–1	File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany		4
6	1995	No official host		File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany	3–2	File:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden		and				4
7	1997	Norway Sweden		File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany	2–0	File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy		and				8
8	2001	Germany		File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany	1–0 Template:Aet	File:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden		and				8
9	2005	England		File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany	3–1	File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway		and				8
10	2009	Finland		File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany	6–2	File:Flag of England.svg England		and				12
11	2013	Sweden		File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany	1–0	File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway		and				12
12	2017	Netherlands		File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands	4–2	File:Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark		and				16
13	2022	England		File:Flag of England.svg England	2–1 Template:Aet	File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany		and				16
14	2025	Switzerland										16
15	2029	TBA										16

Summary

Team	Winners	Runners-up	Losing semi-finalists
1	8 (1989*, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2001*, 2005, 2009, 2013)	1 (2022)	1 (1993)
	2 (1987*, 1993)	4 (1989, 1991, 2005, 2013)	3 (1995, 2001, 2009)
	1 (1984)	3 (1987, 1995, 2001)	5 (1989, 1997*, 2005, 2013*, 2022)
	1 (2022*)	2 (1984, 2009)	3 (1987, 1995, 2017)
	1 (2017*)	Template:Sdash	1 (2009)
	Template:Sdash	2 (1993*, 1997)	4 (1984, 1987, 1989, 1991)
	Template:Sdash	1 (2017)	5 (1984, 1991*, 1993, 2001, 2013)
	Template:Sdash	Template:Sdash	1 (2017)
	Template:Sdash	Template:Sdash	1 (2005)
	Template:Sdash	Template:Sdash	1 (2022)
	Template:Sdash	Template:Sdash	1 (1997)

* hosts

¹ named West Germany until 1990

Medal table

In the inaugural 1984 tournament, no bronze medal was awarded. In 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1993 there was a third-place play-off to determine bronze. From 1995 onwards, both losing semi-finalists are awarded bronze. Only Norway and Germany have won the competition more than once.

Debut of teams

File:Euro 2009 - Germany-Norway - Goal Scrum 239.jpg

Players fighting for the ball during the match between Germany and Norway in UEFA Women's Euro 2009 in Tampere, Finland.

File:Euromeister-2009-frauenfussball-ffm-037.jpg

Reception of Germany women's national football team, after winning the 2009 UEFA Women's Championship, on the balcony of Frankfurt's city hall "Römer"

Year	Debuting teams			Successor teams
	Teams	No.	Cum.
1984	, , ,	4	4
1987		1	5
1989		1	6
1991	—	0	6
1993		0	6
1995		0	6
1997	, ,	3	9
2001	—	0	9
2005		1	10
2009	, ,	3	13
2013	—	0	13
2017	, , , ,	5	18
2022		1	19
2025	,	2	21
2029	TBD

Overall team records

In this ranking 3 points are awarded for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss. As per statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws. Teams are ranked by total points, then by goal difference, then by goals scored.

As of UEFA Women's Euro 2022, 31 July 2022

Rank	Team	Part	M	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Points
1	Template:Efn	11	46	36	6	4	107	27	+80	114
2		11	42	22	6	14	72	47	+25	72
3		12	39	16	7	16	51	58	−7	55
4		9	34	17	3	14	62	53	+9	54
5		7	26	11	8	7	39	34	+5	41
6		10	33	10	8	15	33	46	−13	38
7		4	18	10	3	5	27	15	+12	33
8		12	35	8	7	20	38	63	−25	31
9		4	16	5	3	8	16	19	−3	18
10		2	9	4	3	2	8	4	+4	15
11		4	14	3	3	8	12	27	−15	12
12		2	7	2	1	4	6	7	−1	7
13		4	13	1	4	8	7	22	−15	7
14		5	15	1	3	11	10	31	−21	6
15		2	6	1	2	3	7	11	−4	5
16		2	6	1	1	4	7	15	−8	4
17		1	3	1	0	2	2	4	−2	3
18		1	3	1	0	2	2	8	−6	3
19		1	3	0	0	3	1	11	−10	0

Team results by tournament

Legend

• Template:Bg – Champions
• Template:Bg – Runners-up
• Template:Bg – Third place (1987–1993)
• Template:Bg – Fourth place (1987–1993)
• Template:Bg – Semi-finalists (1984, and since 1995)
• Template:Bg – Quarter-finalists (since 2009)
• GS – Group stage
• Q – Qualified for upcoming tournament
•  •  – Did not qualify
•  ×  – Did not enter / Withdrew / Banned
•    – Hosts

For each tournament, the number of teams in each finals tournament (in brackets) are shown.

Team	1984	1987 Template:Flagicon	1989 Template:Flagicon	1991 Template:Flagicon	1993 Template:Flagicon	1995	1997 Template:Flagicon Template:Flagicon	2001 Template:Flagicon	2005 Template:Flagicon	2009 Template:Flagicon	2013 Template:Flagicon	2017 Template:Flagicon	2022 Template:Flagicon	2025 Template:Flagicon	2029 TBA	Total
	(4)						(8)			(12)		(16)
	×	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	SF	QF	•		2
	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	QF	Q		3
	SF	•	•	3rd	3rd	•	GS	SF	GS	GS	SF	2nd	GS	Q		11
	2nd	4th	•	•	•	SF	•	GS	GS	2nd	GS	SF	1st	Q		10
	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	SF	QF	GS	•	GS	Q		5
	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	GS	GS	QF	QF	QF	SF	Q		8
Template:Efn	•	•	1st	1st	4th	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	QF	2nd	Q		12
	•	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	GS	QF	GS	GS	Q		5
	SF	3rd	4th	4th	2nd	•	2nd	GS	GS	QF	QF	GS	GS	Q		13
	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	SF	GS	1st	QF	Q		5
	•	•	×	•	×	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	GS	•		1
	•	1st	2nd	2nd	1st	SF	GS	SF	2nd	SF	2nd	GS	GS	Q		13
	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	Q		1
	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	GS	Q		3
	Part of				•	•	GS	GS	•	GS	GS	GS	×	×		5
	•	•	×	×	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	•	•		1
	×	•	•	•	•	•	SF	•	•	•	QF	QF	QF	Q		5
	1st	2nd	3rd	•	•	2nd	SF	2nd	SF	QF	SF	QF	SF	Q		12
	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	GS	GS	Q		3
	Part of				×	•	•	•	•	GS	•	•	•	•		1
	×	×	×	×	•	•	•	•	×	•	•	•	•	Q		1

Notes:

• The team was created only in 1990 and did not participate in continental competitions.
• The team was created only in 1990 and did not participate in continental competitions.
• Most of the countries of the "Eastern Bloc" ("Socialist camp") did not field their women teams.

Hosts

Results of host nations

Year	Host nation	Finish
1984	No fixed host	n/a
1987		Champions
1989		Champions
1991		Third place
1993		Runners-up
1995	No fixed host	n/a
1997		Group stage
		Semi-final
2001		Champions
2005		Group stage
2009		Quarter-final
2013		Semi-final
2017		Champions
2022		Champions
2025		To be determined

Results of defending finalists

Year	Defending champions	Finish	Defending runners-up	Finish
1987		Runners-up		Fourth place
1989		Runners-up		Third place
1991		Champions		Runners-up
1993		Fourth place		Champions
1995		Semi-final		Did not qualify
1997		Champions		Semi-final
2001		Champions		Group stage
2005		Champions		Semi-final
2009		Champions		Semi-final
2013		Champions		Group stage
2017		Quarter-final		Group stage
2022		Quarter-final		Group stage
2025		To be determined		To be determined

Tournament statistics

All-time top scorers

Rank	Name	Euro													Total
		1984	Template:Flagicon 1987	Template:Flagicon 1989	Template:Flagicon 1991	Template:Flagicon 1993	1995	Template:Flagicon Template:Flagicon 1997	Template:Flagicon 2001	Template:Flagicon 2005	Template:Flagicon 2009	Template:Flagicon 2013	Template:Flagicon 2017	Template:Flagicon 2022
1	Template:Flagicon Inka Grings									4	6				10
	Template:Flagicon Birgit Prinz						2	2	1	3	2				10
3	Template:Flagicon Carolina Morace	2	1	0	0	1		4							8
	Template:Flagicon Heidi Mohr			1	4	1	2								8
	Template:Flagicon Lotta Schelin									0	1	5	2		8
6	Template:Flagicon Hanna Ljungberg							1	2	3					6
	Template:Flagicon Beth Mead													6	6
	Template:Flagicon Alexandra Popp													6	6
9	Template:Flagicon Melania Gabbiadini									2	1	2	0		5
	Template:Flagicon Solveig Gulbrandsen								0	3	0	2			5
	Template:Flagicon Maren Meinert					1	1	1	2						5
	Template:Flagicon Patrizia Panico							1	2	0	2	0			5
	Template:Flagicon Pia Sundhage	4	0	1			0								5
	Template:Flagicon Jodie Taylor												5		5
	Template:Flagicon Lena Videkull	0	1	1			3								5
	Template:Flagicon Bettina Wiegmann				0	0	2	1	2						5

Top scorers by tournament

Year	Player	Matches played	Goals
1984	Template:Flagicon Pia Sundhage	4	4
1987	Template:Flagicon Trude Stendal	2	3
1989	Template:Flagicon Sissel Grude Template:Flagicon Ursula Lohn	2	2
1991	Template:Flagicon Heidi Mohr	2	4
1993	Template:Flagicon Susan Mackensie	2	2
1995	Template:Flagicon Lena Videkull	3	3
1997	Template:Flagicon Carolina Morace Template:Flagicon Marianne Pettersen Template:Flagicon Angélique Roujas	5	4
2001	Template:Flagicon Claudia Müller Template:Flagicon Sandra Smisek	5	3
2005	Template:Flagicon Inka Grings	5	4
2009	Template:Flagicon Inka Grings	6	6
2013	Template:Flagicon Lotta Schelin	6	5
2017	Template:Flagicon Jodie Taylor	6	5
2022	Template:Flagicon Beth Mead Template:Flagicon Alexandra Popp	6	6

UEFA.com Golden Player by tournament

Year	Player
1984	Template:Flagicon Pia Sundhage
1987	Template:Flagicon Heidi Støre
1989	Template:Flagicon Doris Fitschen
1991	Template:Flagicon Silvia Neid
1993	Template:Flagicon Hege Riise
1995	Template:Flagicon Birgit Prinz
1997	Template:Flagicon Carolina Morace
2001	Template:Flagicon Hanna Ljungberg
2005	Template:Flagicon Anne Mäkinen
2009	Template:Flagicon Inka Grings
2013	Template:Flagicon Nadine Angerer1
2017	Template:Flagicon Lieke Martens1
2022	Template:Flagicon Beth Mead1

¹Official player of the tournament since 2013

Highest attendances

• 87,192 – England v Germany, Wembley, London (2022 final)
• 68,871 – England v Austria, Old Trafford, Manchester (2022 group stage)
• 41,301 – Germany v Norway, Friends Arena, Solna (2013 final)
• 30,785 - England v Northern Ireland, St Mary's Stadium, Southampton (2022 group stage)
• 29,092 – England v Finland, City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester (2005 group stage)
• 28,994 – England v Spain, Falmer Stadium, Brighton and Hove (2022 quarter-final)
• 28,847 – England v Norway, Falmer Stadium, Brighton and Hove (2022 group stage)
• 28,624 – England v Sweden, Bramall Lane, Sheffield (2022 semi-final)
• 28,182 – Netherlands v Denmark, De Grolsch Veste, Enschede (2017 final)
• 27,445 – Germany v France, Stadium MK, Milton Keynes (2022 semi-final)

See also

• UEFA Women's Champions League
• UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship
• UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship
• FIFA Women's World Cup
• FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
• FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup

External links

• BBC Sport – "How Women's Euros have evolved"