Switzerland are one of the eight sides that will contest the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 quarter-finals, following their dramatic 1-1 draw with Finland on Thursday (10 July).
It is the first time the hosts have reached this stage of the continental football competition, having been eliminated in the group stage at the two previous editions they qualified for.
A huge moment in the game came with 10 minutes to go, Finland were awarded a penalty that was subsequently converted by Natalia Kuikka.
Switzerland were going out of the competition.
Then, in stoppage time, second-half substitute Riola Xhemaili found herself in the right place at the right time to poke home in the six-yard area and keep the hosts dreams alive.
Holding on for the remainder of added time, the Swiss squad etched their names in history as they booked a spot in the last eight.
Elsewhere in Group A, Norway sealed their fate as table toppers with a thumping comeback victory over Iceland.
Their 4-3 win makes it three from three, performances strengthening as the tournament has progressed.
How Switzerland bounced back at the right time
Until today, Switzerland had never reached the quarter-final stage of any international tournament.
Coming into this one, it didn’t feel as though they were going to make it out of the group.
Before July, they had won just one of their last seven games on their way to being relegated to League B of the UEFA Nations League.
By all accounts, they were carrying the form of a team far and away from their best.
So, what changed?
The answer is simple: the power of hosting.
In the last two editions of the EUROs, the winning side was the nation who hosted the competition.
It just invokes something special within a team, as it has with this year’s host, a side that has shown real fighting spirit in front of their home crowd.
Even in their opening defeat to Norway, a game of fine margins, they demonstrated that they should not be discounted.
Thursday proved to be the biggest test of their character, trailing to Finland late on in a game where they needed to avoid defeat by all means necessary.
They did not panic. They believed. The fans believed. Every attack roared home by the Geneva crowd, who rallied behind them.
Pia Sundhage’s management prowess paid off, calling on the right substitutes at exactly the right moments.
Record-breaking crowds, a 14,000 strong fan march… this was a performance that paid back the faith supporters have shown in the squad.
This is more than just a draw for the Swiss – this is history.
