This article was last updated on March 5, 2024
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Netherlands’ Favorable Group in 2025 European Championship Qualification Series
In the qualifying series draw for the 2025 European Championship, the Netherlands Women’s Football Team, commonly referred to as the ‘Orange Women,’ managed to bypass the top-tier nations. The Dutch team is now set to face Italy, Norway, and Finland, competitors considered rather manageable for the highly-rated women’s football team.
Preserving the opportunity for easier qualification, the Netherlands luckily avoided being grouped with the likes of England, led by Coach Sarina Wiegman, and Sweden, the third-placed team in the previous World Cup.
An Assessment of the Competition: Norway, Italy, and Finland
Out of the three teams the Orange Women are paired with, Norway appears to be the most formidable so far, with a commendable footballing pedigree including a 1995 World Cup win and being Olympic champions in 2000. However, recent years have seen Norway’s women’s football performance diminish. In contrast, Italy and Finland, which failed to move past the group stage of the 2022 European Championship, do not pose a significant challenge to the Orange Women.
Route to the 2025 European Championship
The top two teams from the qualifying group earn a direct entry to the 16-nation 2025 European Championship, set to be held in Switzerland. The Swiss team, already guaranteed participation as the host nation, apart from the top two teams, the remaining teams have the chance of qualifying through the playoffs. The last resort, in the event of finishing last in the group, accords the Dutch team an opportunity to vie for one of the seven remaining slots against 27 other countries.
Upcoming Matches and Past Performances
The first pair of qualifying matches are due next month, and the final group matches are scheduled for July. The Dutch team, still recuperating from the disappointment of failing to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games, needs rapid recovery to rise to the occasion. The detailed match schedule is yet to be released.
The Orange Women’s team has consistently participated in the European Championships since 2009. Their most notable achievement was winning the tournament in 2017, hosted by the Netherlands. Unfortunately, France ousted the defending champions during the 2022 edition quarter-finals.
The ‘Golden Generation’ Last Hurrah
The upcoming 2025 European Championship could likely be the final chance for the ‘Golden Generation’ of the Dutch team to clinch a top prize. Midfielder Daniëlle van de Donk, aged 32, announced last week that she probably wouldn’t feature in major tournaments post 2025 European Championship. The career trajectory of the other experienced players remains uncertain for now.
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