Live ticker Women's European Championship 2025: France beats outsider Wales

The Women's European Championship in Switzerland has been underway since July 2. UEFA is expecting at least 600,000 fans—a record attendance. The 16 participating nations will be divided into four groups of four teams, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinals. This will be followed by the semifinals and the final on July 27 in Basel, but there will be no third-place play-off.

Follow all the news about the 2025 European Football Championship in Switzerland here.

More than ever before. The European Football Union (UEFA) is distributing a total of €41 million in prize money, significantly more than in 2022 (€16 million). The associations will each receive €1.8 million as entry fees. Should a team win all group matches and the knockout phase, including the final, the winners will receive €5.1 million in prize money.

The tournament can also be worthwhile for the German women's players. If they win the final, each player will receive €120,000 – the highest amount the association has ever awarded for a European Championship title. The days when the association handed out a flower-decorated coffee service, as was the case at the first triumph in 1989, are definitely over.

The DFB leads the way in a not entirely insignificant ranking: No other association has won more European Championship titles (8) than the German national team. Following behind are Norway (2), Sweden, the Netherlands, and England (1 each).

Two former DFB stars also lead the player statistics. Birgit Prinz has made an impressive 23 appearances in the finals, and she also shares the record for most goals with Inka Grings (both with 10).

Maddli, the mascot with the faithful gaze and wide eyes, is also likely to be very present at all games. It's supposed to represent a lively St. Bernard puppy, and the name is inspired by Madeleine Boll, Switzerland's first professional female player. When the soon-to-be 72-year-old still kicked the ball, it didn't look quite as futuristic as the official European Championship match ball, the Konektis, from sportswear manufacturer Adidas.

What's special about Konektis: For the first time at a Women's European Championship, the match ball is equipped with the so-called "Connected Ball Technology." This enables "faster and more precise refereeing and facilitates the decision-making processes of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR)," UEFA announced.

RND/dpa