Norway, Iceland and Finland stand between the Swiss footballers and the European Championship quarter-finals next July. Three teams with potential, but none of them unbeatable.
17.12.2024, 03:25
17.12.2024, 03:34
SDA
Norway: Big names, small results
In recent years, Norway has had to be content with minor successes. The Scandinavians, who won the World Cup and Olympics once and the European Championship title twice between 1987 and 2000, are a long way from the quality of earlier years. At the last two European Championships, they did not make it past the preliminary round, although they have an excellent forward line in Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen. In the European Championship qualifiers, the Norwegians finished third in their group behind the Netherlands and Italy and had to enter the play-offs. There they did not show any weakness against Albania and Northern Ireland.
Norway in figures
🇳🇴 Association founded: 1902 - FIFA ranking (December 2024): 16th - Coach: Gemma Grainger (since January 2024). - Previous European Championship appearances (12): 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017, 2022. - Best European Championship results: 1st place (1987 and 1993). - Qualification: via the play-offs against Albania and Northern Ireland. - Best-known players: Ada Hegerberg (Lyon/FRA), Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona/ESP), Maren Mjelde (Arna-Björnar). - Record against Switzerland: 13 games, 8 wins, 3 draws, 2 defeats. - Last clash: 0-0 at the 2023 World Cup.
Norway's Ada Hegerberg won the Champions League six times with Lyon
Image: Keystone
Gemma Grainger took over as Norway's national team coach in January this year
Image: Keystone
Sveindis Jonsdottir (in the background) watched the American Emily Sams score a header
Image: Keystone
Finnish top scorer Linda Sällström during the last international match against Switzerland in April 2019
Image: Keystone
Tinja-Riikka Korpela has been playing for Servette Chênois in the Super League since this summer
Image: Keystone
Norway's Ada Hegerberg won the Champions League six times with Lyon
Image: Keystone
Gemma Grainger took over as Norway's national team coach in January this year
Image: Keystone
Sveindis Jonsdottir (in the background) watched the American Emily Sams score a header
Image: Keystone
Finnish top scorer Linda Sällström during the last international match against Switzerland in April 2019
Image: Keystone
Tinja-Riikka Korpela has been playing for Servette Chênois in the Super League since this summer
Image: Keystone
Iceland: Consistently at a good level
The Icelanders are regulars at the European Championships. They are taking part for the fifth time in a row, but have only made it through the preliminary round once. They qualified for the tournament in Switzerland without having to go through the play-offs. Coach Thorsteinn Halldorsson's team achieved a remarkable 3:0 home win against Germany. The Icelandic national team players are spread all over Europe. The 23-year-old striker Sveindis Jonsdottir plays for Wolfsburg and made headlines a few days ago when she became the first Icelander to score four times in the Champions League in a 6-1 win over AS Roma - in just 24 minutes.
Iceland in numbers
🇮🇸 Association founded: 1947 - FIFA ranking (December 2024): 14th - Coach: Thorsteinn Halldorsson (since 2021). - Previous European Championship appearances (4): 2009, 2013, 2017, 2022 - Best result: quarter-final (2013). - Qualification: second in group behind Germany. - Best-known players: Sveindis Jonsdottir (Wolfsburg/GER), Glodis Viggosdottir (Bayern Munich/GER), Ingibjörg Sigurdardottir (Bröndby/DEN). - Record against Switzerland: 8 games, 2 wins, 1 draw, 5 defeats. - Last clash: 1:2 in the international match in April 2023.
Finland: The valuable veterans
The track record of Finland's female footballers is not comparable to that of Norway or Sweden, but they too have produced very good players in the past. In 2005, Finland were only stopped in the European Championship semi-final by Germany (1:4), thanks in part to two goals from former Swiss national coach Inka Grings. The current national team is always good for a positive result, Norway and the Netherlands conceded points in the European Championship qualifiers in Finland this year, Italy conceded a defeat in Helsinki. The 36-year-old record goalscorer Linda Sällström (51 goals in 120 international matches) is at the front, while 38-year-old Tinja-Riikka Korpela from Swiss champions Servette Chênois is at the back in goal.
Finland in figures
🇫🇮 Association founded: 1907 - FIFA ranking (December 2024): 26th - Coach: Marko Saloranta (since 2023). - Previous European Championship appearances (4): 2005, 2009, 2013, 2022 - Best result: semi-final (2005). - Qualification: via the play-offs against Montenegro and Scotland. - Best-known players: Linda Sällström (Vittsjö GIK/SWE), Tinja-Riikka Korpela (Servette Chênois/SUI), Eveliina Summanen (Tottenham/ENG). - Record against Switzerland: 14 games, 7 wins, 4 draws, 3 defeats. - Last clash: 0-0 in the international match in April 2019.
