Ranked 23rd on the FIFA ranking, the host nation is under pressure to perform but ahead of their opening game against Norway plenty of question marks remain.
What to expect
Switzerland are the host nation and that brings both expectations and unprecedented pressure to deliver a style of play and results that befit their status. With elite football in the form of a senior tournament returning to the mountainous nation for the first time since Euro 2008, excitement is palpable but can Pia Sundhage’s team match the hype?
The Nati are not short of problems: talisman Ramona Bachmann is out with a torn cruciate ligament in her left knee, form has been lamentable with just one win from their last nine matches and Sundhage has proven to be rigid with her tactics. The veteran manager has stuck to a 3-5-2 formation. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that the Swiss had the luck of the draw on their side. Group A is considered the easiest pathway to the last eight with Norway, Finland and Iceland providing the opposition. The Swiss finished top of their group at the 2023 World Cup ahead of the Norwegians, but they are coming off two narrow defeats against Ada Hegerberg’s team in the Nations League.
The matches against Iceland and Finland will prove to be decisive to achieve their target of getting out of the group. In the knockout phase the challenge of a true elite team may be a step too far, but the Swiss will be hoping to keep the party alive as long as possible.
Star Players
Lia Wälti (Arsenal – pictured) – Elegant and skilled midfielder, who can read the game like no one else. She has struggled with injuries. At the same time, with her star status, she has served as one of the main ambassadors of the tournament.
Sydney Schertenleib (FC Barcelona) – At 18, she is the rising star of Swiss football with the potential of becoming a super star on the continent. Combining silky dribbling and speed, she moved from the Grasshoppers to Catalonia where she has featured for the first team. Youngest member of the Swiss squad.
Head Coach
Pia Sundhage needs no introduction. A veteran, she has coached her native Sweden, the USA and Brazil. Her latest adventure with Brazil ended in disappointment following a first-round elimination from the 2023 Women’s World Cup and Sundhage is under pressure with Switzerland after a string of underwhelming results, including relegation in the Nations League.
Her tactical inflexibility isn’t helping either. Her preference for a 3-5-2 formation means that some players have to operate out of opposition. Switzerland enjoyed a morale-boosting 4-1 victory against the Czech Republic in their last warm-up match and Sundhage has struck an optimist tone, suggesting her team will feature in more than just three matches this summer.
Schedule
July 2, 2025: vs Norway – St. Jakob-Park, Basel, 9 pm
July 6, 2025: vs Iceland – Wankdorf Stadium, Bern, 9 pm
June 10, 2025: vs Finland – Stade de Geneve, Geneva, 9 pm