The Netherlands, Norway, and Finland. These are the opposition for the Azzurre in Group 1 of League A for the Euro 2025 qualifying round. The draw in Nyon, with Andrea Soncin in attendance, laid out the path to the end of the 14th edition of the competition that will see the top two teams from each group in League A go through to the final phase of the tournament (alongside Switzerland, hosts). The other seven spots will be decided through two rounds of qualifying play-offs at the end of the year.

As in the Nations League, Italy will aim to end in the top two in the group. Even if they managed to avoid being drawn alongside Spain, France, and Germany, the highest-ranking sides, the road would not be easy, but the sky is the limit for the Azzurre. Soncin stated: “It is a difficult group, but that’s alright. We are Italy and we think that other sides are starting to worry about facing us. It will be an exciting journey, we will face two very strong Nordic sides and another who has done very well in recent competitions. I am sure that we will play every game with pride and passion”.

OPPOSITION. Winners of the Euros in 2017 and World Cup finalists in 2019 (eliminated by Italy in the quarter-finals, beaten 2-0), the Oranje - 7th in the FIFA rankings - coming off the back of the Nations League third-place play offs that they lost to Germany, finishing fourth in the competition. Italy has played the Netherlands 18 times already with a record of 9 Azzurre wins, the last meeting was also a 1-0 victory for Italy thanks to a penalty from Girelli in June 2021. The record is not as positive against Norway (European champions in 1987 and 1993) who have won 13 of the 17 meetings, leaving 1 draw and 3 losses including the most recent meeting at the start of 2022 in the Algarve Cup (goals from Giacinti and Caruso). Italy and Finland have crossed paths 12 times and the most common result has been a draw (6), 3 of which in the last 3 matches; Italy have won 5 and been defeated only once.

THE NEW FORMAT: Today’s draw officially inaugurated the new format for European qualification that follows on from the Nations League results. Teams are split into three leagues: League A with 16 teams, League B with 16 teams and League C with the remaining 19 teams based on the performance in the UEFA Women’s Nations League and will compete in groups of either 4 or 3 (League C) sides. Italy will play 6 games between April and July (home and away) against 3 group opponents.

If they finish in first or second, the Azzurre will be going to Euro 2025, otherwise, they will have to face two rounds of playoffs: the first will be in October and will see the teams finishing third and fourth in League A play the five group winners and three best-ranked runners-up in League C.  Also, the four group winners and two best-ranked runners-up in League B will be drawn into six ties against the remaining two runners-up and four third-placed teams in League B. The winners of these games will go through to the second round of games in November/December (home and away games), with seeding for the seven highest-ranked teams based on the European Qualifiers overall league rankings. The seven winners progress to the final tournament.

The table at the end of the group stage will also decide who is promoted and relegated between the leagues in the next edition of the UWNL, to take place between 2025 and 2027: the winners, second and third-placed sides in League A will remain in League A; the runners-up and three best-ranked third-placed teams in League B will remain in League B; the second, third, and fourth-placed teams in League C will remain in League C; the winners in League B and C will be promoted whilst the fourth-placed sides in League A and B and the lowest-ranked third-placed team of League B will be relegated.

League A Groups

Group 1: Netherlands, ITALY, Norway, Finland
Group 2: Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Czech Republic
Group 3: France, England, Sweden, Ireland
Group 4: Germany, Austria, Iceland, Poland

UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Calendar

Qualification draw: 5 March 2024
Qualifying games 1 and 2: 3–9 April 2024
Qualifying games 3 and 4: 29 May–4 June 2024
Qualifying games 5 and 6: 10–16 July 2024
Play-offs draw: 19 July 2024
Play-offs Round 1 (first and second leg): 23–28 October 2024
Play-offs Round 2 (first and second leg): 27 November–3 December 2024
Final phase draw: TBC
Final phase: 2–27 July 2025 (Switzerland)