Since its inauguration in 1984, the women’s European Championship has been won by just five nations. England, Sweden and Netherlands have managed it once, Norway earned the title twice, and Germany have dominated with eight victories — though their last was back in 2013.
Meanwhile, world champions Spain are searching for their first Euros win, having struggled in recent years to even make it past the quarterfinals, but go into the 14th edition as hot favorites.
So what can this year’s hopefuls learn from previous tournaments? What are the common factors that lead to victory? What’s the blueprint for going all the way?
You need familiarity and consistency
When it comes to knowing how to win the Euros, no team have more experience than Germany. Their record of eight victories from nine tournaments includes a run of six consecutive titles between 1995-2013. And, before a period of transition over the last decade, their were familiar faces through the spine of the team.
At the heart of it was forward Birgit Prinz, who still holds the record for the most appearances at the Euros (with 23 matches across five tournaments from 1995-2009). And, in goal at the other end, Nadine Angerer was a mainstay from 1997-2013, while the rest of the XI stayed relatively consistent throughout their best years.
Netherlands and England also developed the nucleus of their victorious sides long before the tournaments began. Three years before Netherlands’ win on home soil in 2017, Vivianne Miedema, Dominique Janssen and Jill Roord all won the under-19s Euros before progressing to the senior squad together. And the core for England in 2022 was largely in place from 2017, with the likes of Millie Bright, Alex Greenwood, Lucy Bronze and Ellen White.
Familiarity and consistency bodes well, and this is perhaps where Spain are strongest now. Littered with world-class Barcelona players, the group have played at the highest level of international football together for several years, so their depth is the envy of Europe.
Play with two holding midfielders, and a lone striker
Euro 2009 marked a noticeable shift towards formations like the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3, using screening midfielders and lone strikers. This was used by Germany in 2009 and 2013, Netherlands in 2017, and England in 2022.
In UEFA’s technical report from 2013, it noted that “the personalities of teams (as a whole) were linked to the characteristics and mission statements of the two controlling midfielders.”
Germany once boasted all-action midfielder, and 2014 FIFA World Player of the Year winner, Nadine Kessler, who played alongside the more defensive-minded and industrial Lena Goessling.
For England in 2022, the composed and metronomic Keira Walsh stole headlines as a central figure, and alongside her was the ever-energetic box-to-box Georgia Stanway.
In recent years, passing and possession tactics have gained more prominence. But success has largely been found from teams with willing runners, defensive security and quality midfield partnerships that can help with the speed of transitions.
In 2017, Netherlands ranked seventh in passes completed per game, while England dropped below 50% possession in both the quarterfinals and final in 2022. Keeping the ball isn’t everything, and recent winners have not been afraid to get it forward in rapid, direct attacking moves.
Use the wide spaces
In 2013, Anna Signeul, part of UEFA’s technical team in Sweden, remarked: “In the past the tendency was to want to field your best players in central positions. Now, there’s a great temptation to field them wide.”
A trend of all recent winners has been to keep their wingers on the touchline, rather than having them cut in-field, often switching the play to them directly with support from full-backs to provide deliveries or cutbacks from these areas.
In 2013, a third of open-play goals were from crosses and cutbacks, and Germany wingers Lena Lotzen and Simone Laudehr made a big impression.
In 2017, Netherlands scored four of their 13 goals from crosses, largely thanks to Shanice van de Sanden and Lieke Martens’ directness and one-vs.-one skills.
Meanwhile, 43% of the goals at Euro 2022 came from crosses and cutbacks, with the likes of Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly and Beth Mead particularly prolific for England.
Be good from set pieces
In 2009, 30% of the tournament’s goals came from set pieces. This ratio fell in 2013, with just one in 29 corners leading to a goal. But it climbed again in 2017 and 2022, with over 33%.
Moreover, there was a significant increase in the number of goals from corners. Four in 2017 increased to 16 in 2022, in a much higher-scoring tournament, so set-piece prowess should be high on the agenda for teams this time around.
It should also be noted that England’s defence didn’t concede a single goal from a dead-ball scenario three years ago.
Get substitutions right
At a major international tournament, you have to rotate your first XI for one reason or another, but in-game substitutions are always crucial too. Indeed in 2005, 2009, 2017 and 2022, the nation that used the most substitutions throughout ended up winning the competition.
In the 2001 final, Germany substitute Claudia Muller scored the winning golden goal (remember that idea?) from off the bench in the 97th minute of the 1-0 win against Sweden.
And in 2022, Sarina Weigman’s memorable use of subs for England became iconic. The coach continually brought on Alessia Russo around the hour mark to devastating effect as the Arsenal striker netted all four of her tournament goals off the bench.
It’s good to spread the goals around
With the exception of England’s Beth Mead in 2022, the outright Golden Boot winner hasn’t gone to win the Euros since Germany’s Inka Grings in 2009. And even then, six England players scored two or more goals, emphasizing the need for a host of players able to contribute.
In 2013, Germany had a different goal scorer in every game, while the tournament as a whole had 36 different players netting the total of 56 goals.
While most teams now field lone strikers up top, the reliance upon them as a sole source of goals seems less important than their holdup play and link with surrounding teammates. More modern forwards, like France’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto and emerging Spain star Salma Paralluelo, instead use their pace and skill to stretch defenses.
European club dominance helps
Germany made their debut at Euro 1989, but also set the bar for off-pitch investment in the domestic women’s game. The Frauen Bundesliga has been running since 1990 — 20 years before the English Women’s Super League — and no nation has produced more Women’s Champions League-winning teams than their nine (Frankfurt, Turbine Potsdam, VfL Wolfsburg, Duisburg).
Yet, while the legacy of Germany’s ground-breaking investment remains evident culturally and foundationally, the likes of France and England have now balanced the scales. Indeed, the last German club to win the Champions League was Frankfurt in 2015, around the time of the national team’s fall from grace.
Since 2015-16, Lyon have won six (including five in a row) and Barcelona have three, with their stars driving Spain’s Women’s World Cup success in 2023.
With Arsenal last season bringing the UWCL trophy back to England for the first time in 18 years, with the help of internationals Leah Williamson, Kelly and Russo, the parallel between club and national team success could be set to continue.
