For more than an hour of their Uefa Women’s EURO 2025 quarter-final clash with Spain, Switzerland’s summer fairytale looked to be within reach as they kept the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ champions at bay. The home fans at Bern’s Wankdorf Stadium were surely dreaming of a sensational victory, but the Aitana Bonmati-inspired Spanish team ultimately ran out 2-0 winners to end the hosts’ impressive campaign.
When the dust had finally settled, the Swiss would surely have taken heart from their progress as their focus starts to shift towards the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™. However, merely getting to Brazil will be extremely difficult and a real test for a talented young team that will still need a few more years to realise their full potential.
With the Swiss having been relegated to League B of the UEFA Women’s Nations League, they cannot qualify directly for the global showpiece. The draw this November will place them in a four-team group that will compete over six matchdays between February and June next year for a place in the play-offs. They would then need to negotiate two further rounds if they are to earn a ticket to the World Cup (although one of the eight play-off winners will also have to overcome a team from another confederation in the intercontinental play-offs).
Switzerland’s EURO campaign on home soil showed that the team have resilience to go with their ability. There had been some doubts about the side’s steel before the tournament, but when it came to the crunch, the Swiss stepped up. And that is by no means the end of the story. “The future of women’s football in Switzerland is phenomenal,” said coach Pia Sundhage, before making a bold prediction. “At some point, this team will be in a final.”
Sundhage saw many of the promising prospects in her squad come to the fore, not least the pacy and skilful forward Sydney Schertenleib, who clearly has the raw materials to enjoy a stellar career. The Barcelona schemer may only be 18, but she is already playing with a nous that belies her age. “The sky’s the limit for her,” said Sundhage about the prodigious talent.
The likes of Noemi Ivelj, Lia Kamber, Leela Egli, Iman Beney, Naomi Luyet and Leila Wandeler are still eligible for the Swiss U-20s, but they are now aiming to firmly establish themselves in the senior squad. There are also other starlets who will be targeting the first of hopefully many World Cups in 2027, and the average age of this young Swiss squad certainly bodes well for the future.
This youthful crop is complemented by the experience of players such as Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic and Lia Walti, who could well be important building blocks for the future. Alisha Lehmann has also developed well in recent years, and she gives the team enormous visibility with her impressive number of followers on social media.
Such exposure will surely stand Switzerland in good stead if they are to build upon their showing at the European Championship. Robert Breiter, the General Secretary of the Swiss Football Association, reflected on a “fantastic tournament” in which the country experienced the “summer fairytale we all hoped for”. The aim now is to capitalise on that momentum and enthusiasm, particularly at youth level, to attract even more talent.
“We want to make the best possible use of the opportunity that the tournament has given us to develop the women’s game and football in general in our country, as well as to improve the position of women in football and in society,” said Breiter.
It remains to be seen what the future will hold in the dugout, however. Sundhage is only under contract until the end of the year, but the 65-year-old may well appreciate the chance to prove a point at the World Cup after losing her job as Brazil coach following the Seleção’s disappointing group-stage exit in 2023.
If Switzerland’s development continues at this pace, the Swede could well be heading back to her Brazilian backyard with Schertenleib and Co in her charge in two years’ time.
