European football experienced another year of highlights in 2025. All of the major UEFA men’s club competitions enjoyed exciting conclusions, while across the continent there were numerous youth championships, plus the UEFA Nations League final stage. Adding to the action was the FIFA Club World Cup™, where two of Europe’s best clashed in the decider.
Throughout the year there were also many UEFA qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, while the UEFA Women’s EURO in Switzerland marked yet another milestone for the women’s game.
FIFA take a look back at the European football year.
UEFA in 2025
Men
In the UEFA Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain coasted to a surprisingly comfortable 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the final in Munich to claim European club football’s highest honour for the first time. Luis Enrique’s PSG went on to finish runners-up at the first FIFA Club World Cup™ and overcome Flamengo to conquer the lift the FIFA Intercontinental Cup™.
Tottenham Hotspur took the UEFA Europa League crown by beating Manchester United 1-0 in an all-English final in Bilbao. It was the third title for the North London outfit, who also won the competition in its previous guise – the UEFA Cup – in 1972 and 1984.
Chelsea were particularly hungry for silverware in 2025. The Blues defeated Spanish side Betis 4-1 in the UEFA Conference League final in Wroclaw to become the fourth winners of this relatively new competition.
That win in Poland was just a taste for what lay in store, however – FIFA Club World Cup glory, with Enzo Maresca’s men seeing off Champions League winners PSG 3-0 in the final in New York New Jersey. Victory was just reward for an outstanding tournament, and it marked an important milestone in the club’s history.
At national-team level, the focus was on the finals of the UEFA Nations League 2024-25 in Germany, with Portugal prevailing on penalties against Spain to become the first two-time winners of this competition.
Autumn saw the first European teams qualify for the World Cup 2026, with the 12 group winners booking their places at the finals. The final draw was made on 5 December, and those 12 teams now know who they will face in the group stage in North America.
Women
On the female side, the year was dominated by the UEFA Women’s EURO in Switzerland, with England coming out on top by defeating global champions Spain on penalties in the final. It sealed a successful title defence for the Lionesses, and it was also the first major tournament victory on foreign soil for a senior English national team.
Despite that bitter defeat, Spain underlined their position as the leading lights in international women’s football by winning the UEFA Women’s Nations League for the second time, successfully defending the title won in 2024 with a 3-0 win over Germany in the second leg of the final after a goalless first leg.
At club level, the UEFA Women’s Champions League final in Lisbon was a landmark occasion, with Arsenal beating the much-fancied Barcelona 1-0 to win the club’s second European title, 18 years after their UEFA Women’s Cup triumph. It earned the Gunners are place at the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup.
Away from the pitch, UEFA also took some important decisions, with Germany named as the host of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2029 in December.
Match of the Year
6 May 2025, UEFA Champions League, semi-final second leg
This semi-final clash epitomised everything that makes the UEFA Champions League so thrilling and prestigious for players and fans alike – two European heavyweights, two different styles of play, goals aplenty, and a storyline that nobody could have predicted.
In the first leg in Barcelona, a 3-3 draw kept everyone on the edge of their seats. Inter looked like certain finalists after establishing a 2-0 half-time lead in the return leg at the San Siro, only to see Barça haul themselves level before going ahead in the 87th minute. In injury time, however, Inter veteran Francesco Acerbi levelled it up at 3-3, before Davide Frattesi became the hero with the winner in extra time. It was quite simply one of those games where you knew, as soon as the final whistle blew, that it would be talked about for years to come.
What 2026 has in store
In addition to the usual competitions at club level, 2026 will see some teams play or book their places in final competitions, while others will set out on the road to qualification.
The most significant dates in the new year at men’s national-team level will include the European play-offs for the FIFA World Cup 2026 between 26 and 31 March, when 16 teams will compete for the remaining four UEFA slots at the first 48-team World Cup. The league phase of the UEFA Nations League 2026-27 will also take place between September and November.
Meanwhile, the UEFA qualifiers for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™ will get under way in March. The six matchdays will run from 3 March to 9 June, with the play-offs being held in the European autumn. A total of 11 European teams are guaranteed to travel to Brazil for the final competition.
At youth level, there will be several major tournaments, such as the U-17 and U-19 European Championships for men and women, which also serve as qualifying tournaments for the respective FIFA U-17 and U-20 World Cups.
The UEFA Futsal EURO 2026 will also be contested in Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia in January and February.
Quotes
“It’s the most important moment of my career – to see the joy of the fans and my family in the stands… I’m very happy and proud.”
Portugal’s Ruben Neves after winning the UEFA Nations League (via UEFA.com)
“It’s not just when you win that you do a good job. What we did this season was something we’d never done before. Thirteen years ago in Paris, I’d never competed for titles like this. Of course, we wanted to take this trophy home, but that doesn’t erase what we did this season.”
PSG’s Marquinhos after the Club World Cup final
“I have no words! Thank you, Paris! We did it, we made history! It’s incredible, thank you so much. It’s a dream come true, thank you to the whole team. Thank you to all the players. It’s just magnificent, it’s crazy. I’m so happy!”
PSG’s Desire Doue after the UEFA Champions League triumph (via Canal+)
“I’m in total disbelief, but at the same time, I knew it was going to happen. Playing for this England team is unbelievable. You cannot put us down. It’s such an amazing feeling to be a part of.”
England’s Leah Williamson after winning the UEFA Women’s EURO title (via UEFA.com)
Iconic image
“For me, that was the save of the tournament. It was world class,” enthused German goalkeeping great Oliver Kahn on Sky about the spectacular stop by Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger in her side’s UEFA Women’s EURO quarter-final against France. A misjudged headed clearance by Germany captain Janina Minge looked like it was going to loop over Berger, but she somehow managed to scramble back and acrobatically claw it away. “I love it when my team tests me a bit,” she joked afterwards.
