Sweden Eliminated from Women's Euro 2025 After Heartbreaking Penalty Shootout Against England
Sweden's women's football team is eliminated from Euro 2025 after a penalty shootout loss to England in the quarterfinals.
Key Points
- • Sweden led 2-0 but England equalized with two goals in quick succession.
- • Jennifer Falk saved four penalties but missed her own, leading to Sweden's elimination.
- • Magdalena Eriksson and Stina Blackstenius expressed disappointment over the outcome.
- • Peter Gerhardsson and Magnus Wikman stepped down as coaches after the tournament.
In a stunning turn of events in the quarterfinals of the Women's Euro 2025, Sweden faced a dramatic elimination at the hands of England following a tense penalty shootout. The match, held in Zürich, began favorably for Sweden, who took a commanding 2-0 lead early on with goals by Kosovare Asllani in the 2nd minute and Stina Blackstenius in the 25th minute. However, England, the reigning champions, rallied back late in the game, scoring two quick goals in the closing minutes. Lucy Bronze found the net in the 79th minute, followed just two minutes later by a goal from Michelle Agyemang, leveling the score at 2-2 and forcing extra time.
Despite a stalemate in extra time, the match proceeded to penalties where Swedish goalkeeper Jennifer Falk showcased remarkable skill, saving four penalties. Yet, the shootout concluded with a twist; Falk herself missed her penalty kick, and after a total of 14 penalties, it was Smilla Holmberg’s miss that sealed Sweden’s fate, handing England a narrow 5-4 victory in the shootout.
"This is going to be hard to move on from. We had the match, and it’s incredibly frustrating not to maintain our lead," expressed captain Magdalena Eriksson after the match, reflecting the deep disappointment felt across the team.