Norway, Sweden win big to reach Women's Euro 2025 / Photo: © AFP/File
Norway, Sweden win big to reach Women's Euro 2025
Former champions Norway and Sweden qualified for the Women's Euro 2025 tournament thanks to convincing play-off wins on Tuesday.
Norway, champions in 1987 and 1993, eased past Northern Ireland 3-0 in Oslo for a 7-0 aggregate victory.
Former Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg played 46 minutes for the home side after an injury-ridden start to the season.
Norway had beaten Albania 14-0 over two legs last month in the first play-off round having originally started their qualifying campaign in April.
"It is long awaited," Norway's Barcelona midfielder Ingrid Syrstad Engen told TV2.
"It's nice to have ticked the box.
"Now we can finally look forward to the European Championship, and focus on that," she added.
Winners of the inaugural Women's European Championship in 1984 Sweden hammered Serbia 6-0 thanks to a double from Arsenal's Stina Blackstenius for an 8-0 victory over the two legs.
The five other nations who qualified for next July's tournament in Switzerland from the play-offs are Portugal, Poland, Finland, Belgium and Wales.
Poland claimed their first spot at a European Championship or a World Cup with a 2-0 aggregate win over Austria.
Wales also secured their maiden appearance at a major tournament, holding on in front of 25,000 spectators in Dublin to edge Ireland 3-2 on aggregate.
"This team stands on the shoulder of giants who came before, and now they've proven how good they are," Wales manager Rhian Wilkinson told the BBC after her side's 2-1 win in the Irish capital.
"Those boys and girls back home are seeing a generation of football that's going to change everything," the former Canada midfielder added.
The draw for the group stages will take place on December 16 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
In friendly action on Tuesday, European champions England edged next year's tournament hosts 1-0 thanks to Grace Clinton's first-half winner.
Olympic champions the United States beat the Netherlands 2-1 in The Hague and Ballon d'Or holder Aitana Bonmati's sixth-minute opener set Spain on their way to a 4-2 victory over France in Nice.
S.Clarke--TNT
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