UEFA Women's Euro 2022

Tournament details

Host country England

Dates 6–31 July

Teams 16

Venue(s) 10 (in 8 host cities)

Final positions

Champions  England (1st title)

Runners-up  Germany

Tournament statistics

Matches played 31

Goals scored 95 (3.06 per match)

Attendance 574,865 (18,544 per match)

Top scorer(s) England Beth Mead

Germany Alexandra Popp

(6 goals each)

Best player(s) England Beth Mead

Best young player Germany Lena Oberdorf

← 20172025 →

The 2022 UEFA European Women's Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Women's Euro 2022 or simply Euro 2022, was the 13th edition of the UEFA Women's Championship, the quadrennial international football championship organised by UEFA for the women's national teams of Europe. It was the second edition since it was expanded to 16 teams. The tournament was hosted by England, and was originally scheduled to take place from 7 July to 1 August 2021.[1] However, following the CO-19 pandemic in Europe and subsequent postponements of the 2020 Summer Olympics and UEFA Euro 2020 to summer 2021, the tournament was rescheduled for 6 to 31 July 2022.[2][3][4] England last hosted the tournament in 2005, the last to feature eight teams.[5][6]

Defending champions Netherlands, who won UEFA Women's Euro 2017 as hosts, were eliminated in the quarter-finals by France. Hosts England won their first UEFA Women's Championship title by beating Germany 2–1 after extra time in the final, held at Wembley Stadium in London.[7] As winners, they will compete in the inaugural 2023 Women's Finalissima against Brazil, winners of the 2022 Copa América Femenina.[8]

The video assistant referee (VAR), as well as goal-line technology, were used in the final tournament.[9]

Host selection

England were the only country to submit a bid before the deadline.[10] They were confirmed as hosts at the UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, on 3 December 2018.[11][6][5]

Qualification

Main article: UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying

  Qualified for UEFA Women's Euro 2022

  Did not qualify

  Suspended by UEFA after initially qualifying

A total of 48 UEFA nations entered the competition (including Cyprus which entered for the first time at senior women's level, and Kosovo which entered their first Women's Euro), and with the hosts England qualifying automatically, the other 47 teams competed in the qualifying competition to determine the remaining 15 spots in the final tournament.[12] Different from previous qualifying competitions, the preliminary round had been abolished and all entrants started from the qualifying group stage. The qualifying competition consists of two rounds:[13]

Qualifying group stage: The 47 teams were drawn into nine groups: two groups of six teams and seven groups of five teams. Each group was played in home-and-away round-robin format. The nine group winners and the three best runners-up (not counting results against the sixth-placed team) qualified directly for the final tournament, while the remaining six runners-up advanced to the play-offs.

Play-offs: The six teams were drawn into three ties to play home-and-away two-legged matches to determine the last three qualified teams.

The draw for the qualifying group stage was held on 21 February 2019 in Nyon. The qualifying group stage took place from August 2019 to December 2020, while the play-offs took place in April 2021, previously scheduled for October 2020.[13][5]

Qualified teams

In February 2022, the Russian team was suspended following their country's invasion of Ukraine.[14] UEFA later announced on 2 May 2022 that Russian teams were banned from every European competition, disqualifying Russia from the Women's Euro 2022. Portugal, whom Russia defeated in the play-off, would take part instead.[15]

14 of the 16 qualified teams had also taken part in the 2017 edition. Northern Ireland was the only team to make its debut at the 2022 finals. Finland meanwhile returned after missing the previous tournament. Scotland was the only team present in 2017 that failed to qualify for these finals apart from the banned Russia.

The following teams qualified for the final tournament.

Order Team Method of

qualification Date of

qualification Finals

appearance Last

appearance Previous best

performance FIFA ranking

at start of draw

1  England Hosts 3 December 2018 9th 2017 Runners-up (1984, 2009) 8th

2  Germany Group I winners 23 October 2020 11th 2017 Champions (1989, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013) 3rd

3  Netherlands Group A winners 23 October 2020 4th 2017 Champions (2017) 4th

4  Denmark Group B winners 27 October 2020 10th 2017 Runners-up (2017) 15th

5  Norway Group C winners 27 October 2020 12th 2017 Champions (1987, 1993) 12th

6  Sweden Group F winners 27 October 2020 11th 2017 Champions (1984) 2nd

7  France Group G winners 27 November 2020 7th 2017 Quarter-finals (2009, 2013, 2017) 5th

8  Belgium Group H winners 1 December 2020 2nd 2017 Group stage (2017) 19th

9  Iceland Group F runners-up[^] 1 December 2020 4th 2017 Quarter-finals (2013) 16th

10  Spain Group D winners 18 February 2021 4th 2017 Semi-finals (1997) 10th

11  Finland Group E winners 19 February 2021 4th 2013 Semi-finals (2005) 25th

12  Austria Group G runners-up[^] 23 February 2021 2nd 2017 Semi-finals (2017) 21st

13  Italy Group B runners-up[^] 24 February 2021 12th 2017 Runners-up (1993, 1997) 14th

–  Russia[!] qualifying play-offs winner 13 April 2021 5th 2017 Group stage (1997, 2001, 2009, 2013, 2017) 24th

14   Switzerland qualifying play-offs winner 13 April 2021 2nd 2017 Group stage (2017) 20th

15  Northern Ireland qualifying play-offs winner 13 April 2021 1st — Debut 48th

16  Portugal[!] qualifying play-offs lucky loser 2 May 2022 2nd 2017 Group stage (2017) 30th

Notes

 The best three runners-up among all nine groups qualified directly for the final tournament.

 Russia originally qualified by winning their play-off 1–0 on aggregate. However, Russia were suspended by FIFA and UEFA on 28 February 2022. UEFA replaced Russia with Portugal on 2 May 2022.[16]

Final draw

The final draw took place in Manchester, England, on 28 October 2021 at 18:00 CEST.[17]

It was originally set on 6 November 2020, but had been postponed due to the C-19 pandemic.[18] The 16 teams were drawn into four groups of four teams. The hosts were assigned to position A1 in the draw while the other teams were seeded according to their coefficient ranking following the end of the qualifying stage, calculated based on the following:[19]

UEFA Women's Euro 2017 final tournament and qualifying competition (20%)

2019 FIFA Women's World Cup final tournament and qualifying competition (40%)

UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying competition (group stage only, excluding play-offs) (40%)

Pot 1

Team Coeff Rank

 England H 41,443 3

 Netherlands TH 43,961 1

 Germany 41,924 2

 France 40,898 4

Pot 2

Team Coeff Rank

 Sweden 39,714 5

 Spain 38,913 6

 Norway 38,758 7

 Italy 36,399 8

Pot 3

Team Coeff Rank

 Denmark 35,265 9

 Belgium 34,951 10

  Switzerland 33,693 11

 Austria 33,693 12

Pot 4

Team Coeff Rank

 Iceland 33,458 13

 Russia[!] 30,117 15

 Finland 29,765 16

 Northern Ireland 19,526 27

H Hosts (assigned to position A1 in the draw)

TH Title holders

Notes

 Russia were suspended by FIFA and UEFA on 28 February 2022, with Portugal being chosen by UEFA to take their place on 2 May 2022. This would not have affected the draw, since both teams would be placed in pot 4.

Venues

Meadow Lane in Nottingham and London Road in Peterborough were initially included on the list of stadiums when the Football Association submitted the bid to host the tournament. These were changed with the City Ground in Nottingham and St Mary's in Southampton due to UEFA requirements.[20][21] The City Ground was replaced by Leigh Sports Village when the final list of venues was confirmed in August 2019.[22] On 23 February 2020, Old Trafford in Trafford (Greater Manchester) was confirmed as the venue of the opening match featuring England, [23] with Wembley Stadium to host the final. For Euro 2022, UEFA announced 10 venues.[24][25][26]

London

(Wembley) Manchester

(Old Trafford) Sheffield Southampton

Wembley Stadium Old Trafford Bramall Lane St Mary's Stadium

Capacity: 90,000 Capacity: 74,879 Capacity: 32,702 Capacity: 32,505

Wembley Stadium interior.jpg View of Old Trafford from East Stand.jpg Bramall lane1.jpg Southampton U23s versus Dinamo Zagreb II.jpg

Brighton and Hove

UEFA Women's Euro 2022 is located in EnglandLondonLondonManchester

Manchester

SheffieldSheffieldSouthamptonSouthamptonBrighton and HoveBrighton and HoveMilton KeynesMilton KeynesRotherhamRotherhamLeighLeigh

Falmer Stadium

Capacity: 31,800

Falmer Stadium - night.jpg

Milton Keynes

Stadium MK

Capacity: 30,500

Stadium MK.jpg

London

(Brentford) Rotherham Leigh Manchester

(Bradford)

Brentford Community Stadium New York Stadium Leigh Sports Village Academy Stadium

Capacity: 17,250 Capacity: 12,021 Capacity: 12,000 Capacity: 7,000

Brentford Community Stadium 2020.jpg The New York Stadium.JPG LeighStadium-May2008.jpg Academy Stadium 02.jpg

Criticism arose regarding the geographical distribution of the host venues, with no stadiums being chosen in the North East or the Midlands.[27] Stadium size was also criticised, with major complaints coming from Iceland's Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir; the 7,000 capacity Etihad Academy Stadium being the main focus, which would be limited to 4,700 capacity for the tournament due to UEFA restrictions preventing the use of standing capacity. The decision to include the stadium was labelled "embarrassing" and "disrespectful", and did not reflect the growth of women's football.[28] The Leigh Sports Village would also be restricted to 8,100 instead of its typical 12,000 capacity due to the same restrictions.[29]

Match officials

On 19 April 2022, UEFA announced the selected match officials for the tournament.[30][31] On 27 April, Belgian official Ella De Vries was added as an assistant VAR.[32][33]

Referees

Croatia Ivana Martinčić

Czech Republic Jana Adámková

England Rebecca Welch

Finland Lina Lehtovaara

France Stéphanie Frappart

Germany Riem Hussein

Romania Iuliana Demetrescu

Spain Marta Huerta de Aza

Sweden Tess Olofsson

Switzerland Esther Staubli

Ukraine Kateryna Monzul

Venezuela Emikar Calderas Barrera

Wales Cheryl Foster

Assistant referees

Austria Sara Telek

Colombia Mary Blanco Bolívar

Croatia Sanja Rođak-Karšić

Cyprus Polyxeni Irodotou

Czech Republic Lucie Ratajová

England Sian Massey-Ellis

England Lisa Rashid

Estonia Karolin Kaivoja

France Élodie Coppola

France Manuela Nicolosi

Germany Katrin Rafalski

Greece Chrysoula Kourompylia

Hungary Anita Vad

Italy Francesca Di Monte

Netherlands Franca Overtoom

Poland Paulina Baranowska

Republic of Ireland Michelle O'Neill

Romania Petruța Iugulescu

Slovakia Mária Súkeníková

Slovenia Staša Špur

Spain Guadalupe Porras Ayuso

Sweden Almira Spahić

Switzerland Susanne Küng

Ukraine Maryna Striletska

Venezuela Migdalia Rodríguez Chirino

VARs

Belgium Ella De Vries

England Chris Kavanagh

France Benoît Millot

France Maïka Vanderstichel

Germany Christian Dingert

Germany Harm Osmers

Italy Maurizio Mariani

Italy Paolo Valeri

Netherlands Pol van Boekel

Netherlands Dennis Higler

Poland Bartosz Frankowski

Poland Tomasz Kwiatkowski

Portugal Luís Godinho

Portugal Tiago Martins

Spain Guillermo Cuadra Fernández

Spain José María Sánchez Martínez

Support officials

North Macedonia Ivana Projkovska

Scotland Lorraine Watson

Squads

Main article: UEFA Women's Euro 2022 squads

Each national team had to submit a squad of 23 players, three of whom must be goalkeepers. If a player was injured or ill severely enough to prevent her participation in the tournament before her team's first match, she could be replaced by another player.[13]

Group stage

Result of teams participating in UEFA Euro 2022

  Winner

  Runner-up

  Semi-finals

  Quarter-finals

  Group stage

The provisional match schedule was confirmed by the UEFA Executive Committee during their meeting in Nyon, Switzerland on 4 December 2019.[34]

The final match schedule was confirmed by the UEFA on 2 May 2022.[35]

The group winners and runners-up advanced to the quarter-finals.

Tiebreakers

In the group stage, teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria were applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings (Regulations Articles 18.01 and 18.02):[13]

Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;

Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;

Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;

If more than two teams are tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams are still tied, all head-to-head criteria above are reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;

Goal difference in all group matches;

Goals scored in all group matches;

Penalty shoot-out if only two teams have the same number of points, and they met in the last round of the group and are tied after applying all criteria above (not used if more than two teams have the same number of points, or if their rankings are not relevant for qualification for the next stage);

Lower disciplinary points (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points);

UEFA coefficient ranking for the final draw.

All times are local, BST (UTC+1).[36]

Group A

Main article: UEFA Women's Euro 2022 Group A

Pos Teamvte Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification

1  England (H) 3 3 0 0 14 0 +14 9 Advance to knockout stage

2  Austria 3 2 0 1 3 1 +2 6

3  Norway 3 1 0 2 4 10 −6 3

4  Northern Ireland 3 0 0 3 1 11 −10 0

Source: UEFA

(H) Host

6 July 2022

20:00

England  1–0  Austria

Mead  16'

Report

Old Trafford, Manchester

Attendance: 68,871[37]

Referee: Marta Huerta de Aza (Spain)

7 July 2022

20:00

Norway  4–1  Northern Ireland

Blakstad  10'

Maanum  13'

Graham Hansen  31' (pen.)

Reiten  54'

Report

Nelson  49'

St Mary's Stadium, Southampton

Attendance: 9,146[38]

Referee: Lina Lehtovaara (Finland)

11 July 2022

17:00

Austria  2–0  Northern Ireland

Schiechtl  19'

Naschenweng  88'

Report

St Mary's Stadium, Southampton

Attendance: 9,268[39]

Referee: Emikar Calderas Barrera (Venezuela)

11 July 2022

20:00

England  8–0  Norway

Stanway  12' (pen.)

Hemp  15'

White  29', 41'

Mead  34', 38', 81'

Russo  66'

Report

Falmer Stadium, Brighton and Hove

Attendance: 28,847[40]

Referee: Riem Hussein (Germany)

15 July 2022

20:00

Northern Ireland  0–5  England

Report

Kirby  40'

Mead  44'

Russo  48', 53'

Burrows  76' (o.g.)

St Mary's Stadium, Southampton

Attendance: 30,785[41]

Referee: Esther Staubli (Switzerland)

15 July 2022

20:00

Austria  1–0  Norway

Billa  37'

Report

Falmer Stadium, Brighton and Hove

Attendance: 12,667[42]

Referee: Kateryna Monzul (Ukraine)

Group B

Main article: UEFA Women's Euro 2022 Group B

Pos Teamvte Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification

1  Germany 3 3 0 0 9 0 +9 9 Advance to knockout stage

2  Spain 3 2 0 1 5 3 +2 6

3  Denmark 3 1 0 2 1 5 −4 3

4  Finland 3 0 0 3 1 8 −7 0

Source: UEFA

8 July 2022

17:00

Spain  4–1  Finland

Paredes  26'

Bonmatí  41'

L. García  75'

Caldentey  90+5' (pen.)

Report

Sällström  1'

Stadium MK, Milton Keynes

Attendance: 16,819[43]

Referee: Kateryna Monzul (Ukraine)

8 July 2022

20:00

Germany  4–0  Denmark

Magull  21'

Schüller  57'

Lattwein  78'

Popp  86'

Report

Brentford Community Stadium, London

Attendance: 15,736[44]

Referee: Esther Staubli (Switzerland)

12 July 2022

17:00

Denmark  1–0  Finland

Harder  72'

Report

Stadium MK, Milton Keynes

Attendance: 11,615[45]

Referee: Iuliana Demetrescu (Romania)

12 July 2022

20:00

Germany  2–0  Spain

Bühl  3'

Popp  37'

Report

Brentford Community Stadium, London

Attendance: 16,037[46]

Referee: Stéphanie Frappart (France)

16 July 2022

20:00

Finland  0–3  Germany

Report

Kleinherne  40'

Popp  48'

Anyomi  63'

Stadium MK, Milton Keynes

Attendance: 20,721[47]

Referee: Emikar Calderas Barrera (Venezuela)

16 July 2022

20:00

Denmark  0–1  Spain

Report

Cardona  90'

Brentford Community Stadium, London

Attendance: 16,041[48]

Referee: Rebecca Welch (England)

Group C

Main article: UEFA Women's Euro 2022 Group C

Pos Teamvte Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification

1  Sweden 3 2 1 0 8 2 +6 7 Advance to knockout stage

2  Netherlands 3 2 1 0 8 4 +4 7

3   Switzerland 3 0 1 2 4 8 −4 1

4  Portugal 3 0 1 2 4 10 −6 1

Source: UEFA

9 July 2022

17:00

Portugal  2–2   Switzerland

Gomes  58'

J. Silva  65'

Report

Sow  2'

Kiwic  5'

Leigh Sports Village, Leigh

Attendance: 5,902[49]

Referee: Jana Adámková (Czech Republic)

9 July 2022

20:00

Netherlands  1–1  Sweden

Roord  52'

Report

Andersson  35'

Bramall Lane, Sheffield

Attendance: 21,342[50]

Referee: Cheryl Foster (Wales)

13 July 2022

17:00

Sweden  2–1   Switzerland

Rolfö  53'

Bennison  79'

Report

Bachmann  55'

Bramall Lane, Sheffield

Attendance: 12,914[51]

Referee: Marta Huerta de Aza (Spain)

13 July 2022

20:00

Netherlands  3–2  Portugal

Egurrola  7'

Van der Gragt  16'

Van de Donk  62'

Report

C. Costa  38' (pen.)

Di. Silva  47'

Leigh Sports Village, Leigh

Attendance: 6,966[52]

Referee: Ivana Martinčić (Croatia)

17 July 2022

17:00

Switzerland   1–4  Netherlands

Reuteler  53'

Report

Crnogorčević  49' (o.g.)

Leuchter  84', 90+5'

Pelova  89'

Bramall Lane, Sheffield

Attendance: 22,596[53]

Referee: Iuliana Demetrescu (Romania)

17 July 2022

17:00

Sweden  5–0  Portugal

Angeldahl  21', 45'

C. Costa  45+7' (o.g.)

Asllani  54' (pen.)

Blackstenius  90+1'

Report

Leigh Sports Village, Leigh

Attendance: 7,118[54]

Referee: Stéphanie Frappart (France)

Group D

Main article: UEFA Women's Euro 2022 Group D

Pos Teamvte Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification

1  France 3 2 1 0 8 3 +5 7 Advance to knockout stage

2  Belgium 3 1 1 1 3 3 0 4

3  Iceland 3 0 3 0 3 3 0 3

4  Italy 3 0 1 2 2 7 −5 1

Source: UEFA

10 July 2022

17:00

Belgium  1–1  Iceland

Vanhaevermaet  67' (pen.)

Report

Þorvaldsdóttir  50'

Academy Stadium, Manchester

Attendance: 3,859[55]

Referee: Tess Olofsson (Sweden)

10 July 2022

20:00

France  5–1  Italy

Geyoro  9', 40', 45'

Katoto  12'

Cascarino  38'

Report

Piemonte  76'

New York Stadium, Rotherham

Attendance: 8,541[56]

Referee: Rebecca Welch (England)

14 July 2022

17:00

Italy  1–1  Iceland

Bergamaschi  62'

Report

Vilhjálmsdóttir  3'

Academy Stadium, Manchester

Attendance: 4,029[57]

Referee: Lina Lehtovaara (Finland)

14 July 2022

20:00

France  2–1  Belgium

Diani  6'

Mbock Bathy  41'

Report

Cayman  36'

New York Stadium, Rotherham

Attendance: 8,173[58]

Referee: Cheryl Foster (Wales)

18 July 2022

20:00

Iceland  1–1  France

Brynjarsdóttir  90+12' (pen.)

Report

Malard  1'

New York Stadium, Rotherham

Attendance: 7,392[59]

Referee: Jana Adámková (Czech Republic)

18 July 2022

20:00

Italy  0–1  Belgium

Report

De Caigny  49'

Academy Stadium, Manchester

Attendance: 3,919[60]

Referee: Ivana Martinčić (Croatia)

Knockout stage

Main article: UEFA Women's Euro 2022 knockout stage

In the knockout stage, extra time and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary.[13]

Bracket

Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final

20 July – Brighton and Hove

 England (a.e.t.) 2

26 July – Sheffield

 Spain 1

 England 4

22 July – Leigh

 Sweden 0

 Sweden 1

31 July – London (Wembley)

 Belgium 0

 England (a.e.t.) 2

21 July – London (Brentford)

 Germany 1

 Germany 2

27 July – Milton Keynes

 Austria 0

 Germany 2

23 July – Rotherham

 France 1

 France (a.e.t.) 1

 Netherlands 0

Quarter-finals

20 July 2022

20:00

England  2–1 (a.e.t.)  Spain

Toone  84'

Stanway  96'

Report

González  54'

Falmer Stadium, Brighton and Hove

Attendance: 28,994[61]

Referee: Stéphanie Frappart (France)

21 July 2022

20:00

Germany  2–0  Austria

Magull  25'

Popp  90'

Report

Brentford Community Stadium, London

Attendance: 16,025[62]

Referee: Rebecca Welch (England)

22 July 2022

20:00

Sweden  1–0  Belgium

Sembrant  90+2'

Report

Leigh Sports Village, Leigh

Attendance: 7,517[63]

Referee: Kateryna Monzul (Ukraine)

23 July 2022

20:00

France  1–0 (a.e.t.)  Netherlands

Périsset  102' (pen.)

Report

New York Stadium, Rotherham

Attendance: 9,764[64]

Referee: Ivana Martinčić (Croatia)

Semi-finals

26 July 2022

20:00

England  4–0  Sweden

Mead  34'

Bronze  48'

Russo  68'

Kirby  76'

Report

Bramall Lane, Sheffield

Attendance: 28,624[65]

Referee: Esther Staubli (Switzerland)

27 July 2022

20:00

Germany  2–1  France

Popp  40', 76'

Report

Frohms  44' (o.g.)

Stadium MK, Milton Keynes

Attendance: 27,445[66]

Referee: Cheryl Foster (Wales)

Final

Main article: UEFA Women's Euro 2022 Final

31 July 2022

17:00

England  2–1 (a.e.t.)  Germany

Toone  62'

Kelly  110'

Report

Magull  79'

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 87,192[67]

Referee: Kateryna Monzul (Ukraine)

Goalscorers

There were 95 goals scored in 31 matches, for an average of 3.06 goals per match.

6 goals

England Beth Mead

Germany Alexandra Popp

4 goals

England Alessia Russo

3 goals

France Grace Geyoro

Germany Lina Magull

2 goals

England Fran Kirby

England Georgia Stanway

England Ella Toone

England Ellen White

Netherlands Romée Leuchter

Sweden Filippa Angeldahl

1 goal

Austria Nicole Billa

Austria Katharina Naschenweng

Austria Katharina Schiechtl

Belgium Janice Cayman

Belgium Tine De Caigny

Belgium Justine Vanhaevermaet

Denmark Pernille Harder

England Lucy Bronze

England Lauren Hemp

England Chloe Kelly

Finland Linda Sällström

France Delphine Cascarino

France Kadidiatou Diani

France Marie-Antoinette Katoto

France Melvine Malard

France Griedge Mbock Bathy

France Ève Périsset

Germany Nicole Anyomi

Germany Klara Bühl

Germany Sophia Kleinherne

Germany Lena Lattwein

Germany Lea Schüller

Iceland Dagný Brynjarsdóttir

Iceland Berglind Björg Þorvaldsdóttir

Iceland Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir

Italy Valentina Bergamaschi

Italy Martina Piemonte

Netherlands Daniëlle van de Donk

Netherlands Damaris Egurrola

Netherlands Stefanie van der Gragt

Netherlands Victoria Pelova

Netherlands Jill Roord

Northern Ireland Julie Nelson

Norway Julie Blakstad

Norway Caroline Graham Hansen

Norway Frida Maanum

Norway Guro Reiten

Portugal Carole Costa

Portugal Diana Gomes

Portugal Diana Silva

Portugal Jéssica Silva

Spain Aitana Bonmatí

Spain Mariona Caldentey

Spain Marta Cardona

Spain Lucía García

Spain Esther González

Spain Irene Paredes

Sweden Jonna Andersson

Sweden Kosovare Asllani

Sweden Hanna Bennison

Sweden Stina Blackstenius

Sweden Fridolina Rolfö

Sweden Linda Sembrant

Switzerland Ramona Bachmann

Switzerland Rahel Kiwic

Switzerland Géraldine Reuteler

Switzerland Coumba Sow

1 own goal

Germany Merle Frohms (against France)

Northern Ireland Kelsie Burrows (against England)

Portugal Carole Costa (against Sweden)

Switzerland Ana-Maria Crnogorčević (against Netherlands)

Awards

Soccer Field Transparant.svg

Earps

Williamson

Hegering

Gwinn

Karchaoui

Oberdorf

Walsh

Bonmatí

Popp

Mead

Bühl

UEFA Team of the Tournament[68]

UEFA Team of the Tournament

UEFA's technical observer team was given the objective of naming a team of the best eleven players from the tournament. Four players from the winning England squad were named in the team as well as five from runners-up Germany.[68]

Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards

England Mary Earps Germany Giulia Gwinn

England Leah Williamson

Germany Marina Hegering

France Sakina Karchaoui England Keira Walsh

Germany Lena Oberdorf

Spain Aitana Bonmatí England Beth Mead

Germany Alexandra Popp

Germany Klara Bühl

Player of the Tournament

The Player of the Tournament award was given to Beth Mead, who was chosen by UEFA's technical observers.[69]

England Beth Mead

Young Player of the Tournament

The Young Player of the Tournament award was open to players born on or after 1 January 1999. The inaugural award was given to Lena Oberdorf, as chosen by UEFA's technical observers.[70]

Germany Lena Oberdorf

Top Scorer

The top scorer award, sponsored by Grifols, was given to the top scorer in the tournament. Beth Mead won the award with six goals scored in the tournament. Though she finished level with Alexandra Popp on goals, Mead had more assists in the tournament.[71] The ranking was determined using the following criteria: 1) goals, 2) assists, 3) fewest minutes played, 4) goals in qualifying.[72]

Top scorer rankings

Rank Player Goals Assists Minutes

1st place, gold medalist(s) England Beth Mead 6 5 450

2nd place, silver medalist(s) Germany Alexandra Popp 6 0 361

3rd place, bronze medalist(s) England Alessia Russo 4 1 265

Goal of the Tournament

The Goal of the Tournament was decided by UEFA's Technical Observer panel. On 5 August 2022, UEFA announced that England forward Alessia Russo's goal against Sweden had been named the goal of the tournament.[73]

England Alessia Russo (vs Sweden)

Final ranking

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Final result

1  England 6 6 0 0 22 2 +20 18 Champions

2  Germany 6 5 0 1 14 3 +11 15 Runners-up

3  France 5 3 1 1 10 5 +5 10 Third place

4  Sweden 5 3 1 1 9 6 +3 10

5  Netherlands 4 2 1 1 8 5 +3 7 Eliminated in

quarter-finals

6  Spain 4 2 0 2 6 5 +1 6

7  Austria 4 2 0 2 3 3 0 6

8  Belgium 4 1 1 2 2 4 −2 4

9  Iceland 3 0 3 0 3 3 0 3 Eliminated in

group stage

10  Denmark 3 1 0 2 1 5 −4 3

11  Norway 3 1 0 2 4 10 −6 3

12   Switzerland 3 0 1 2 4 8 −4 1

13  Italy 3 0 1 2 2 7 −5 1

14  Portugal 3 0 1 2 4 10 −6 1

15  Finland 3 0 0 3 1 8 −7 0

16  Northern Ireland 3 0 0 3 1 11 −10 0

Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source:[citation needed]

Prize money

In September 2021, UEFA announced that the prize money for the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 championship will be €16 million, double the amount of the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 prize money.[74]

The prize money distribution for the teams is:[75]

Qualification to the final series: €600,000

Win a match in group stage: €100,000

Draw a match in group stage: €50,000

Reaching the quarter-final: €205,000

Reaching the semi-final: €320,000

Runner-up: €420,000

Champions: €660,000

The prize money is cumulative; if the champions also win all three of their group matches they will receive a total of €2,085,000.

Broadcasting

Europe

Territory Broadcaster References

Albania RTSH [76]

Armenia AMPTV

Austria ORF [77]

Azerbaijan ITV

Belgium

RTBFVRT

[78]

Bosnia and Herzegovina BHRT

Bulgaria BNT

Croatia HRT

Cyprus CyBC

Czechia ČT

Denmark

DRTV 2

[79]

Estonia ERR

Finland Yle [80]

France

TF1Canal+

[81][82]

Germany

ARDZDFDAZN

[83]

Greece ERT

Hungary MTVA

Iceland RÚV

Ireland RTÉ [84]

Israel IPBC

Italy

RAISky Sport

Kazakhstan Kazakh TV

Kosovo RTK

Latvia LTV

Lithuania LRT

Malta PBS

Montenegro RTCG

Netherlands NOS [85]

North Macedonia MRT

Norway

NRKTV 2

[86]

Poland TVP

Portugal

RTPCanal 11

[87]

Romania TVR

Russia Match TV

Serbia RTS

Slovakia RTVS

Slovenia RTV

Spain RTVE [88]

Sweden

SVTTV4C More

[89]

Switzerland SRG SSR

Turkey TRT

Ukraine MGU

United Kingdom BBC

Outside Europe

Country Broadcaster

Free Pay

Australia — Optus Sport[90]

China China Central Television Super Sports Shankai

United States Univision (Spanish)[76] ESPN or ESPN +(English)

TUDN (Spanish)

International* UEFA.tv[91] —

Latin America and the Caribbean — ESPN and Star+

Middle East and North Africa — beIN Sports

South Asia — Sony Six

Sub-Saharan Africa — W-Sport

* Only available in countries without broadcasting deals.

See also

UEFA Euro 1996

UEFA Women's Euro 2005

References

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External links

Official website

Women's Euro Matches: 2022, UEFA.com

vte

UEFA Women's Euro 2022

vte

UEFA Women's Championship

vte

European championships in 2022

vte

2022–23 in European women's football (UEFA)

Categories: UEFA Women's Euro 2022UEFA Women's Championship tournaments2022–23 in UEFA football2022–23 in English women's football2022 in women's association footballInternational women's association football competitions hosted by EnglandJuly 2022 sports events in the United KingdomAssociation football events postponed due to the CVID-19 pandemicSports events affected by the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

The 20 greatest female football players of all time

1) Marta (Forward, Brazil)

It should be no surprise that Brazil gave the world two of the greatest players, male and female. Pele established his legacy years ago. Marta Vieira da Silva is still in the process of forging hers as the planet’s most talented player. Marta, nicknamed “Pele in skirts” by the Brazilian master, can do it all. The world has lost track of how many times she has turned a defender around and left her in the dust. That includes dribbling confounding foes with her superb skill, creating goals thanks to her vision, and scoring them thanks to a tenacious desire to succeed.

Her personal accolades are remarkable, earning the Fifa female world player of the year five consecutive times (2006 to 2010). Marta also won the Golden Ball and Golden Boot at the 2007 Women’s World Cup and is the competition’s all-time scoring leader with 15 goals. The only thing missing from her trophy cabinet is a major championship, although Brazil have come close several times. The Brazilians took second to Germany at the 2007 World Cup and mined silver medals at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, losing to the United States both times. Having turned 30 in February, Marta is expected to be at full throttle at the Rio Olympics.

2) Mia Hamm (Forward, USA)

Mia Hamm (left) wrestles with China defender Bai Jie at the 1999 World Cup final.

Mia Hamm (left) wrestles with China defender Bai Jie at the 1999 World Cup final. Photograph: Rick Wilking/Reuters

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Hamm, who finished with a world-record 158 international goals when she retired in 2004, was a double threat. Pacey and skillful, she was nominally a forward but often played like a midfielder. If defenders allowed her to run inside, she would go to goal. If they managed to force her outside, she would deliver a lethal, spot-on cross to a teammate on the far side. It certainly didn’t hurt that Hamm was bolstered by a talented supporting cast, some of whom have made this top 20 list. Regardless, her skill, vision and innate scoring ability made her the most dangerous and the best-known women’s player of her generation. Hamm, who made her international debut at 15 in 1987, earned 275 caps while starring for the USA.

She won the Fifa women’s world player of the year the first two years of the award in 2001 and 2002. A member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, Hamm also played a vital role for two Women’s World Cup winning teams in 1991 and 1999, converting a penalty in a shootout in the latter final. She was also part of two Olympic gold-medal winning sides (1996, 2004) and earned a silver medal in 2000. Hamm is part of the ownership group of the Los Angeles Football Club, which is scheduled to start playing in Major League Soccer in 2017.

3) Michelle Akers (Forward/defensive midfielder, USA)

Michelle Akers (center) used her speed and height to deadly effect.

Michelle Akers (center) used her speed and height to deadly effect. Photograph: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Talk about leaving a huge legacy. Akers defined not one, but two, positions in women’s soccer. In her younger days, Akers was a lethal striker. At 5ft 10in, her speed was deceptive because she could outrun defenders with her long stride. She struck twice in the first Women’s World Cup final in 1991, including the game-winner in the final minutes of a 2-1 triumph over Norway. After she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome in 1994, Akers began a second life as a defensive midfielder, preventing goal opportunities instead of finishing them.

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She helped the red, white and blue to the 1996 Olympic gold medal and to the 1999 World Cup crown as well. Little surprise that Akers was named Fifa’s female player of the 20th century along with China’s Sun Wen. In the USA’s second international match ever in 1987, Akers scored the team’s first goal and went on from there. She retired just before the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

We can only wonder what more magic Akers could have produced had she not been struck down by illness (until then she was scoring at almost a goal a game). A member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame, Akers retired at the age of 34, having scored 105 times in 153 international games.

4) Birgit Prinz (Forward/attacking midfielder, Germany)

Birgit Prinz helped German football hit new heights in the 21st century.

Birgit Prinz helped German football hit new heights in the 21st century. Photograph: Eirik Forde/Bongarts/Getty Images for DFB

As stoppage time was running down in Germany’s 2-1 win over Brazil in the group stage of the 2000 Sydney Games, Prinz almost became the first women to register an Olympic hat-trick. Maren Meinert and Prinz found themselves on a break towards the Brazilian goal. But instead of passing to her teammate, Meinert took the shot, and put it wide. Prinz gave her team-mate a look of disbelief. That was classic Prinz, who had a killer instinct. Every shot she took she expected to score, and heaven forbid if a team-mate failed to release the ball at the right time.

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Prinz was a difficult player to mark because she knew when to shoot, and she combined a physical presence with impressive pace. She demonstrated that in her international debut at 16, striking the game-winner in the 89th minute, 17 minutes after coming on as a substitute. It should come as no surprise that Germany won the 2003 and 2007 Women’s World Cup, with Prinz earning the Golden Ball in the former and the Silver Ball in the latter. In 214 international appearances, she found the net 128 times.

At club level, Prinz scored 282 goals in as many matches for FSV Frankfurt, FFC Frankfurt and the Carolina Courage. Her trophy case is ridiculously overloaded with three Fifa world player of the year honors (2002, 2003 and 2004). She was also named German player of the year eight years running. Prinz retired in 2011 at the age of 34.

5) Sun Wen (forward, China)

Wen Sun attempts a pass past the Australian defence during the first round of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2003.

Wen Sun attempts a pass past the Australian defence during the first round of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2003. Photograph: Robert Laberge/Getty Images

During China’s golden age of soccer, Sun Wen became her team’s go-to player when they needed a goal. She certainly didn’t disappoint, connecting 106 times in 152 international matches. Sun, who had the ability to conjure up assists for her team-mates, was so good that she pulled off the rarest of doubles at a major tournament. At the 1999 Women’s World Cup, she earning the Golden Ball and Golden Boot (sharing the prize with Marta).

Sun’s goals were not only came in quantity, but quality too. After the striker scored a spectacular, 32-yard free kick in China’s 1-1 draw with the USA at the Sydney Olympics, April Heinrichs, then the American head coach, gave Sun high praise. “I’d pay for her to come to play in the United States in the WUSA [Women’s United Soccer Association],” she said. “She’s so well-rounded. She’s composed and a great leader who leads by example for 90 minutes.”

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Sun’s mobility that game was hampered by a brace and bandage wrapped over her left knee. Yet, she found ways to make life difficult for the US. Sun never won a major tournament as China finished second to the USA in the 1996 Olympics and was runner-up to her rivals, losing in a shootout at the 1999 Women’s World Cup final.

6) Abby Wambach (forward, USA)

Abby Wambach poses with fellow US sporting great Peyton Manning and Kobe Bryant at this year’s ESPY Awards

Abby Wambach poses with fellow US sporting great Peyton Manning and Kobe Bryant at this year’s ESPY Awards. Photograph: Buckner/Variety/REX/Shutterstock

Abby Wambach could be likened to a human battering ram, playing as though her body was invulnerable, although it wasn’t. Wambach never saw a heading opportunity she didn’t like, and she scored more than a third of her goals in the air en route a world-record 184 international strikes in 255 matches (and, by the way, she had 75 assists).

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Perhaps her most dramatic header was that spectacular goal she scored in stoppage time after 120 minutes against Brazil in the 2011 World Cup quarter-finals. It leveled the game and forced a shootout, which the Americans won. Fifa later declared it the greatest Women’s World Cup goal.

At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Wambach made sure part of the Americans’ quest was about winning gold for their retiring players. She came through in dramatic fashion, striking for the game-winner in extra-time against Brazil in the final.

In her later years, Wambach became the spokesperson for the team, putting situations, controversies and challenges into proper context with her team-mates and the media. Her unofficial philosophy was that it wasn’t about her, even though it often was, especially in 2012 when she was voted Fifa world player of the year. After earning two Olympic gold medals, Wambach finally completed her elusive quest of winning the World Cup with the USA at the 2015 competition in Canada before retiring late last year.

7) Homare Sawa (Forward, Japan)

Homare Sawa

Homare Sawa, top, celebrates after scoring at the 2011 World Cup. Photograph: Matthias Schrader/AP

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Overshadowed by flashier players, Sawa let her game do the talking. She was smooth as silk on the ball while starring for Japan during an illustrious 23-year international career, from 1993 to 2015. Sawa gave notice to the rest of the world in her international debut against the Philippines, scoring four times in a win. She retired at the age of 37, collecting 83 goals in 204 appearances, both Japanese records.

Sawa, who was equally effective creating or scoring goals due to her superior skills and vision, finally earned her just desserts as one of the world’s greats when Japan captured their first Women’s World Cup crown in 2011. She scored in the 117th minute of the final, before Japan beat the US on penalties. As for individual honors, Sawa took home the Golden Ball and Golden Boot. Not surprisingly, she was named 2011 Fifa world player of the year. Sawa also earned a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics, losing out to the USA.

8) Kelly Smith (Forward, England)

Kelly Smith was the outstanding English female player of her generation

Kelly Smith was the outstanding English female player of her generation. Photograph: Lars Baron/Fifa via Getty Images

Little wonder that Kelly Smith was chosen as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2008. She was a special player, the first English female player to make an international impact in modern times. She was lethal with both feet, scoring 46 goals in 117 appearances over a remarkable two-decade international career (1995-2015).

A striker who wasn’t afraid to set up her team-mates, Smith made headlines with Seton Hall University in New Jersey, which wasn’t known for its women’s soccer until the 1990s. Smith became the first athlete in any sport to be named Big East offensive player of the year and newcomer of the year in the same season. With her college team-mates providing limited attacking talent to complement her awesome ability, Smith still finished with a school-record 76 goals in 51 matches.

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Smith wound up playing in several soccer leagues – pro, semi-pro and amateur – in the United States before returning home for Arsenal Ladies (where she scored an astounding 73 goals in 66 games from 2005-2009). She helped England qualify for their first Women’s World Cup in 2007 and also played in the tournament in 2011. She also was a member of a combined Great Britain side that reached the quarter-finals of the 2012 London Olympics. Smith retired from internationals at the age of 36 in 2015.

9) Christine Sinclair (Forward, Canada)

Christine Sinclair is one of the all-time top scorers in international football

Christine Sinclair is one of the all-time top scorers in international football. Photograph: Kevin C Cox/Getty Images

So, just how fabulous is Christine Sinclair? Perhaps Abby Wambach said it best several years ago: “I think she’s the best all-around player in the world … I think she is probably is the most underrated player in the whole world.” In fact, if there is one player who has a shot at Wambach’s international goal scoring record (184 goals), it’s the 33-year-old Sinclair, who enters the Rio Olympics with 162 goals in 230 matches.

When she is at the top of her game, Sinclair can be devastating, playing like a midfielder, bringing the ball forward towards the opposition goal. Like many of her contemporaries, Sinclair made her international debut as a teenager, as a 16-year-old at the Algarve Cup.

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Her most memorable performance might have been her hat-trick in that unforgettable 4-3 semi-final loss to the USA at the 2012 Olympics, when Canada won the bronze medal. Sinclair endured a disappointing Women’s World Cup in her native country in 2015, scoring twice as Canada were eliminated in the quarter-finals. She and her team-mates certainly can make up for it with another medal in Rio.

10) Nadine Angerer (Goalkeeper, Germany)

Nadine Angerer

Nadine Angerer has made a habit of saving important penalties. Photograph: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

When starting goalkeeper Silke Rottenberg suffered a knee injury that kept her out of the 2007 Women’s World Cup, Nadine Angerer took her place and Germany didn’t miss a beat. Moreover, Germany and Angerer didn’t concede in six games – a record – en route to the team’s second successive world title. Angerer also saved Marta’s penalty to preserve a clean sheet in a 2-0 triumph in the final.

As it turned out, stopping penalties became one of Angerer’s specialties. Named Germany captain after Prinz retired in 2011, Angerer made two vital peanlty saves against Sweden to help Germany to the 2013 European crown. “Nadine is such a leader on her team, a role model,” said former USA coach Tony DiCicco, who was a goalkeeper himself, adding that Angerer did not have “any glaring weaknesses”.

11) Kristine Lilly (Midfielder/forward, USA)

Kristine Lilly puts in a cross during the USA’s 5-0 win over Nigeria at FIFA Women’s 2003 World Cup, one of her 352 internationals.

Kristine Lilly puts in a cross during the USA’s 5-0 win over Nigeria at FIFA Women’s 2003 World Cup, one of her 352 internationals. Photograph: Al Messerschmidt/WireImage

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Lilly just went on running and running. She played in a world record 352 internationals, a mark that may never be broken (scoring 130 goals as well). Lilly probably will be best remembered for her headed clearance off the line in extra time of the 1999 Women’s World Cup final. She played on two world champion sides (1991, 1999) and has two Olympic gold medals and a silver in her collection.

12) Hege Riise (Midfielder, Norway)

Hege Riise in action against the US.

Hege Riise in action against the US. Photograph: Al Messerschmidt/WireImage

Norway’s best ever player, Riise was the centerpiece of the country’s wins at the 1995 Women’s World Cup and the 2000 Olympics. The attacking midfielder started playing soccer with boys’ teams at the age of six before joining a girls’ side at 14. When she retired from international soccer in 2004, Riise had scored 58 goals in a Norwegian-record 188 matches.

13) Sissi (Midfielder, Brazil)

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Few players were as deadly at set pieces as Sisleide Lima do Amor. Better known as Sissi, the Brazilian midfielder came to prominence as her national side was gaining recognition and beginning to turn heads around the world. Joining the Brazilian national team at 16, Sissi’s most memorable moments came at the 1999 Women’s World Cup when she shared the Golden Boot with China’s Sun Wen, while helping Brazil to a third-place finish. She also was a member of Brazil’s fourth-place side at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

14) Briana Scurry (Goalkeeper, USA)

Briana Scurry was a reassuring presence at the back for USA

Briana Scurry was a reassuring presence at the back for USA. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

One of only three goalkeepers who have won the Women’s World Cup (1999) and an Olympic gold medal (1996 and 2004) – the USA’s Hope Solo and Norway’s Bente Nordby are the others – Scurry proved to be a steadying presence while helping the Americans to victory after victory during a memorable 15-year career. Scurry finished with 173 caps, and secured 71 clean sheets.

15) Carin Jennings-Gabarra (Midfielder, USA)

Carin Jennings-Gabarra of the USA dribbles up the pitch during their semi-final match against Germany at the inaugural FIFA World Championship for Women’s Football in 1991.

Carin Jennings-Gabarra of the USA dribbles up the pitch during their semi-final match against Germany at the inaugural FIFA World Championship for Women’s Football in 1991. Photograph: Tommy Cheng/AFP/Getty Images

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Before there was a Fifa women’s world player of the year award, you could have made a great case for Carin Jennings-Gabarra as being the planet’s best player. She was outstanding in the very first Women’s World Cup in 1991, earning Golden Ball honors via a virtuoso performance in the midfield. She was a double threat, recording five goals and five assists. Jennings-Gabarra, who collected 53 goals in 117 international appearances, was forced to retire due to injuries after the USA won the 1996 Olympic gold medal. She is currently the women’s soccer coach at the US Naval Academy.

16) Joy Fawcett (Defender, USA)

Joy Fawcett won two gold medals with the US

Joy Fawcett won two gold medals with the US. Photograph: Luca Bruno/AP

Fawcett will be remembered as a fierce central defender. For many years, Fawcett partnered with Carla Overbeck to form one of the finest defensive tandems in women’s soccer. She did a lot of the little things that got lost in the limelight of her attack minded team-mates. The first US international to become a mother, Fawcett never lost a beat after she returned from giving birth. A member of two Women’s World Cup championship teams (1991 and 1999) and two Olympic gold medalists (1996 and 2004), Fawcett scored 27 times in 239 international matches.

17) Pia Sundhage (Forward/midfielder)

Pia Sundhage was a formidable player before taking up her coaching career

Pia Sundhage was a formidable player before taking up her coaching career. Photograph: Maddie Meyer/Fifa via Getty Images

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Before she directed the USA to the 2008 and 2012 Olympic gold medals and to a second-place finish at the 2011 Women’s World Cup, Sundhage was a world-class forward who also performed in midfield and even on defense. She scored 71 times in 146 international matches, helping the Swedes to a third-place finish at the 1991 World Cup. Sundhage was so good that her image appeared on a Swedish stamp in 1988. A year later she put her stamp on an international friendly win over England, becoming the first woman to score in an international game at Wembley.

18) Hope Solo (Goalkeeper, USA)

During a Concacaf women’s soccer symposium in 2012, a five-minute video was shown to attendees, highlighting Solo’s stunning saves. It was well deserved. Solo has combined excellent positioning and quick reflexes to become the first woman to recorded 100 international shutouts. She has helped the USA to the 2008 and 2012 Olympic titles and hopes to add a third gold medal in Rio.

19) Lily Parr (Forward, England)

Lily Parr practises with a javelin as part of her training with Preston Ladies

Lily Parr practises with a javelin as part of her training with Preston Ladies. Photograph: B Marshall/Getty Images

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Before women’s international soccer took a foothold, Lily Parr was a true pioneer. She was a regular scorer for the Preston Ladies and Dick, Kerr’s Ladies in England. Women were banned from playing soccer on affiliated grounds in 1921, but that didn’t stop her teams from raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity. Despite being a chain smoker, Parr played at an extremely high level, helping her teams dominate games. A Preston newspaper reported that Parr had tallied 967 goals out of the team’s total of 3,022 goals, a devastating ratio.

20) Silke Rottenberg (Goalkeeper, Germany)

Silke Rottenberg was a crucial part of a strong Germany side in the first decade of the 21st century.

Silke Rottenberg was a crucial part of a strong Germany side in the first decade of the 21st century. Photograph: Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

While Birgit Prinz and Maren Meinert were giving opposing defenders and goalkeepers headaches during Germany’s 2003 Women’s World Cup championship run, Rottenberg was a stabilizing force at the back with her steady play. She conceded four goals in six matches while registering two shutouts as the Germans became the first side to win back-to-back titles. A knee injury kept Rottenberg out of the 2007 World Cup. She made 125 appearances for Germany before retiring in 2008.