Belgium’s Women Conclude Euro 2025 Campaign with Victory Against Portugal
Belgium’s women have concluded their Euro 2025 journey with a triumph over Portugal, despite being eliminated from the tournament. Coach Elisabet Gunnarsdottir praised her team, particularly Janice Cayman and Tessa Wullaert, stating: “They are and will remain role models for the future of Belgian football.”
The Red Flames secured a 2-1 victory against Portugal on Friday night in their final Group B match. However, this win was insufficient for advancement to the knockout stage, as they had already lost their previous matches to France and defending champions Spain.
“We started the match excellently,” Gunnarsdottir remarked in the post-match press conference. “We lost our rhythm at times, but to win this match after all the setbacks in the second half [two goals were disallowed] is truly incredible,” she added.
Player of the match Wullaert opened the scoring just three minutes into the game. Portugal managed to equalize five minutes before the end of regulation time, but Cayman netted the decisive goal in the dying moments of added time.
“I’m very happy that we can end this tournament with a nice victory,” Cayman reflected post-match. “It’s gratifying that we can win this way… We can be very proud. The future of the Flames looks bright.”
Gunnarsdottir, who took the helm as coach in January, expressed satisfaction with the team’s overall showing. “A lot of progress has been made since I arrived,” she noted. “We have to keep going in the same direction. There are obviously still areas for improvement, but the analysis is positive.”
This marked Belgium’s third successive appearance in the European Championship after a prolonged absence from the tournament. The Red Flames finished third in their qualifying group, accumulating only four points from six matches, and needed to win the play-offs to secure their spot in this year’s tournament.
Belgium celebrate after beating Portugal in their final game at Euro 2025 in Sion, Switzerland, 11 July 2025 © PHOTO SPORTPIX & ISOSPORT / DAVID CATRY
“Reports 24brussels.
