Women's Euro 2025: Are we measuring the performance of female footballers at their true value?

"Euro 2025 had a lot to prove after the 2022 edition in England, which set new standards (...), with exceptional attacking performances and record crowds in the stadiums. However, the tournament organized in Switzerland sets the bar even higher in all areas." When it came to taking stock of the group stage of the competition, on July 17, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) was not hiding its pleasure .

The day before, in Geneva, more than 26,000 people attended the match between Italy and Norway , setting yet another new standard for a quarter-final match outside a host country. But this, UEFA points out, "may not last long" as France faces Germany on the evening of Saturday, July 19, in Basel, for a place in the last four.

So while success seems to be on the cards, does the public really appreciate the performance of the women's teams? This was the question raised on June 26 by the popular science program "Einstein" on the Swiss German-speaking public channel, tired of the often condescending judgments about female footballers supposedly slower, less technical, and more messy – especially in the goalkeeping position – than their male counterparts.

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