The UEFA Women's EURO 2025 final brought the curtain down on an unforgettable, record-breaking celebration of the beautiful game. On the pitch and in the stands, records tumbled as more fans than ever crammed into stadiums to support the players who were once again raising the bar for women's football. With emotions running high and the stakes even higher, the tournament remained a showcase of clean, disciplined play, thanks in no small part to the calm authority of some of the game's top match officials. "This was a fantastic edition of the UEFA Women's EURO, with the standards of the match officials matching the elite-level action on the pitch and world-class organisation off it," said UEFA director of refereeing, Roberto Rosetti. "All of the refereeing teams performed very well and worked efficiently in co-operation with their VAR colleagues. Congratulations to all of them for having the courage to step forwards with strength, determination and courage to meet the challenges I set for them over the past year. I would also like to say a special thank you to those working behind the scenes, and everyone who believed in the growth of women's refereeing. You are the heart of this success, and the true winners in this journey. The best is yet to come!"
Successful VAR application and integration of new laws and technologies
Across the 31 matches at Women's EURO 2025, there were a total of 18 VAR interventions, 11 for factual decisions such as offside, and seven resulting in on-field reviews where initial subjective calls were overturned. These interventions came from 206 incident checks during the tournament and helped to ensure there were no clear errors in any major decisions. This summer's tournament was the first Women's EURO to feature semi-automated offside technology and a connected ball, which assist referees and VARs with decision-making in real time. That matched the technical standards of last year’s men’s UEFA EURO 2024, where we also debuted the policy of referees explaining key decisions to team captains, to enhance communication and improve relationships between players and officials, while also avoiding the mobbing of referees. We took the same approach in 2025, helping to keep exchanges respectful. There were also new laws of the game at Women’s EURO, and while no goalkeepers fell foul of the eight-second rule to reduce time-wasting, the penalty shootout in the final did feature a retaken spot kick, after Beth Mead's "double touch" on her first penalty. Last season, that would have been deemed a miss, but from the 2025/26 season, the kick is retaken. Final referee Stéphanie Frappart signalled the call on the pitch, and big screens provided an explanation for fans watching from the stands. For Frappart, it was the latest milestone in a career that has seen the 41-year-old become the benchmark for female officials, ever since her appointment to referee the men's UEFA Super Cup match in 2019, and a year later, the first woman to officiate a UEFA Champions League match. Since then, UEFA and our national associations have intensified efforts to develop Europe’s female referees, investing heavily in training and building a world-leading group of top-level officials, with a strong new generation coming through ready to take on the challenge.
Pride all the way from Brazil to Basel
In addition to twelve Europeans, Brazilian Edina Alves Batista was also part of the tournament refereeing group, thanks to UEFA's ongoing collaboration with CONMEBOL, the South American football confederation. Alves Batista took charge of three matches, including the semi-final between Spain and Germany, reward for some excellent performances in the middle. It was an experience that meant the world to the 45-year-old. "I am truly grateful for the partnership between CONMEBOL and UEFA, which made it possible for us to be part of this great event," she said. Addressing her colleagues, Alves Batista added: "I’ve never experienced anything like it – such a light and joyful atmosphere, filled with unity and camaraderie. It was a privilege to share these moments with all of you." As we were welcoming Edina Alves Batista to the UEFA Women’s EURO, referee Ivana Projkovska from North Macedonia was officiating at the CONMEBOL Copa América Femenina 2025. The 39-year-old is one of the match officials at the tournament in Ecuador, and together with her assistants, Italian Giulia Tempestili and Spain’s Iragartze Fernández, Projkovska has taken charge of four matches at the tournament, including the semi-final between Argentina and Colombia on Monday.
A bright future awaits
Women's EURO 2025 will not be a one-off – we are committed to continuing the momentum for years to come. Our new women’s football strategy, Unstoppable, sets out our vision for the future, and is part of a €1 billion commitment to grow the game even further. That's not just for players, but for coaches and referees too, from the grassroots to the top. Since 2023, our Be A Referee! campaign has also been recruiting match officials all over Europe, with national associations providing greater pathways for young people to sample life as a match official. Anyone looking for inspiration needs only to look at the examples set over the past four weeks. In a tournament where every decision mattered, the referees rose to the occasion.
Source: UEFA
