Righto, that completes the draw – here’s our report on it – and our coverage. Thanks all for your company, and see you in July!
When is the tournament?
It opens on Wednesday 6 July at Old Trafford and finishes on Sunday 31 July at Wembley.
Which stadiums are being used?
Brentford's Community Stadium (three group games and a quarter-final)
Brighton's Amex Stadium (two group games and a quarter-final)
Leigh Sports Village (three group games and a quarter-final)
Manchester City's Academy Stadium (three group games)
Manchester United's Old Trafford (one group game)
Milton Keynes Dons' Stadium MK (three group games and a semi-final)
Rotherham's New York Stadium (three group games and a quarter-final)
Sheffield United's Bramall Lane (three group games and a semi-final)
Southampton's St Mary's Stadium (three group games)
Wembley (final)
How do I get tickets?
Applications through a ballot open at 7pm BST on 28 October via uefa.com/tickets. Tickets are due to go on general sale in mid-February 2022. Tickets start at £5 for those aged 16 and under and at £10 for general admission.
How does the tournament work?
The 16 teams are in four groups of four and the top two in each group will progress to the quarter-finals.
Which teams are in which group?
Group A England, Austria, Norway, Northern Ireland
Group B Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland
Group C Netherlands, Sweden, Russia, Switzerland
Group D France, Italy, Belgium, Iceland
How many previous Euros have been held?
This is the 13th edition of the tournament. It has been won seven times by Germany, once by West Germany, twice by Norway and once each by Sweden and the Netherlands. The Netherlands are the holders, ending a run of six Germany wins in a row.
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That said, the runner-up in the Netherlands, Sweden, Russia, Switzerland group isn’t much more inviting. Which is to say that this is a very serious business, and I’ve not a clue what’s going to happen.
If England qualify from their group, they’ll meet the runner-up in the Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland group in the quarters. That is absolutely brutal.
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Lucy Bronze notes that England have played Scotland previously, while Rachel Furniss says that it was like Christmas Day waking up this morning and the boys and girls of Northern Ireland are excited. They’ve got high expectations in the camp and she says they lost 4-0 to England last week, but held their own for an hour.
Bronze then says the pressure of being hosts is outweighed by having the home crowd, and after falling at the semis, she wants to get into the final. She can’t wait for the opening match, against Austria in front of a capacity Old Trafford crowd, though the teams meet in World Cup qualifying at the Stadium of light before then.
Bronze, who’s injured, is back running now, so should be back soon, and Alex notes that her middle name is Tough – rightly so.
England's fixtures
- England v Austria, Old Trafford, 6 July
- England v Norway, Brighton and Hove Community Stadium, 11 July
- England v Northern Ireland, St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, 15 July.
Can it be July now please?
“Worth noting,” says Grub Smith, “British rapper Lady Sovereign used to be the goalie for the aforementioned AFC Leyton LFC. My team, Battersea & Wandsworth WFC, once put 9 goals past her. See here.”
Great stuff. I’d love to hear her organise a defence.
That’s that for the draw – it’s Ella Henderson time.
You can’t really go wrong with a tournament like this – 16 teams, loads of great and likeable ones - but that’s an extremely invigorating draw. Germany v Spain and Netherlands v Sweden in the group stages is frankly revolting, and the halves of the draw – A and B, C and D are nicely balanced. Come on!
The draw in full
Group A: England, Austria, Norway, Northern Ireland
Group B: Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland
Group C: Netherlands, Sweden, Russia, Switzerland
Group D: France, Italy, Belgium, Iceland
In Group C, it’s going to be Russia alongside Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland, leaving Iceland to slot into Group D with France, Italy and Belgium.
Finland complete Group B, alongside Germany, Spain and Denmark. That is going to be hard.
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OOOOOOO YEAH! Northern Ireland are into Group A with England, Norway and Austria! England beat NI 4-0 just last weekend, but tournaments are different as we know.
Pot 4 time....
Switzerland join Group C with Netherland and Sweden, meaning Belgium are left in Group D with France and Italy.
Denmark go into Group B with Germany and Spain - there’s your Group of Death right there – and will meet the seeds in the opening fixture.
Austria join England and Norway in Group A – England would’ve took that two – and they go into position two, so meet England in the tournament er, “curtain-raiser” at Old Trafford.
That leaves Italy, who go into Group D with France.
Sweden out of Pot 2 next, and into Group C in position two; they’ll meet Netherlands in the first game there. OH MY DAYS! MASSIVE!
Juan Mata, who’s picking from Pot 2, selects Spain, and they go into Group B with Germany, in position three. Tasty!
Now it gets interesting. Norway come out of Pot 2 first, and they go into position three in England’s group – they’d’ve took that, I’m certain.
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Group C seeds are Netherlands, meaning Group D is France.
We’re going to start by drawing the first team in Group B ... and it’s Germany. They’re on the same side of the draw as England.
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Looking again at the teams, I wonder if England’s lack of a player as good as Harder, Miedema and Putellas – to say nothing of Mertens, Graham Hansen and the rest – will cost them in the end. But here we go.
Nadine Kessler, Uefa head of women’s football, and another Uefa suit, join them and pontificate briefly – which gives us the chance to do an email:
“Hi Daniel,” says Stanley B. “Can you give a shout out to the magnificent AFC Leyton Women, whose U16s have just featured in the backdrop to the rap video. Club has gone from nothing to one of biggest female-only clubs in space of six years, with hundreds of players from age three to adult – mirroring the trajectory of the women’s game. All down to brilliant work of a few hardworking volunteers.”
Great stuff, well done to all concerned.
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Right, here we go - again. To help with the draw, Karen Carney takes to the stage along with our old friend Anja Mittag, Rúben Dias, Juan Mata, Camille Abily, Kelly Smith, Katrine Pedersen and Lotta Schelin.
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Dreya Mac and Lady Ice give us a rap about the various venues; I wonder if Miton Keynes has ever been spat before. I say that, I once watched my team lose 4-0 there so it probably was that night. Karen Bardsley then tells us that they’ll be getting football into every school in Manchester so that every girl who wants to play can. This so affirming and uplifting I barely know what to do with myself.
Sarina Wiegman, manager of the winning Netherlands side last time out, delivers the trophy to the stage, saying that she’ll treasure her memories forever. The teams want to connect with the fans and make the world a better place.
Jordan Henderson and Paddy McGuinnes are also involved – oh, and Hazza Redknapp, but no dogs – and now we’re with Janette Manrara. It’s very Saturday night telly, in a good way, and devoid of the seriousness that usually bores us during these kind of events.
Time for VT of the brilliant Vivianne Miedema getting the trophy to Manchester. She is ludicrously likeable, and possibly the coolest footballer in the world.
Gabby and Alex are hosting for us, so here they come. Ellie tells them that she’s honoured and excited to be here – well, there – and now we move on with the business of the draw. All good things come to those who wait, says Alex, of a tournament that’s been delayed a year.
I take it back, I don’t actually think it is an overcoat, but an overcoat-style frock. More news as I get it.
Time for some Ellie Goulding. She’s singing Home – a google of the lyrics tells me – and wearing a black overcoat. Perhaps the balls are in its various pockets.
Right, my friends. Here we go!
There’s a group of young girls from Football Beyond Borders, one of whom is collared by Scott. She’s excited, she tells us, before Scott chuckles at how little she wants a conversation and leaves her be. It’s a lovely moment.
Looking at the pots, no one in 1 will fancy Spain or Sweden; Denmark and Belgium are the ones to avoid in 3; and 4 shouldn’t matter too much – but Northern Ireland with England would be exciting.
Ella Henderson is also performing tonight, and I’m ashamed to to say I’m too old to have heard of her. She says the men’s Euros brought everyone together and is closing the show with a big track with big vocals, hoping to get everyone up dancing.
Anja Mittag, European champion with Germany in 2005, 2009 and 2013, notes that her nation have a young team who’ve not yet matured, identifying Spain as her favourites.
Kenny Shiels, Northern Ireland manager, says his team are the outsiders, the only one not in the world top 16. He’s actually preparing for the World Cup and has difficult games in Macedonia coming up, but is delighted that his team are turning professional for the six months before the finals.
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David James is here, and he’s wearing a kind of burgundy syoot, white shirt with top button done up but no tie, and a red and white check waistcoat that looks like a tablecloth you might find in a Little Italy pizza parlour. No doubt that’s what he asked for.
Fara Williams next, and she says that tournament games are the ones you miss the most when you’re retired. The teams in Europe are so strong, she reckons, that this will be the best tournament ever, and she notes how good Spain are getting.
Ellie Goulding is with Alex Scott; Scott says Goulding’s a huge football fan, which she sort of disagrees with, saying she likes live football, then goes on to say that she loves women and she’s delighted to be performing. If England get to the final, she assures us she’ll be there as she was when England’s men did.
We now see a segment on BBC’s Women’s Footballer of the Year 2021 award. The shortlist is:
- Caroline Graham Hansen - Norway and Barcelona
- Sam Kerr - Australia and Chelsea
- Ashley Lawrence - Canada and PSG
- Vivianne Miedema - Netherlands and Arsenal
- Alexia Putellas - Spain and Barcelona
Now that you ask, I guess I’m going Putellas, but Miedema is also a joke.
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The more I think about this competition, the more excited I am for it. Sarina Wiegman joins Scott, saying it’s a pleasure to work with her England team and the players really want to improve, but she can’t hear properly because someone’s blasting out Don’t Look Back In Anger. Sally can definitely wait, I’d say. Anyhow, she thinks England can win the thing, isn’t looking to avoid anyone in the draw, and gets gone.
They’re discussing the importance of a legacy – whether the Olympics left one is arguable at best – but the growth of women’s game, and how it might help us build a more equal society gives the Euros a real shot.
Here we go! BBC coverage is underway, Alex Scott and Gabby Logan our hosts.
Oh wow, Michaela Strachan is currently on BBC hosting a wildlife programme. Bit of a change from the Hitman and Her, or maybe I’m talking nonsense and she’s a professional joy-spreader – as she was on Wacaday.
Preamble
Afternoon all and welcome to the draw for Women’s Euro 2022! Behold our wieldy competition featuring just 16 teams, behold our sensible, equitable format with the top two in each group qualifying for the last eight, and behold our pots:
- Pot 1: England (to take spot A1) Netherlands (holders), Germany, France
- Pot 2: Sweden, Spain, Norway, Italy
- Pot 3: Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria
- Pot 4: Iceland, Russia, Finland, Northern Ireland
Though England are actually the fifth-ranked European team – unseeded Sweden are top, second in the world behind USA – their status as hosts as hosts sees them given a preferential draw, and for that reason we also know their schedule:
- England v A2, Old Trafford, 6 July
- England v A3, Brighton and Hove Community Stadium, 11 July
- England v A4, St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton, 15 July.
Everything else remains to be seen – any of aforementioned top five could win this thing – but don’t be sleeping on Spain, who can call upon the majority of Barcelona Femení’s majestic all-conquerers. It’s going to be a tournament.
Draw: 5pm BST
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