Women's EURO quarter-finals: Norway vs Italy facts

Norway and Italy meet at UEFA Women's EURO for the sixth time as the first of the 2025 quarter-finals takes place in Geneva.

Norway topped Group A with maximum points – the first time they have achieved that – after victories against hosts Switzerland, Finland (both 2-1) and Iceland (4-3). Italy were Group B runners-up as they defeated Belgium (1-0) and drew with Portugal (1-1) before losing to section winners Spain (1-3) on Matchday 3.

Norway and Italy are featuring in their third Women's EURO final tournament quarter-final having both previously made it to the last eight in 2009 and 2013.

Previous meetings

The two nations have a long history in the competition and notably met in the 1993 final in Cesena, Norway defeating hosts Italy thanks to Birthe Hegstad's second-half goal to claim their second and most recent European title.

En route to their first triumph in 1987, Norway – as hosts – defeated Italy 2-0 in the semi-finals.

The nations also met in the group stage of three successive tournaments in 1997, 2001 and 2005, Italy's 2-0 victory in the first of those their only defeat of Norway in UEFA competition.

Eventual runners-up Norway were 3-2 victors after extra time against Italy in the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup quarter-final in Jiangmen.

Celin Brizet and Arianna Caruso were on the scoresheet as Italy defeated Norway 2-1 at the 2022 Algarve Cup in Portugal.

Their most recent fixtures were in qualifying for Women's EURO 2025. Paired together in Group A1, a goalless draw in Oslo on 31 May 2024 preceded a 1-1 draw in Ferrara four days later. Manuela Giugliano opened the scoring for the hosts early on before Frida Maanum's late header earned Norway a point.

Form guide

Norway

Norway opened their campaign with a 2-1 comeback win against hosts Switzerland in Basel before Caroline Graham Hansen's 84th-minute strike earned victory by the same scoreline against Finland in Sion on Matchday 2.

At 20 years 22 days, Signe Gaupset became the youngest player to score twice in a Women's EURO match with her double against Iceland in Thun on Matchday 3. Maanum added two more goals in the second half in a thrilling 4-3 victory, although Marit Bratberg Lund was dismissed late on for two bookable offences.

This is the first time Norway have won all three group games at a Women's EURO final tournament.

Norway's previous two Women's EURO quarter-final appearances in a final tournament were both 3-1 successes, against Sweden in 2009 and Spain in 2013.

Norway lost only one of their qualifying games in Group A1 (W1 D4) but finished third behind Italy and Netherlands. As a result they had to navigate their way through the play-offs, where they recorded a 14-0 aggregate win against Albania (5-0 a, 9-0 h) before a 7-0 aggregate defeat of Northern Ireland (4-0 a, 3-0 h) sealed their finals place.

Maanum struck seven times during qualifying, more than any of her team-mates.

Winners in both 1987 – as hosts – and 1993, Norway have also finished as Women's EURO runners-up on a further four occasions, most recently in 2013.

Ever-presents in the tournaments since their first title in 1987, Norway have reached the semi-finals or better in nine of their previous 12 participations, although they were eliminated in the group stage in both 2017 and 2022.

Norway's 0-8 loss to England in the 2022 group stage is the biggest finals defeat in Women's EURO history, although a 5-3 win against Italy in the 2005 group stage is the joint highest-scoring game.

World champions in 1995 when they beat Germany 2-0 in the final, Norway lost 1-3 to Japan in the round of 16 of the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Norway were gold medallists in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, a golden goal from Dagny Mellgren sealing a 3-2 win against the United States in the final.

Norway are led by former Wales coach Gemma Grainger, who has been in post since early 2024.

Italy

On Matchday 1 Italy recorded their first Women's EURO victory since 2017 courtesy of Arianna Caruso's fine strike against Belgium in Sion, and they were minutes away from another 1-0 victory after Player of the Match Cristiana Girelli curled in against Portugal on Matchday 2 before an 89th-minute equaliser in Geneva left Italy's quarter-final hopes in the balance.

Despite Elisabetta Oliviero's tenth-minute opener against Spain in Bern on Matchday 3, Italy ultimately lost 1-3 but still progressed as runners-up having finished a point ahead of Belgium.

This is Italy’s first Women's EURO quarter-final for 12 years. They lost to eventual winners Germany on both previous occasions in a final tournament – 1-2 in 2009 and 0-1 in 2013.

Italy are making their 13th Women's EURO appearance after topping Group A1 in qualifying, losing just one of their six games as they finished ahead of Netherlands, Norway and Finland.

With three goals, Manuela Giugliano was Italy's top scorer in qualifying.

Runners-up as hosts in 1993 with that loss to Norway, Italy also reached the final in 1997, going down 0-2 against Germany.

Le Azzurre have featured in all but one of the Women's EURO tournaments since 1984, missing out only in 1995.

Prior to 2025, four of their previous six participations – including the last two – had ended at the group stage.

Two-time World Cup quarter-finalists, Italy finished third in Group G in the most recent tournament in 2023, defeating fourth-placed Argentina (1-0) before losing to group winners Sweden (0-5) and South Africa (2-3), the latter scoring an added-time winner to finish ahead of them.

In charge since September 2023, Italy are led by head coach Andre Soncin.

Key facts

• Norway's total of eight goals in the group stage is their second highest tally in a Women's EURO final tournament, two short of the ten they scored in 2005.

• None of Norway's last 30 Women's EURO final tournament matches has finished goalless, since a 0-0 draw against Germany in the 1997 group stage.

• Maren Mjelde could become the second Norwegian player to make 20 Women's EURO final tournament appearances after Solveig Gulbrandsen.

• Italy's Julie Piga started her career in France in 2016 with Lyon, where Norway captain Ada Hegerberg was a team-mate.