Driving the game forward at every level in 2025
Friday, December 19, 2025
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UEFA Women’s EURO, thrilling new formats, and major sustainability and development initiatives defined an exceptional year for European football.
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UEFA celebrates the end of another year - and another chapter in European football - with a look back at the events, programmes, and milestones that helped drive the game forward, from the grassroots level to the biggest stage in club and national team football, while laying the foundation for an even more ambitious 2026.
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin:
“Over the past year, UEFA has worked closely with a broad community of stakeholders and partners on our competitions, sustainability, development and many other priorities that shape the game of football. The achievements of 2025 and, more importantly, the trust strengthened through this cooperation, will outlast any single season. I extend my sincere gratitude to everyone who has contributed to another remarkable year for European football.
The true measure of sport is never found only on the scoreboard. It is also found in the quiet, enduring ways football brings people together: across borders and backgrounds, between generations, and through moments of joy, resilience and shared belonging. At its best, our game reminds us that we are part of something larger than ourselves - and that progress is possible when we move with purpose, not just pace.
As we reflect on another strong year, our focus is already turning to 2026: to fresh ideas, steady and sustainable advancement, and the higher standards we must set - and meet - together. To everyone who carries football in their heart, I wish a peaceful holiday season, good health, and a prosperous 2026.”
Biggest Women’s EURO ever and new formats in the spotlight
UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 in Switzerland set new standards for the women’s game, with record crowds, viewership and fan engagement showcasing the sport’s growing popularity across Europe. 657,291 supporters attended matches with 29 of 31 sold out, while broadcast audiences also reached new heights, with 412 million watching live and more than 500 million following overall. The ‘Here to Stay’ UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 legacy plan, with €11 million in funding, is already driving record numbers of female players, coaches and referees in Switzerland, while debutants Poland and Wales have used the tournament as a springboard to increase participation and investment. Germany will look to build on the 2025 edition as they prepare to host UEFA Women’s EURO 2029.
New formats continued and debuted throughout 2025 with the first year of the league phase format in UEFA’s men’s competitions bringing more excitement and unpredictability. This was highlighted by an extraordinary Matchday 8 when all 36 teams took the pitch at the same time on an evening of unprecedented action, which saw 64 goals scored for an average of 3.55 goals per game.
New formats also debuted in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the UEFA Futsal Champions League, alongside the introduction of UEFA’s newest competition, the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup, giving more teams the chance to test themselves against continental opposition, providing further incentive for investment at domestic level.
In addition, UEFA competitions saw new hosts and new participants with Albania (Under-17), the Faroe Islands (Women’s Under-17), Moldova (Futsal Under-19) and San Marino (Regions’ Cup) solely hosting a UEFA competition for the first time, while Hamrun Spartans’ participation in the UEFA Conference League saw Malta become the 52nd UEFA national association represented in the group stage/league phase of a senior men’s club competition.
Driving impact beyond the pitch
Sustainability remained at the core of UEFA competitions while also hosting valuable events and launching new resources for football stakeholders.
UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 thoroughly embedded sustainability and accessibility through a comprehensive ESG strategy and joint human rights declaration. This included the provision of free public transport for ticket holders on matchday, which saw 86% of fans travel sustainably, the implementation of sustainable signage and packaging across all eight stadiums, and accessibility with audio-descriptive commentary for all matches, with nearly 1,400 accessible tickets sold and 53 dedicated volunteers deployed. The full post-event ESG report is available here.
Across the four club finals, a record 315 sustainability initiatives were implemented while the Youth League final was the first-ever car-free UEFA final.
Furthermore in 2025, UEFA introduced a dedicated carbon emissions methodology to help football organisations measure construction-related emissions, released the UEFA Carbon Reduction Plan, which shifts focus from offsetting to real emissions cuts in line with UEFA’s goal to halve greenhouse gases by 2030, and launched a two-year sustainability cooperation plan with European Football Clubs (EFC) to support clubs’ long-term strategic sustainability investments.
The UEFA Foundation for Children marked its 10th birthday with a special €1 million fund for national association initiatives, capping a decade in which it supported 577 projects and awarded €54m in grants that benefitted over 5.7 million children in 147 countries.
UEFA also focused on social inclusion through the fourth edition of the Unity EURO Cup, organised in collaboration with UNHCR, and the creation of The Disability & Inclusion Fan Network with Football Supporters Europe.
Over 250 stakeholders and sustainability experts gathered in May in Zurich for the UEFA Respect Forum, where panel discussions and workshops focused on strengthening football’s positive impact beyond the pitch as well as the presentation of the FootbALL Awards, recognising outstanding work in inclusivity, anti-discrimination and community initiatives.
A six-module programme, Take Care, was launched in February, that uses football to promote healthier lifestyles, mental well-being and positive habits among young people.
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Developing football throughout Europe and beyond
UEFA advanced its long-standing commitment to supporting communities this year, celebrating the impact of established programmes while introducing new ones to help even more people experience the game.
In January, UEFA launched UEFA Together, a new intercontinental programme that deepens collaboration with all five sister confederations through strategic, knowledge-sharing partnerships. Its projects this year included the inaugural U17 Girls Integrated Football Tournament in Tanzania, the AFC–UEFA Women’s Football Programme in Asia, the UEFA–CONMEBOL Women in Football Leadership Programme, a boys’ U15 development tournament with the OFC in Auckland, a Concacaf Youth Summit in Curaçao, and the UEFA Friendship Cup, uniting young players in Nyon for international competition, learning and cultural exchange.
Also in January, the fourth UEFA Coach Mentor Programme was launched, pairing 11 promising coaches with mentors for guidance over the next 18 months. Part of the UEFA Coach Development Programme for Women, the initiative has helped over 1,600 women earn coaching licences since 2016, with more than 20,000 female coaches now holding a C, B, A, or Pro Licence in Europe.
In April, the UEFA Grassroots Conference brought together all 55 national associations, along with FIFA, AFC, Concacaf and CONMEBOL, to strengthen football’s foundations with a focus on putting players first. The event also celebrated the latest UEFA Grassroots Award winners from Germany, Norway, Poland, Switzerland and Denmark.
UEFA Playmakers, a programme designed to introduce girls to football in a fun and engaging way, held its first conference with continental stakeholders. The programme has already reached over 160,000 girls across 46 national associations.
October marked the 10th anniversary of UEFA Grow, which provides all 55 national associations with tailored strategic support to strengthen foundations and deliver measurable returns.
A new year in sight
The new year will kick-off with the start of the UEFA Futsal EURO 2026, taking place in Lithuania, Latvia and Slovenia followed by the 50th UEFA Congress taking place in Brussels on 12 February. 2026 will also see the fifth edition of the UEFA Nations League, with the first games taking place in March.
Development, education and sustainability drives will continue throughout the year via various events and conferences, and initiatives.