Portugal 1-2 Belgium highlights: Janice Cayman hits late winner as Portugal eliminated from Women's EURO 2025

Janice Cayman struck deep into added time to earn Belgium a 2-1 win in their final Group B match at UEFA Women's EURO 2025.

Belgium's elimination was already certain before kick-off, but Portugal's faint hopes were disappointed in defeat.

What happened?

Portugal entered the tie knowing that a win could potentially send them to a maiden quarter-final – though needing a favour from Spain against Italy – but it was already eliminated Belgium who roared into an early lead.

Less than three minutes had passed when captain Tessa Wullaert slid in to finish a sweeping team move which had started with a Lisa Lichtfus goal kick and culminated in Jill Janssens’ driven low cross and the No9's toed finish.

Belgium celebrate the opening goalAFP via Getty Images

The Belgium pressure continued and Wullaert almost added an assist to her goal eight minutes later when her cutting pass rolled just beyond the outstretched leg of Justine Vanhaevermaet.

Chances for a Belgium second dried up as Portugal steadily found a footing in the match, though that footing yielded little in the way of opportunities before half-time for the Navegadoras.

Francisco Neto responded by making two substitutions at the break and Portugal attacked the second half with renewed determination, quickly threatening with a powerful Ana Capeta effort and a blocked Kika Nazareth shot.

Ana Capeta's second-half strike forced Lisa Lichtfus into actionAFP via Getty Images

The pendulum seemed to have swung back when Mariam Toloba finished a precise Belgium counterattack in the 64th minute, but Marie Detruyer was judged to have committed a foul in the build-up following a VAR review.

Toloba almost had her goal 13 minutes later, striking the crossbar after making headed contact with Wullaert's cross from the left.

Telma Encarnação gave Portugal late hopeUEFA via Getty Images

Those incidents proved a mere prelude to the dramatic ending that followed, a crazy sequence kicking off with Portugal's 87th-minute equaliser, well finished by substitute Telma Encarnação from a brilliant Kika Nazareth assist.

Wullaert was then denied at close range by Patricia Morais as Belgium fought back, and Amber Tysiak had the ball in the net minutes later, but Sari Kees had impacted on the ability of the opponent to play the ball while in an offside position, leading VAR to rule out the bundled effort.

Janice Cayman roars in celebrationAFP via Getty Images

Undeterred, Belgium continued to press and found a 96th-minute winner as Janice Cayman converted a low effort after seeing her initial shot blocked.

Player of the Match: Tessa Wullaert (Belgium)

"For her first goal and participation in the second, helping the team to progress in the game and doing amazing work in defence too."
UEFA Technical Observer Group

Reaction

Elísabet Gunnarsdóttir, Belgium coach: "I was just extremely happy with my team; an unbelievable performance overall. Of course, there are moments in the game where we lost control and Portugal took over, and that's something that we knew could happen. But how we reacted to it is something that makes me really, really proud."

Francisco Neto, Portugal coach, speaking to womenseuro.com: "I think in this EURO we grew a lot from game to game. At this level, the smallest details come at a high cost. Every mistake we made ended up being punished, and we weren’t able to punish the opposing teams when they made theirs."

Tessa Wullaert, Belgium Player of the Match, speaking to womenseuro.com: "I am happy I managed to score at this tournament. But, for me, helping the team to secure a victory, our only victory, is way more important to me."

Lúcia Alves, Portugal defender, speaking to womenseuro.com: "It’s always tough to concede an early goal, but we fought back and wanted to score. We ended up conceding again at a moment when we were on top. That’s football."

Key stats

• Belgium earned their third-ever win at a Women's EURO finals. They have played ten matches in total (W3 D1 L6).
• This was the first Women’s EURO final tournament match between these teams.
• Tessa Wullaert is only the third Belgian player to score at two Women's EURO final tournaments, having also netted in 2017. Team-mates Justine Vanhaevermaet (2022, 2025) and Janice Cayman are the only others to manage that feat. By scoring the late winner, Cayman became the first to score at three Women's EURO finals (2017, 2022, 2025).
• Wullaert has scored seven goals against Portugal in international matches.
• Cayman and Wullaert have appeared in all ten of Belgium’s Women’s EURO final tournament matches.

Reporters' views

Inês De Oliveira Martins, Portugal reporter
Portugal’s campaign comes to an end, but their performance offered moments to be proud of. They stayed compact, showed composure on the ball, and pushed forward with intent when the opportunities arose. Telma Encarnação’s equaliser was a deserved reward for their persistence, but as they went in search of a late winner themselves, Belgium pounced.

Alyssa Saliou, Belgium reporter
Belgium left it late to seal a deserved win after controlling much of the game with confidence. Portugal grew into the contest in the second half, and looked to have achieved parity late on, but Belgium were determined to the very end and signed off with victory thanks to Janice Cayman's persistence.

Fantasy star performers

Tessa Wullaert (Belgium) – 9 points
Janice Cayman (Belgium) – 8
Telma Encarnação (Portugal) – 5
Jill Janssens (Belgium) – 5
Francisca Nazareth (Portugal) – 5

Line-ups

Belgium receive final words of inspiration before kick-offGetty Images

Portugal: Patricia Morais; Diana Gomes, Carole Costa, Fátima Pinto; Catarina Amado (Lucia Alves 46), Andreia Norton (Andreia Jacinto 46), Tatiana Pinto, Kika Nazareth, Joana Marchão (Dolores Silva 79); Ana Capeta (Jéssica Silva 56), Diana Silva (Telma Encarnação 70)

Belgium: Lichtfus; Janssens (Philtjens 79), Tysiak, Kees, Cayman, Deloose; Toloba, Vanhaevermaet, Teulings (Dhont 79); Wullaert, Blom (Detruyer 34)