Impact report shows UEFA Women's EURO 2025 legacy in action

Last summer, Women's EURO 2025 signalled a landmark moment for women's football, shattering attendance, viewing and digital engagement records, attracting unprecedented sponsorship, and delivering powerful on-and-off-pitch events that accelerated the rise of the game across Europe.

The UEFA Women's EURO 2025 Impact Report tells the story of how the tournament is driving long-term change, combining findings on economic contribution, audience growth, grassroots participation, professional development, and social and environmental legacy.

"The legacy of UEFA Women's EURO 2025 is not a single achievement, fixed in time," said UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin. "It is something alive and tangible with every girl who joins a club, every coach who opens a new door, every referee who steps onto a pitch, and every fan who returns for more.

"Long after the final whistle, the tournament continues to echo – in communities, in clubs and in the future of the women's game."

While the report highlights the lasting impact being felt across Europe, it also shows how the success of Women's EURO 2025 has provided momentum for Unstoppable, our six-year strategy to build a vibrant and sustainable future for the women's game.

"The Women's EURO is our north star… it was the launchpad for our 'Unstoppable' strategy and our €1 billion commitment to leave a lasting mark," said Nadine Kessler, UEFA director of women's football.

"From the beginning, our ambition was clear: to deliver a record-breaking, inclusive and sold-out women's EURO. And if this tournament has proven one thing, it is that wherever we build a stage for women's football, people will come.

"The atmosphere in the stadiums, the connection between the players and the fans – it was incredible. This is a EURO that will carry us for a long time. The bar has been raised again."

For the host nation, the event represented a milestone moment, combining sporting success with social and environmental achievements.

"UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 was a compelling demonstration of the power, momentum and appeal of women’s football," said Swiss Football Association president Peter Knäbel.

" Our aim is to further improve access to football for girls and women all over Switzerland and to create the conditions they need to thrive."

Fan reach and experience

A key measure of the tournament's success was the unprecedented scale of its audience. The tournament attracted a record-breaking 657,291 spectators – a 14% rise from 2022 – marking the highest attendance in Women's EURO history.

With 29 of the 31 matches sold out, average attendance reached a record 21,203 per match. Although Switzerland's venues were generally smaller than those used in 2022, they achieved six of the 10 highest attendances in tournament history, as well as its highest cumulative attendance.

Another key measure of the tournament's success was the quality of the fan experience, which included affordable ticketing, vibrant host cities, immersive fan zones and elite-level stadium environments.

Economy and tourism

Switzerland's economic output received a CHF 205 million (€220m) boost from hosting Women's EURO 2025, thanks to unprecedented spectator interest and high levels of international travel.

With more than 230,000 tickets sold to supporters of 167 nationalities, host cities reported CHF 71m (€76m) in spending by domestic and international visitors. Restaurant spending nearly doubled in Bern (+97%) and grew sharply in Lucerne (+70%) and Basel (+60%), while entertainment spending more than doubled in Sion (+127%) and more than tripled in Thun (+242%).

The organisation and delivery of Women's EURO 2025 supported almost 2,300 full-time equivalent jobs across Switzerland, including nearly 1,800 roles within the eight host cities.

Alongside these measurable economic effects, resident feedback highlights how Women's EURO 2025 was experienced within the host cities, with 87% believing the tournament positively impacted local business and the economy.

The professional game

Women's EURO 2025 demonstrated the ever-increasing scale, visibility and commercial maturity of elite women's football. With a cumulative global audience exceeding 500 million, it was the most-watched edition in the tournament's history, while a record 21 tournament partners drove a 150% increase in sponsorship revenues compared to 2022.

In Switzerland, this momentum translated into progress across domestic leagues, clubs and the national team. Attendance in the Swiss Women's Super League rose by 42% on the opening weekend of the 2025/26 season. Over the course of the campaign, total attendance reached 126,274, representing a 50% increase on the previous season.

Of the league's ten clubs, eight reported increased sponsorship interest and agreed Women's EURO 2025 had enhanced their visibility, while seven directly attributed attendance growth to the tournament.

Beyond these outcomes, the tournament also contributed to a measurable shift in perceptions of women's football, helping to broaden audiences and deepen engagement. Of the fans in attendance, of which nearly half were attending their first professional women's football match, 86% planned to continue engaging with women's football and 91% intended to watch more matches live or on TV.

Social impact and grassroots

The Swiss Football Association (SFA) has turned the momentum from Women's EURO 2025 into record growth across the game through its legacy plan, 'Here to Stay'.

Record levels of female participation in Swiss grassroots football have already been achieved less than a year on from the tournament. Since 2023, the number of registered players has risen from 39,853 to 48,098, coaches from 2,331 to 2,895, and referees from 119 to 153.

Of the grassroots players surveyed for the report, 70% rated opportunities for women and girls to play football as good or very good after the tournament, up from 53% pre-tournament.

Women's EURO 2025 also left a strong mark on the communities that hosted it. Some 83% of host city residents said they were proud to have welcomed the tournament, and 70% reported it had a positive effect on their wellbeing. Behind the scenes, 2,500 volunteers from 73 nationalities helped make it happen – more than half of them women.

Sustainability

As a major international event, it was critical for Women's EURO 2025 to be delivered in a way that ensured long-term value, credibility and positive impact. The tournament was underpinned by strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles, themselves aligned with the UEFA Football Sustainability Strategy 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

There was a high uptake of sustainable transport, with 86% of spectators travelling by public transport, walking or cycling, while 90% of staff commuted to host cities by train rather than by car.

Of the eight venues, five operated on 100% renewable energy, 70% of event signage and dressing was recycled or upcycled in partnership with Lidl, and no waste from the tournament was sent to landfill.

To ensure equal access to the tournament for all, UEFA successfully offered accessibility services at all stadiums, supported by 53 dedicated accessibility volunteers.

We also employed audio-descriptive commentary at all 31 matches, reaching 1,217 unique listeners in 3,421 interactions, ensured 404,223 tickets were sold for CHF 30 (€33) or less, and delivered accessibility services that were rated at least satisfactory to 94% of accessibility ticket holders.

With the legacy of last year's tournament already transforming the game across Europe, the countdown now begins to UEFA Women's EURO 2029 in Germany and another opportunity to take women's football to even greater heights.