Euro 2025 has shown that Europe is becoming a fiercely competitive playing field | Philipp Lahm | OneFootball

A documentary is currently being broadcast on German TV. In it, former players talk about how they were prevented from playing football – by the association, their parents and society. Listening to the pioneers of our sport made me realise even more how privileged I had been. I received support from all sides throughout my career.

Women have been playing football for generations but, because it was made difficult or even forbidden in many countries, the level of performance struggled to evolve for a long time. That has changed, as the Euros in Switzerland has shown once again. It offers great sport and exciting entertainment.

Why does women’s football inspire many more people than it did 10 or 20 years ago? Because it is developing rapidly in many countries. In Switzerland, the trend set by the Australia-New Zealand 2023 World Cup and the 2022 Euros in England is continuing. Even in recent weeks, we have seen well-organised teams, technical skills and great goals.

The players have become more athletic, shoot better and dribble faster. Perhaps the goalkeepers could improve, but otherwise there is plenty of natural talent. I can see from many of the moves on the pitch that there must be training centres and that many more girls are playing football than in the past.

It is no longer just the Germans, the perennial winners of the Euros between 1995 and 2013, who are in contention for international titles. Countries such as Poland, Iceland, Portugal and the Swiss have also become competitive, while Sweden and Norway have been so for a long time. One of the best goals of the tournament was scored by Hannah Eurlings. The Belgian striker took a through ball superbly, chose a clever running line, kept her pace and finished skilfully. That is sporting excellence.

That is why more and more people identify with their teams. Recently, large communities have been travelling to other countries to celebrate them and their nation. Thousands of fans from the Netherlands, England and Germany marched through Berne, Lucerne and Zurich. The tournament is the talk of the town everywhere. Almost all games were sold out. Uefa could have sold many more tickets.

Women’s football is a people’s sport. It is an ideal time to invest in it. A market study by Nielsen concludes that it will be one of the top five sports in five years. Global TV ratings are expected to rise by around 30% during this period, with the fanbase growing by around 40% to 800 million. The audience is younger, more female and appears to have more money than at men’s games. Women are changing the milieu.

Some major European clubs can pat themselves on the back for recognising these growth opportunities years ago. Barcelona have built up a kind of national monopoly. Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain and Paris FC are financed by wealthy businessmen. Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool cultivate their women’s divisions as assets.

Competition is fiercest in England. Arsenal won the Champions League, while Chelsea were clear winners of the Women’s Super League. Sounds familiar to Premier League fans. Spain, on the other hand, impresses with its playing culture, just like the men’s game. France, where girls’ interest in playing football has recently skyrocketed, has a wealth of talent in both national teams.

Suddenly, Italy’s women, who defend tactically astutely, also appeared in the semi-finals. The country was the last of the European “big five” to get involved, but even there, football has long been preparing for the future. This became a topic of discussion in the Oval Office in a bizarre way when Donald Trump asked a delegation from Juventus whether they let women play in the men’s team. The club’s management proudly pointed to its women’s team. The US president had probably expected a different response.

By intensively promoting women’s football, Europe’s major football nations are consolidating their lead. They have long been challenging the record world champions, the USA. However, German football must be careful to keep pace. Although the team appeared as a unit in Switzerland, the outstanding players now come from elsewhere.

I sometimes think of the German men’s team. Between 1980 and 1990, they were European and world champions and reached the World Cup final three times in succession. At that time, there was a lot of talk about German virtues, just as there is now about the women. But at some point, the men realised that these were no longer enough. At the turn of the century, the German Football Federation responded with a youth reform. The generation that emerged from this brought enthusiasm and creativity to the game and became world champions in 2014.

That’s the kind of football that wins titles and that people want to see. That’s why those responsible should look for solutions. Why are almost only boys given intensive training in youth academies? A rich country such as Germany should distribute its resources evenly. The DFB should have money available thanks to its lucrative deal with Nike.

Celia Sasic, my fellow campaigner for Euro 2024 and DFB vice-president, draws my attention to another point. “Women belong in the arena, they have a right to be in the spotlight,” says Sasic, who has won titles with Germany herself. “Adele performs in front of 75,000 spectators, not on the open-air stage [Freilichtbühne] in Oberammergau.”

When England and Spain play for the title in Basel on Sunday, the world will be watching. European football can look forward to a new rhythm. Now, alternating between women and men, there will be a major event every summer that fascinates the masses. That’s not oversaturation, that’s called equality.

That is a welcome sign in times when the world is in complete turmoil. Football is rule-based. A foul is a foul. Pulling hair results in a red card, whether for men or women. The same rules apply to everyone. And it is played everywhere, now by both sexes, on the same pitches, in the same stadiums running towards the same goals. Football is a universal team sport, the only one we have. At the moment, that is its greatest value.

Philipp Lahm’s column was produced in partnership with Oliver Fritsch at Die Zeit, the German online magazine.

Header image: [Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images]