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Live Reporting
Charlotte Coates
'If they get the chance it's because they are ready'published at 16:47 British Summer Time 2 July
16:47 BST 2 July
Iceland v Finland (17:00 BST)
Iceland
Image source, Getty Images
Iceland captain Glodis Perla Viggosdottir on playing in
her fourth Euros: “This is my fourth tournament. It feels a little bit
weird, it doesn’t feel like I’ve done it that many times. I was 18 when I was at
my first tournament, but in a way the experience that I can give to the younger
players is that it doesn’t matter how old you are – if you are ready you are ready.
"I
got to start in that tournament against Germany and that was massive for me, I
played against some of the world’s top players and it was an amazing
experience. That’s what our younger players need to know. If they get the
chance it’s because they are ready and will be able to handle it."
Iceland and Finland ready to kick off Euro 2025published at 16:40 British Summer Time 2 July
16:40 BST 2 July
Iceland v Finland (17:00 BST)
Emily Salley BBC Sport in Thun
What an atmosphere! I followed the fan march from the centre of Thun to Stockhorn Arena and there was non-stop chanting from both sets of fans on the 30 minute walk.
There’s definitely a lot more Iceland supporters about, with one fan telling me around 2,000 fans had made the four-hour flight to be here.
But a small section of Finland fans were leading the pack and they made it in perfect time to see the Finland team bus roll in.
Finland reached the semi-finals of the 2005 European Championship in England and appeared at the following two tournaments however failed to qualify in 2017.
They returned to the Euros in 2022 but lost all three of their group stage matches.
Finland’s Euro history:
2005: Semi-final
2009: Quarter-final
2013: Group stage
2022: Group stage
Finland qualified for this year’s tournament via the play-offs.
Keeping it coolpublished at 16:33 British Summer Time 2 July
16:33 BST 2 July
Iceland v Finland (17:00 BST)
Emily Salley BBC Sport in Thun
It's hot. Really hot.
But that hasn't dampened the spirits of these Iceland fans. They made the most of the road-side sprinklers on the fan march to keep cool in the 31C heat.
They told me it was around 10C in Iceland right now...
All moving in the right directionpublished at 16:30 British Summer Time 2 July
16:30 BST 2 July
Iceland v Finland (17:00 BST)
Katie Smith Presenter on BBC Radio 5 Live
It’s certainly going to be this festival atmosphere. It’s going to be fun, they have fan zones.
They want it to be incredibly inclusive and I think there’s a real hope that they’ve watched what happened in the Netherlands in 2017, they watched what happened to England and the boom of football popularity after the win three years ago, they want something similar.
Incredibly impressive - they’ve sold out 22 of the 31 matches so far, they’ve sold more tickets than Euro 2022 and you’ve got to remember there’s no Wembley this time, no Old Trafford.
The highest capacity stadium will be the one we’re at tonight in Basel of around 35,000.
The prize money has gone up 156% since three years ago, still a shadow of what the men’s Euros was last year, 331 million for the men’s 41 million for the women’s but all moving in the right direction and there’s certainly some real excitement.
The fan zones are a 'cauldron of excitement'published at 16:28 British Summer Time 2 July
16:28 BST 2 July
Iceland v Finland (17:00 BST)
Rachel Brown-Finnis Ex-England goalkeeper on BBC 5Live
The environment around
the [women’s] game is absolutely [different to the men’s]. I’ve been in many
fan zones in the tournaments, certainly Australia two years ago.
It’s a cauldron of excitement
nothing other than genuine excitement from people all around the world coming
together and celebrating, showing off their unique cultures, their unique music
and their personalities but everyone at the forefront.
The love there was just
football.
It is a very safe environment,
I’ll be taking my children out there and have no worries about that because it’s
been tried and tested and it is very much a family friendly event.
'Why not this team?published at 16:24 British Summer Time 2 July
16:24 BST 2 July
Iceland v Finland (17:00 BST)
Finland
Image source, Getty Images
Finland defender Natalia Kuikka on playing in the opening game of Euro 2025:
“It’s always nice to play the big matches and show what you can do. It finally
feels we are at the tournament."
On her fitness: "I would say I am 100%, especially
after being able to play the who;e 90 minutes against the Netherlands. It
definitely made me feel that I am ready for these games, to play all the
minutes and that I am healthy."
On last reaching the semi-final 20 years ago: “After
20 years we can repeat som history. We have a really good chance of getting
through the group stages. I think why not? why not this team?"
Iceland fans feeling confidentpublished at 16:22 British Summer Time 2 July
16:22 BST 2 July
Iceland v Finland (17:00 BST)
Emily Salley BBC Sport in Thun
Here are three very excited Iceland fans. How excited, you ask? Well, they’ve gone for a solid 11 out of 10 on the excitement scale.
This is Edda Sif’s first time following Switzerland at a major tournament, while her mum and dad trekked around France for the men’s Euros in 2016. We all know how that one went for England…
Anyway, they’re predicting a 2-0 win for Iceland this evening.
'Early group stages are going to be nail biting'published at 16:20 British Summer Time 2 July
16:20 BST 2 July
Iceland v Finland (17:00 BST)
Rachel Brown-Finnis Ex-England goalkeeper on BBC 5Live
[Ticket sales] show where women’s football is. I’ve seen there’s tens of thousands of US fans
coming over for the European Championships, which just signifies some of the
players who play in the US, or were born in the US, or involved in the tournament
but they love sporting events.
With only 16 countries
there competing, it’s knockout football. Early group stages are going to be
nail biting, no more so than for England.
Feeling hot, hot, hotpublished at 16:18 British Summer Time 2 July
16:18 BST 2 July
Iceland v Finland (17:00 BST)
Image source, Getty Images
Amber heatwave warnings have been issued for most of this week by the Swiss authorities. Temperatures are expected to be around 10C above average with daytime temperatures peaking at about 35C (95F).
The first round of matches take place during the evening, when temperatures will be easing, but it will still be extremely warm for football.
For the 18:00 CET (17:00 BST) kick-offs temperatures will hover between 27-30C. The later 21:00 CET (20:00 BST) kick-offs are set to be played at temperatures between 24-27C.
Like in all Uefa competitions, drinks breaks may be implemented at Euro 2025 if temperatures are high.
Uefa delegates will measure the temperature with a wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) thermometer at the end of the teams' warm-ups. If it exceeds 35C, cooling breaks will be introduced for the match. If the temperature is below those thresholds, the implementation of drinks breaks is at the discretion of the referee.
Fairytale Thunpublished at 16:14 British Summer Time 2 July
16:14 BST 2 July
Iceland v Finland (17:00 BST)
Emily Salley BBC Sport in Thun
I’ve just arrived in the town of Thun (pronounced ‘Toon’) for the first game of Euro 2025 between Iceland and Finland.
It’s like I’ve stepped into a fairytale. Snow-covered mountains in the distance, crystal blue rivers and to round it all off, a castle perched on a hilltop.
I don’t think my camera roll is going to have much space left by the end of today!
Finland's head coach Marko Saloranta has named a side WSL and WSL2-heavy side to face Iceland, with West Ham's Eva Nystrom and Oona Siren, Tottenham's Eveliina Summanen, and Crystal Palace's Ria Oling all starting.
Former Liverpool full-back and Emma Koivisto is also fit enough to return to the starting line-up, along with star player Natalia Kuikka.
Finland XI: Koivunen, Nystrom, Oling, Koivisto, Tynnila, Kosola, O Siren, Kuikka, Franssi, Sallstrom, Summanen.
Watch highlights from Finland's win against Iceland
Emily Salley
BBC Sport journalist at Stockhorn Arena
Katariina Kosola's fine strike clinched a 1-0 win for Finland over 10-player Iceland to kick off Euro 2025 in Switzerland.
Rather than the hosts opening proceedings, as has become expected at major tournaments, these nations started the Euros in Thun - but both struggled to break the deadlock in a scrappy first half at Stockhorn Arena.
Iceland were reduced to 10 players when Hildur Antonsdottir was shown a second yellow card for stamping on Eveliina Summanen's ankle with 33 minutes remaining.
Finland capitalised on their advantage and found the back of the net 12 minutes later when Kosola curled a terrific strike past goalkeeper Cecilia Runarsdottir into the top corner.
Sveindis Jonsdottir had a chance to equalise moments later when through on goal but swept her effort wide, much to the disappointment of the raucous Iceland support.
What was the main talking point?
Despite it being the opening game of Euro 2025, there was little fanfare as the players took to the pitch.
It was similar to every other competitive international, with fans belting out their national anthems and the countries' flags laid out on the pitch.
While Euro 2022 kicked off in spectacular fashion when hosts England edged past Austria in front of 68,871 fans at Old Trafford, the first game in Switzerland was played in a 8,100-capacity stadium with some empty seats.
It seemed a strange way to get the tournament under way, but the party atmosphere will begin in the later Group A fixture as hosts Switzerland and Norway start their campaigns after a three-part opening ceremony at St Jakob-Park in Basel.
Which players stood out?
Media caption,
'Terrific opening goal' for Finland
Even before her sublime goal, Kosola was the liveliest player on the pitch.
The winger, who plays for Swedish club Malmo, came close with a wayward cross early in the first half, before forcing a diving save from Runarsdottir moments later.
Iceland's Antonsdottir, meanwhile, had a game to forget with a reckless challenge on Summanen, having already been on a yellow, costing her side.
Iceland have further cause for concern after their captain and star centre-back Glodis Viggosdottir was forced off with an injury at half-time, after requiring treatment twice.
The standout stats
Finland ended an eight-match winless run in the competition that stretched back to Euro 2009, when they lost to England in the quarter-finals.
What next?
Finland face Norway next at the smaller 7 ,750-capacity Stade de Tourbillon in Sion on Sunday at 17:00 BST.
Iceland are up against hosts Switzerland later that day (20:00) in Bern's Wankdorf Stadium.
Iceland
Image source, Getty Images
