Wales edged closer to qualifying for their first major tournament, after coming from behind to beat Slovakia after extra time in Cardiff.

Rhian Wilkinson's side trailed 2-1 following the first leg of their first-round tie in the Euro 2025 qualifying play-offs.

However, the Dragons levelled on aggregate in the 38th minute at the Cardiff City Stadium, with Jess Fishlock latching onto Angharad James-Turner's throughball and neatly chipping Slovakia goalkeeper Maria Korenciova.

The offside flag denied Fishlock twice in the second half as the tie went to extra-time.

With eight minutes remaining, substitute Kayleigh Barton raced away and struck the post, but Ceri Holland was there to drill home the rebound, with the goal awarded following a VAR review.

The Republic of Ireland will face Wales in the second round of the play-offs after the Girls in Green wrapped up a 9-0 aggregate victory over Georgia.

Arsenal's Frida Maanum scored four times as Norway's 9-0 victory completed a 14-0 aggregate rout of Albania. The two-time champions set up a tie with Northern Ireland, after Lauren Wade's extra-time winner edged out Croatia.

Sweden – semi-finalists in two of the last three European Championships – were 12-0 aggregate winners over Luxembourg. Next up for them is a clash with Serbia, who beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 6-3.

Scotland are also through to the final qualifying round, with their 4-0 win over Hungary wrapping up an overall 5-0 victory. They will face Finland, who were 6-0 aggregate victors over Montenegro.

Sweden put one foot in the second round of the Women's Euro 2025 qualification play-offs by beating Luxembourg 4-0, while Czechia routed Belarus 8-1.

Sweden, semi-finalists at the last European Championships in 2022, were comfortable winners in the first leg of their tie, with Arsenal's Stine Blackstenius and Chelsea's Johanna Rytting Kaneryd joining Filippa Angeldahl and Evelyn Ijeh on the scoresheet.

They were not the most convincing victors of the day, though, as Czechia ran riot in Velika Gorica despite going down to 10 players when Eliska Sonntagova was sent off in the 55th minute.

Katerina Svitkova and Kamila Dubcova both scored twice for Czechia, who had six different goalscorers in their win.

Earlier on Friday, Norway all-but secured their spot in the next phase with a resounding 5-0 victory in Albania.

Arsenal's Frida Maanum opened the scoring, driving home after latching onto Caroline Hansen's flick, before centre-back Guro Bergsvand added a first-half brace to take the game away from the hosts.

Lyon great Ada Hegerberg came off the bench on the hour mark and scored with her first touch – a sumptuous volley – just 45 seconds later, then Mathilde Harviken round off the scoring in the 74th minute.

Portugal also recorded a dominant success, winning 4-1 in Azerbaijan after racing into a three-goal lead within the first 26 minutes.

Early goals from Ana Capeta, Tatiana Pinto and Diana Gomes put the visitors in command, with Diana Silva restoring their three-goal advantage late on after Nazlican Parlak had pulled one back for Azerbaijan.

There were also victories for the Republic of Ireland, who triumphed 4-0 in Georgia, and Scotland, who edged out Hungary 1-0 on their travels.

The return fixtures take place on Tuesday, with 14 ties taking place in total to decide who advances to the second round, set to take place in November and December.

Seven more places are up for grabs at the tournament, which will begin in Switzerland on July 2 and finish on July 27.

Sarina Wiegman and Leah Williamson were both left with an overriding sense of relief after England secured their Euro 2025 place on Tuesday.

The Lionesses managed a goalless draw with Sweden at Gamla Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, with that result sending them to next year's Women's European Championship.

Wiegman and Co. knew the equation was simple heading into the clash, needing to avoid defeat to have the chance to defend their title in Switzerland.

Olympic silver medallists Sweden, the sixth-best side in the world according to FIFA's rankings, provided a late onslaught but will ultimately face a lengthy play-off process between October and December.

"I'm happy, I'm very relieved because it was a tough game," Lionesses head coach Wiegman told ITV Sport after the 0-0 draw.

"The first half I think we dominated. When you are so dominant we have to create more chances and score goals. In the second half, we couldn't keep up that level.

"We did fight for it. I think we can do a little bit better, but keeping the 0-0, qualifying in this group, I am relieved.

"I am very happy. I take many positives. This game and against France showed in moments we played so good, we just want to keep up."

Sweden mustered 1.11 expected goals (xG) to England's 0.48, but it was the latter who secured their place in the tournament after a resilient showing.

England, Italy and the Netherlands joined Germany, Spain, France, Denmark and Iceland as automatic qualifiers from League A of this qualifying system, much to the relief of captain Williamson.

"We don't make it easy for ourselves when we don't score," Williamson told ITV Sport. "We've seen out a game, same in France. These are tough places to come.

"They had a change of tactics, they have different threats. We stood firm and we stayed true. We couldn't play the football we wanted to play the second half which put us under a lot of pressure."

Williamson still believes there is more to come from her national side, referencing their Euro 2022 success on home soil.

"We took care of business, we qualified and we can get the most out of ourselves before the tournament," the Arsenal defender added. 

"We did that the last time and we all know how that went."

Sarina Wiegman hailed England's start in their 2-1 victory over the Republic of Ireland, but wanted to see more goals as her side closed in on qualification for Euro 2025.

Alessio Russo rounded off a fine team move while Georgia Stanway scored from the penalty spot as the Lionesses took all three points in the Group A3 clash at Carrow Road.

After France beat Sweden by the same scoreline, Wiegman's side require just a point against the Swedes in Gothenburg on Tuesday to secure their place at the finals.

Although, the Lionesses' margin of victory could have been greater as they enjoyed just under two-thirds of the possession, but converted just two of the 16 chances they created, while Julie Russell struck a stoppage-time consolation for the visitors.

"[I am] happy with the result," Wiegman told ITV. "I thought we started really well, and scored an incredible goal. The best goals are those that involve many players, so that was pleasing.

"After that, we created a lot of chances, but should have played more in the pockets and in behind. We hoped to score more goals, and of course, I was very frustrated with their goal in the last minute.

"Sweden on Tuesday will be a completely different game; they play a different system. What we want to do is, of course, be at the finals. Sweden have to win, and we'll be ready for that."

"Job's done. We got three points," forward Jess Park added. "We are disappointed to have conceded that goal, but we had lots of opportunities to put the ball in the net, and we're happy with the three points.

"We're so focused [on Tuesday's game]. We've been working really hard and just want to get those three points."

Sarina Wiegman believes England's 2-1 win over France on Tuesday was the boost they needed to keep their Euro 2025 qualification hopes alive.

The Lionesses lost 2-1 to the same opponents at St. James' Park on Friday, with the manager left rueing lapses in concentration over the set-pieces that led to France’s goals.

In the reverse fixture in Saint-Etienne, England dominated the first half, as goals from Georgia Stanway and Alessia Russo put them in control.

Leah Williamson conceded a penalty, which was coolly converted by Kadidiatou Diani in the second half, but England held on to see out a vital win and move just two points behind Les Bleues in Group A3.

Wiegman praised her side's response to Friday's defeat but remained coy about their chances ahead of their next qualifiers in July.

"A team effort," Wiegman told ITV Sport. "You know the second half is going to be different, and they are going to push, but we worked so hard to stay together and keep the win.

"You know they are going to press. They were really chasing us. We have to make better decisions, be a bit calmer. We played into their hands a bit. We know when they win the ball there, they have players that are so quick. We want to take those moments out, of course.

"Of course [the win] gives a boost. We want to win, and we are in a better position now. The group is totally open. We said from the beginning this is a really tough group with top level teams. It helps when you win, but most of all, we did better than Friday."

Russo was one of the standout players for England during the victory, and she echoed Wiegman's sentiments.

"I think we got our standards back to where we wanted them," Russo said. "There are still parts we will work on for sure. We know the level is higher than ever and to even qualify for the Euros is going to be harder than ever.

"I just tried to do what I could. France are a top side with some of the best centre-backs in the world. It was nice to get on the scoresheet, but we created a lot of better chances tonight.

"We know our standards have to be higher. We probably let them slip a bit recently. We know the talent we have. We know the potential we have, and we saw a lot more flashes of it tonight."

Millie Bright has been recalled to the England squad for the Lionesses' upcoming Euro 2025 qualifiers against France, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland.

Bright, who led her country to last year's World Cup final, is named in the 24-player party for the first time since October, having missed most of the season with a knee injury. 

The Chelsea defender is joined in Sarina Wiegman's squad by teammate Aggie Beever-Jones, who will hope to win her first cap after an impressive Women's Super League campaign in which she has scored 11 goals in 15 games.

The reigning European champions, who are second in their qualifying group and two points behind leaders France, play back-to-back games against the French on May 31 and June 4. They will then host the Irish on July 12, before heading to Sweden four days later. 

"After an intense season, we wanted to give the players clarity and help them to prepare in the best possible way, with the balance of performance and welfare as a priority," Wiegman said.

"We have had good conversations with the clubs, and we are grateful for their co-operation and support in helping the players to be fresh, fit and ready for two international matches at the highest level.

"The group is finely balanced and we know that every game is going to be tight, and we’ll need to be at our best."

Switzerland will host the UEFA Women's European Championship in 2025, UEFA has announced.

The sixteen-team tournament will take place across eight venues in Switzerland, with the UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Lisbon on Tuesday to decide the venue.

The Swiss proposal eventually overcame a Nordic bid from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden after three rounds of voting, with Poland and France's joint venture eliminated earlier in the proceedings.

As host nation, Switzerland have secured automatic qualification and will compete at their third consecutive tournament, having made their first appearance in 2017.

The tournament will be the first international competition to be held in Switzerland, home nation to both FIFA and UEFA, since the Euro 2008 men's tournament when they were co-hosts with Austria.

Switzerland also previously hosted the World Cup in 1954, where they reached the quarter-finals.

The 2025 tournament will be the third since the competition was expanded to 16 teams, with England entering as defending champions.

Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema have been shortlisted for the FIFA Best Men's Player Award.

Messi led Argentina to glory at last year's World Cup, scoring seven times, including twice in the final, and laying on three assists.

That ended a 36-year wait for a third world title for Argentina, while for many his performances in Qatar cemented Messi as the greatest of all time.

Argentina overcame France on penalties in the showdown at Lusail Stadium on December 18, though it was not for the want of trying from Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick in a thrilling 3-3 draw, and like his Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Messi also converted his spot-kick in the shoot-out.

Mbappe won the competition's Golden Boot award after netting eight goals, while he set up another two.

Between August 8, 2021 and December 18, 2022 – the time period on which this year's FIFA Best awards are based – Mbappe scored 58 goals for PSG, the highest figure of any player across Europe's top five leagues.

Third on that list is Real Madrid striker Benzema, who won last year's Ballon d'Or and makes up the final shortlist. He netted 50 times for Los Blancos, helping them win LaLiga and the Champions League, though he suffered an injury on the eve of the World Cup and had to withdraw from France's squad.

FIFA also confirmed the nominations for the Puskas Award for best goal.

Richarlison's stunning effort in Brazil's World Cup opener against Serbia has made the cut, as has an audacious half-volley from Dimitri Payet in Marseille's Europa Conference League clash with PAOK last April.

Marcin Oleksy, meanwhile, scored a sublime overhead kick for Warta Poznan amputee football against Stal Rzeszow, and the Pole joins Richarlison and Payet on the final shortlist.

The Best Women's Player Award will also be handed out at the FIFA ceremony on February 27.

Beth Mead was crucial in England's success at the Women's Euros last year, winning the Golden Boot and being named as Player of the Tournament.

Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas missed the tournament through injury but the Barcelona star makes the list, along with Alex Morgan.

Argentina's World Cup-winning boss Lionel Scaloni and Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti are among the finalists for The Best FIFA Men's Coach Award 2022.

The duo are listed alongside perennial candidate Pep Guardiola of Manchester City in the final three, with the latter named as a finalist for the third time.

Scaloni, who finished fourth last year, took La Albiceleste to victory at Qatar 2022 and is recognised for his efforts in helping to seal a first World Cup triumph since 1986.

Ancelotti is feted for his work with Madrid, after winning a continental double and becoming the first manager to win all five major European league titles.

Guardiola guided City to another Premier League triumph, though he fell short in the Champions League once again and saw his team's main rival Liverpool nab the FA Cup and EFL Cup.

The Spaniard will be looking to go one better than his previous two appearances as a finalist in the voting, having finished second in 2019 and third in 2021.

Among those included in the final three for The Best FIFA Women's Coach Award, England boss Sarina Wiegman picks up a sixth consecutive nod in the category.

The Lionesses manager, a two-time winner of the prize, led the team to a maiden major honour triumph at Euro 2022, securing victory against Germany on home soil.

She is joined by Brazil boss Pia Sundhage – the Swede having claimed Copa America Femenina glory – and Lyon's Sonia Bompastor, who won the treble with the French side.

The winners of The Best FIFA Football Awards will be announced on February 27.

England's Euro 2022-winning forward Beth Mead has signed a new contract with Arsenal, the Gunners have confirmed.

Mead was named Player of the Tournament after top scoring with six goals as Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses won the Women's Euros on home soil earlier this year.

Mead is currently sidelined after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament in a Women's Super League defeat to Manchester United last month and will spend an "extended period" out of action.

Having put pen to paper on her new deal – the length of which was not disclosed, Mead targeted a successful return in the coming months.

"I'm so happy to have signed a new deal with Arsenal," she told the club's website. "This club is home for me.

"I've grown so much here as a player and a person and I know we can achieve so much more together in the years to come. 

"I want to compete to win the biggest trophies in the game and I know that the ambitions at Arsenal match my own, so I can't wait to get back onto the pitch and help to deliver the success our supporters deserve."

Mead recorded 33 goal involvements (14 goals, 19 assists) in 40 appearances for Arsenal last season and was named England Women's Player of the Year for the campaign.

Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall said: "It's wonderful news that we have agreed a new deal with Beth. She is a world-class footballer and has proven that on the biggest stage of them all. 

"I have so much admiration for the way she has handled success and adversity on and off the pitch over the past few years, and I'm sure she will approach the next few months with the positive attitude we all know Beth for."

England's Euro 2022-winning striker Ellen White has revealed she is expecting her first child.

White retired from football on a high note in August after featuring for the first England women's team to lift a major trophy during this year's home European Championships.

White scored 52 goals in 113 international caps, a record for a Lionesses player and a tally only bettered by Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane (both 53) across England's men's and women's teams.

On Wednesday, the former Manchester City striker posted an image of herself and husband Callum Convery on Twitter alongside the caption "Mum and Dad", revealing their child is due next April.

Jordan Henderson believes England's men should take inspiration from the Lionesses' Euro 2022 success as they chase Qatar World Cup glory.

Sarina Wiegman's side secured England's first major trophy since the men's World Cup in 1966 after a 2-1 extra-time victory over Germany in July.

Gareth Southgate's Three Lions reached the semi-finals at Russia 2018 before suffering penalty shoot-out heartbreak in the Euro 2020 final loss to Italy.

Henderson was named as part of England's 26-man squad who will look to go one step further in Qatar, and the midfielder referenced the success of Wiegman's women as an inspiration.

"The Lionesses have done a fantastic job and the whole country was behind them," Henderson told the BBC.

"Hopefully we can take inspiration from that and perform like they did. If we do that then I'm sure we'll have a good tournament."

The Liverpool captain is expected to play a back-up role in Southgate's midfield, with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Kalvin Phillips and Declan Rice being probable contenders for the starting XI.

Henderson will provide much-needed experience, though, as a Premier League and Champions League winner with Liverpool.

England will need such know-how if they are to go deep in the Middle East, where they are the only European team to have reached at least the semi-finals in each of the last two major tournaments.

Southgate's side start their Group B campaign against Iran on Monday before clashes with the United States and Wales.

Four bids have been received to host the 2025 women's European Championship, UEFA confirmed on Thursday.

The tournament was held in England this year, with the hosts beating Germany in the final at Wembley to win their first major trophy.

Plans for the next edition are now well under way, with UEFA set to make a decision in January 2023 after receiving four proposals.

"UEFA today confirmed that it has received final bids to host the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 final tournament from four bidders following the deadline of 12 October," the governing body said in a statement.

 "A final bid dossier was submitted by the football associations of France, Poland, Switzerland, and a joint bid from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

 "The UEFA Executive Committee will appoint the host association(s) of UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 in January 2023."

A bid involving Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden was confirmed on Wednesday, with Denmark having previously looked to host the tournament solely before electing to join forces with their neighbours.

France hosted the women's World Cup in 2019, while Portugal staged the 2004 men's European Championship and Switzerland were joint-hosts of the men's 2008 tournament along with Austria.

England manager Sarina Wiegman has carried off the UEFA Women's Coach of the Year award after leading the Lionesses to victory at the European Championship.

Wiegman steered England to what was only the nation's second-ever major international honour, the other being the men's victory in the 1966 World Cup final. It saw her win the Euros for the second tournament in a row – previously steering her native Netherlands to glory.

Fresh from naming her first England squad on Wednesday since the Euro 2022 victory, Wiegman was unable to attend the event where she pipped Germany manager Martina Voss-Tecklenburg and Lyon's Sonia Bompastor to the honour.

Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas took the UEFA Women's Player of the Year honour for the second season in a row – becoming the first to do so.

Putellas missed the European Championship due to a knee injury but played a key part in Barcelona's success in 2021-22, securing a domestic double and reaching the final of the Champions League.

The midfielder netted a league-high 18 goals and also finished as top scorer in Europe with 11 goals, though her team lost to Lyon in the final.

Germany's Euro 2022 star Alexandra Popp has committed her future to Wolfsburg, signing a new three-year contract with the Frauen Bundesliga champions.

The Germany striker found the net six times throughout the tournament as Die Nationalelf finished as runners-up to Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses, finishing as joint-top scorer with England's Beth Mead, though Mead won the award after recording more assists.

Popp, who has been with Wolfsburg since 2012, has lifted 18 domestic and three European titles during her career, but missed Germany's 2-1 Wembley final defeat last month after getting injured in the warm-up.

She became the first player to score in five consecutive games at a Women's Euros by helping herself to a brace in Germany's semi-final win over France, later being named in the team of the tournament.

Popp, who had just one year to run on her previous deal, told the club's website: "I'm very pleased to be held in such high esteem and I'm extremely happy at VfL Wolfsburg.

"When I look back on the last few years, it's clear I'm at the best club in Germany. I can also see the outstanding quality in our team. It's great fun for me to perform with these girls on and off the pitch and to fight for more silverware."

Wolfsburg finished four points clear of Bayern Munich to win the domestic title last season, and were beaten by eventual champions Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Women's Champions League.