Riola Xhemaili scored a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser to earn Switzerland a 1-1 draw against Finland and send the hosts through to the Euro 2025 quarter-finals for the first time in their history.
Switzerland, needing only a point to advance on goal difference, secured second place in Group A behind Norway. They now await the winners of Group B – likely to be reigning world champions Spain – in the knockout stage.
“I think we set ourselves a goal on the pitch, to write history, to go into the knockout stages, which we’ve never done before,” said Swiss captain Lia Walti after the match.
The evening looked to be ending in heartbreak for the Swiss after Finland took the lead in the 79th minute. Natalia Kuikka converted a penalty after Viola Calligaris was judged to have fouled Emma Koivisto in the box. Kuikka coolly sent Swiss goalkeeper Livia Peng the wrong way to give Finland a temporary lifeline.
But the hosts refused to be denied. Backed by a passionate crowd at the Stade de Genève, Switzerland surged forward in the closing moments. In the 92nd minute, Geraldine Reuteler scuffed a shot inside the area, and Xhemaili, who had come off the bench in the second half, was perfectly placed to tap it home, sparking wild celebrations.
“I really believed in this team until the last second,” Xhemaili said. “I knew we were going to score. I just stayed in the right spot at the right moment and waited for the ball — and it came.”
The Finnish players sank to the turf in tears at the final whistle, their hopes dashed in the cruellest of fashions. Switzerland’s bench, meanwhile, erupted in joy as players and staff embraced, with manager Pia Sundhage seen hugging her assistants in delight.
“For most of the match it was tense and scrappy,” admitted Sundhage. “But I am going to dance tonight,” she added with a smile, speaking to Swiss broadcaster SRF.
Despite the crushing disappointment, Finland captain Kuikka was gracious in defeat.
“They came to the game like they wanted to win and it kind of showed,” she said.
Switzerland finished the match with 15 shots to Finland’s six, and while the game lacked rhythm at times, the dramatic ending ensured it will be long remembered by the home fans.
Switzerland now prepare for their biggest test yet as they march into uncharted territory — a place in the quarter-finals of a major tournament, with belief and history on their side.