A make-or-break moment awaits Portugal’s women’s national football team this Friday. They face Belgium in a crucial Euro 2025 qualifier. The stakes couldn’t be higher: winning this match is their only path to keep their dream alive.
Adding a familiar face to the tension, Sweden’s Tess Olofsson will referee the game. UEFA announced her appointment on Wednesday. Olofsson, 36, brings with her a recent, perhaps painful, history with the Portuguese side. Just over a month ago, she was the official when Portugal lost 3-0 to Belgium in Madeira during the Nations League. That defeat sent Portugal down to League B, adding another layer of motivation for this rematch.
Olofsson will be joined by fellow Swede Almira Spahic and Norway’s Monica Lokkeberg as assistant referees. Shona Shukrula from the Netherlands will be the fourth official. The video assistant referee (VAR) duties will fall to Jarred Gillett from Australia. The decisive match is set to unfold at Tourbillon Stadium in Sion, Switzerland.
Portugal’s journey to this point has been a rollercoaster. They started their campaign with a tough 5-0 loss to Spain. But they showed their fight in the last game against Italy. Italy’s Cristina Girelli put her team ahead in the 70th minute, making it look like Portugal was out. However, defender Diana Gomes scored a dramatic equalizer in the 89th minute, securing a 1-1 draw and a vital point. This late goal kept Portugal in the race for Euro 2025, a tournament they missed in both 2017 and 2022.
The path to qualification is tricky. Portugal must beat Belgium, a team already eliminated from the competition. They also need Italy to lose their game against Spain, who have already qualified. On top of that, Portugal needs to overcome a significant gap in goal difference. They currently sit at 1 goal scored and 6 conceded, while Italy has 2 goals scored and 1 conceded.
There’s a tough scenario too: if Spain and Italy play to a tie, then even a big win for Portugal against Belgium won’t be enough. The group standings show Spain leading with a perfect 6 points, having already secured their spot in the quarterfinals. Italy is second with 4 points. Portugal has just 1 point. Belgium, who lost 6-2 to Spain, is at the bottom of the group with zero points.
The final group B match between Portugal and Belgium kicks off on Friday in Sion at 9:00 PM local time, which is 8:00 PM in Lisbon.