Spain deliver statement win in Euro 2025 opener

The world champions kicked off their Euros campaign with a 5-0 win against Portugal

Credit: Getty Images

Spain made an electric start to their Uefa Women’s Euro 2025 campaign with a 5-0 win over Portugal in Bern.

There were sombre scenes in the Wankdorf Stadium before kick off as fans from both nations paid tribute to Portuguese star Diogo Jota, who tragically died in a car accident on Thursday.

Fans held up shirts and signs for the Liverpool forward all around the stadium with one poignant and powerful message reading: “You took the name of Portugal beyond borders, now it’s our turn to raise your name.”

Whether it was the emotion of the occasion or the sheer dominance of Spain, Portugal failed to get any grip on the game.

Back at the 2022 Euros, Spain conceded their first goal of the tournament within the first 48 seconds of the opening game. Three years later, they scored their first goal 88 seconds into their first match in Switzerland.

It was Esther González who found the back of the net first with a cheeky finish. Olga Carmona found the Gotham striker in the box and after an awkward control with her shoulder while facing away from goal, she tapped it under Inês Pereira to become Spain’s third all-time leading goalscorer on her 50th cap.

Barcelona’s Vicky López made the pitch her green carpet minutes later. She became the youngest-ever Spanish goalscorer at a Euros when she doubled the lead just five minutes later. The 18-year-old symbolically finished not long after González had become Spain’s oldest scorer at a European Championship. López received a huge roar when she came off the pitch in the 80^th minute after a spectacular display on her major tournament debut.

Spain went on to score three more in the next 83 minutes. A classic Alexia Putellas finish and a González repeat sent them into half-time 4-0 up. The second half wasn’t much different to the first in terms of Spanish dominance and Portuguese chaos, and Cristina Martín-Prieto scored the fifth, seconds from the final whistle.

Portugal struggled from the start both defensively and offensively. Jéssica Silva was their best option to score but was often alone taking on Spain’s defensive line. At the other end of the pitch, it was the opposite story as Portuguese players attempted to crowd in and around their box, but Spain easily pranced through a scattered and disorganised defensive display.

Here is The Cutback’s on-the-whistle breakdown of Spain 5-0 Portugal at Euro 2025.