Women’s Euro 2029 will be played in Germany, after UEFA’s Executive Committee chose the German bid over a joint proposal from Sweden and Denmark and a competing offer from Poland at its meeting in Nyon on 3 December 2025. The decision ends Nordic hopes of bringing the tournament to Scandinavia for the first time since Sweden hosted the championship in 2013.
Nordic bid for Women’s Euro 2029 falls short
The joint Nordic bid from Sweden and Denmark had aimed to stage the most attended Women’s European Championship in history, with close to one million spectators across eight stadiums. In Sweden, matches were planned in Malmö, Gothenburg and Stockholm, where two arenas in the capital would have been used. On the Danish side, Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense and Brøndby were among the proposed host cities.
Football associations in both countries presented the project as an opportunity to showcase Nordic cooperation, gender equality and investment in women’s sport. The bid built on a long tradition of hosting major tournaments, including Sweden’s experience with the 1995 Women’s World Cup and Women’s Euro 2013, and Denmark’s role as organiser of Women’s Euro 1991.
However, the Scandinavian project faced persistent questions about stadium capacity and infrastructure. UEFA’s requirements for Women’s Euro 2029 include at least one venue with more than 50,000 seats and several stadiums above 30,000, a threshold that forced Danish authorities to consider new construction and expansions. In Sweden, local debates focused on the cost for municipalities and on the timing of central government support.
Germany’s stadium project convinces UEFA
In the final vote, Germany secured a clear majority within UEFA’s Executive Committee, ahead of the Nordic bid and Poland. The German proposal centred on an eight-city concept, using large, modern stadiums that already host top-level men’s football. Cities such as Munich, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Hanover, Leipzig, Cologne and Wolfsburg are expected to feature, all with capacities that comfortably meet UEFA’s criteria.
The German football association has framed Women’s Euro 2029 as a flagship project to accelerate the growth of women’s football and to build on the legacy of Euro 2024 and previous major tournaments held in the country. The stated goal is to attract over one million spectators and to make the championship at least financially balanced, if not profitable.
UEFA officials have underlined that the decision was taken after a detailed evaluation of stadiums, transport, accommodation and financial guarantees. While the Nordic bid emphasised compact travel distances and a strong fan culture in Scandinavia, the German project offered a combination of very high-capacity venues and a proven track record in delivering large-scale football events.
Government funding and local support in Sweden and Denmark
In the months leading up to the decision, the Swedish and Danish governments both signalled political backing for the joint bid, though not without public debate. In Sweden, ministers confirmed that the state was prepared to contribute around 26 million Swedish kronor (approximately €2.37 million) to support the tournament if the bid succeeded, after initial criticism from cities such as Stockholm and Gothenburg over the lack of clarity on state funding.
In Denmark, the government had earlier set aside around 10 million Danish kroner (about €1.34 million) for the project, while Copenhagen’s city council approved a separate contribution of 30 million Danish kroner (about €4 million) to help finance the event. These commitments were presented as investments in tourism, international visibility and the long-term development of women’s football.
Despite this political support, concerns remained about whether the necessary stadium upgrades could be completed on time, especially in Denmark, where one of the planned venues in Aarhus is currently undergoing major redevelopment. The combination of infrastructure uncertainty and Germany’s strong technical evaluation appears to have weakened the Nordic position in the final stages of the bidding process.
