Women's Euros reach new peaks in Switzerland as final awaits

OBERENTFELDEN, Switzerland :The Women’s Euros reach their climax with the final between holders England and Spain on Sunday, but before a ball is even kicked at the St. Jakob-Park stadium, records have been smashed at what has proved to be the most successful edition of the tournament.

Before their quarter-final defeat by Spain, Swiss fans held up a banner saying "Time to move mountains", but by then the hosts already had, making the knockout stage for the first time as a fever for women’s football swept the country - and the continent.

"I hope it was just a very, very important step to show Switzerland that women can play football really well - not just Switzerland, but all the other teams as well," Swiss captain Lia Waelti said after the hosts exited the tournament.

Fans at games in Switzerland have shattered attendance records, including the highest overall one ever, with the final still to be played.

A record 623,088 fans attended games through the end of the semi-finals, obliterating the previous total of 574,875 fans who watched the entire England 2022 tournament.

England's dramatic semi-final win over Italy in extra time gave British broadcaster ITV its biggest audience of the year with 10.2 million linear viewers, and another 17.2 million following the game on streaming platform ITV X. 

Fox Sports in the United States also reported a 176 per cent increase in the number watching the semi-finals compared to 2022 as the tournament caught the imagination on the other side of the Atlantic. 

It has not all, however, been plain sailing. The opening games were overshadowed by soaring temperatures that led to worries about player welfare and UEFA suspending rules around water bottles for fans.

JOYOUS CELEBRATION

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