Saved Finland in the European Championship premiere

The European Football Championship is underway and Finland was the first to celebrate.

Not least Katariina Kosola.

The 24-year-old secured the 1–0 victory with a classy goal.

In front of a sold-out Stockhorn Arena in Thun, Switzerland, Iceland and Finland kicked off the European Football Championship.

Goalless after 70 minutes, but Katariina Kosola’s 1-0 delicacy was worth the wait. After Iceland was without Hildur Antonssdottir for a good quarter of an hour, Kosola took advantage of the space in midfield and struck with a shot that found its way up towards the Icelanders’ far crossbar.

– Of course it feels fantastic, it’s my first big tournament and a victory feels really good, says the match hero.

The full-back, who plays for Malmö FF, took the chance and broke into the penalty area from the left before coolly placing the winning goal just out of reach of Cecilia Ran Runarsdotti in the opposing goal.

– I had a lot of chances and it’s a goal I’ve been practicing a lot on so it feels good, says Kosola.

Injury and red card

Iceland was not without chances. Their best came after a giant throw-in from Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir. The ball went straight into the box and the blue-clad team got hit by it once, twice, three times before it was cleared by the Finns.

Jónsdóttir wasn’t done there and with just over fifteen minutes left to play she got free against the Finnish goalkeeper, but that time it didn’t result in a goal either.

Despite double Icelandic losses in the form of a Glodis Perla Viggosdottir who stepped off due to injury, and two yellow cards on Hildur Antonsdottir, they held out for a long time before Kosola finally got one of the shots she tested during the match down and gave Finland three important points in the championship’s opening match.

Finland’s next match in the European Championship will be against Norway on Sunday evening at 6:00 PM. Iceland plays the same evening at 9:00 PM.

The Swedish European Championship journey begins at 6:00 PM on Friday when Blågult faces Denmark.

check Euro 2025: All matches and TV times • Full schedule

  • 3’E. Nystrom
  • 3’E. Nystrom
    • S. Heidarsdottir G. Viggósdóttir46′
    • H. Antonsdóttir52′
    • A. Albertsdottir H. Eiriksdottir54′
    • H. Antonsdóttir58′
    • D. Brynjarsdottir S. Jessen62′
    • 66’O. Sevenius S. Franssi
    • 70’E. Summanen K. Kosola (0-1) 
    • 78’N. Lehtola E. KoivistoJ. Rantala L. Sällström
    • K. Tryggvadóttir K. Vilhjalmsdottir84′
    • 90’+5M. Roth E. SummanenV. Koivisto R. Öling
  • S. Heidarsdottir G. Viggósdóttir46′
  • H. Antonsdóttir52′
  • A. Albertsdottir H. Eiriksdottir54′
  • H. Antonsdóttir58′
  • D. Brynjarsdottir S. Jessen62′
  • 66’O. Sevenius S. Franssi
  • 70’E. Total K. Kosola (0-1) 
  • 78’N. Lehtola E. KoivistoJ. Rantala L. Sällström
  • K. Tryggvadóttir K. Vilhjalmsdottir84′
  • 90’+5M. Roth E. SummanenV. Koivisto R. Öling