UEFA in 2022: Part 2 – breaking records, lifting trophies, growing the game

JULY

To mark the kick-off of the Women’s EURO in England, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin joins football fans everywhere in hailing the start of a fantastic adventure.

English Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt explains how Women's EURO 2022 will boost English football as a whole.

A new UEFA Respect programme gets underway at UEFA Women’s EURO 2022. It includes the "Real Scars" campaign highlighting the devastating effects of online abuse directed at football players, coaches and officials across social media platforms, and educating them on how best to defend themselves against such discrimination.

After more than three memorable weeks, a record-breaking UEFA Women’s EURO draws to a close with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin welcoming the fantastic success of a tournament that took women's football to another level.

Senior figures from European and world football, former players, sponsors and women's football experts attend a special UEFA event in London – Raise the Bar – on the day of the UEFA Women’s EURO final to look to the future of the women’s game in Europe and beyond, urging member associations to continue the progress already made and collectively take the game to the next level.

On the last day of July, in front of a record 87,192 crowd at Wembley, hosts England win UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 – the country’s first major title since 1966 – by beating Germany 2-1 after extra time.

The second Women’s Futsal EURO final tournament, staged once more in Portugal, sees Spain retain their European title in a shoot-out after a thrilling 3-3 draw against the hosts in the final.

The final panel, list of experts and timeline are set for the independent review into events at May’s UEFA Champions League final in Paris.

UEFA joins the United Nations Football for the Goals initiative as its inaugural member. The initiative provides a platform for the global football community to engage with and advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As part of UEFA’s ongoing fight against discrimination, hate and online abuse in football, the five-episode Outraged documentary series is made available. The Outraged series supports the ongoing work within the wider RESPECT programme against online abuse.

AUGUST

UEFA and European football mourn the death of Hans Bangerter, UEFA’s General Secretary from 1960 to 1988, at the age of 98.

Karim Benzema and Alexia Putellas - UEFA's Players of the YearUEFA

Real Madrid’s French striker Karim Benzema and Barcelona and Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas are voted UEFA’s men’s and women’s Player of the Year respectively. Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, who led the Spaniards to the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League title, and England’s EURO-winning coach Sarina Wiegman win the respective men’s and women’s Coach of the Year awards.

One of the world’s all-time great coaches, Italy’s Arrigo Sacchi, receives the 2022 UEFA President's Award for his outstanding career and services to football both on and off the pitch.

UEFA launches a ground-breaking report – The Business Case for Women's Football – which outlines the incredible potential of the women’s club and league game in Europe, with commercial value set to reach €686m by 2033.

Real Madrid defeat Frankfurt 2-0 in Helsinki to win the UEFA Super Cup for a record-equalling fifth time.

Semi-Automated Offside Technology premieres at the UEFA Super Cup match in Helsinki, and will be used in the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League season. “This innovative system will allow [video assistant referee] VAR teams to determine offside situations quickly and more accurately, enhancing the flow of the game and the consistency of the decisions", says UEFA chief refereeing officer Roberto Rosetti.

UEFA Youth League title-holders Benfica win the inaugural Under-20 Intercontinental Cup with a single-goal victory over CONMEBOL’s Copa Libertadores U20 winners Peñarol (Uruguay) in Montevideo.

EU Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli and UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin announce the enhancement of the two bodies’ joint partnership on equality, diversity and inclusion.

SEPTEMBER

UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 brought unprecedented interest in the tournament, with record stadium attendances and huge numbers of TV viewers and fans following the action online like never before. The tournament becomes the most watched Women’s EURO ever, with a projected global cumulative live viewership of 365 million across TV, out-of-home viewing and streaming.

The three-day UEFA Grassroots Conference in Madrid emphasises UEFA's grassroots mission to ensure that everybody, everywhere can play the game in a safe, positive and enjoyable environment.

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin and some of Europe’s most famous football legends – including Luís Figo and Davor Šuker – join schoolchildren at a special UEFA Football in Schools event on the Croatian island of Hvar.

Croatia, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands will contest the 2023 UEFA Nations League finals.

Hosts Spain surge away in extra time to defeat Portugal 6-2 and retain their UEFA European Under-19 Futsal Championship crown in front of a competition-record 3,067 crowd in Jaén.

World and European champions Portugal win the inaugural UEFA/CONMEBOL Futsal ‘Finalissima’ after a penalty shoot-out success against Spain in the four-team tournament in Buenos Aires.

UEFA unveils its Circular Economy Guidelines in conjunction with Zero Waste Week and the recent launch of the UEFA Football Sustainability Strategy 2030 – 'Strength Through Unity'. In the UEFA context, circular economy refers to the optimisation of the consumption and life cycle of products, most notably food, packaging and branded items throughout UEFA operations and events.

OCTOBER

The UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying groupsUEFA via Getty Images

Fifty-three European associations will set out in the UEFA EURO 2024 European Qualifiers after the qualifying draw in Frankfurt. They are drawn into ten groups, with Germany qualifying automatically as hosts.

A strong group of European hopefuls, including EURO champions England, will seek glory at the 2023 Women’s World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand next summer. The Netherlands will replay their 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup final with the United States in the 2023 group stage

The first UEFA-CONMEBOL Women's ‘Finalissima’ will pit European champions England against South American counterparts Brazil at Wembley Stadium in London on 6 April 2023.

The positive impact and future legacy of UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 is revealed in a post-tournament flash report.

Four bids are submitted to host UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 – France, Poland, Switzerland and a joint bid from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin with European Commission vice-president Margaritis SchinasEU / Bogdan Hoyaux

The European Commission and UEFA strengthen their partnership with a new cooperation agreement up to 2025 – focusing on European priorities and cementing a long-term commitment to the European sports model.

UEFA and the European Commission launch the second season of a three-year campaign which sees UEFA supporting the Commission in helping to raise public awareness about Europe’s climate and energy priorities.

NOVEMBER

European football reconfirms its opposition to breakaway projects, with UEFA, national leagues, clubs, players and fans stressing together that the opposition to the self-proclaimed super league remains overwhelming.

Positive discussions take place at the second UEFA Convention on the Future of European Football gathering in Nyon. Football stakeholders agree progress on competitiveness, women’s football and governance.

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin meets sports ministers of the 27 EU member states in Brussels to discuss how sport, and particularly football, is crucial to communities across Europe amid the challenges of a changing world. He highlights football's ability to unite through times of division and crisis.

Exciting times ahead for women's national team football – thanks to a new competition systemGetty Images

In line with UEFA’s Women’s Football Strategy: Time For Action and the goal to transform competitions, the UEFA Executive Committee approves a new and innovative national team competition system that ultimately leads to qualification for the UEFA Women’s EURO or the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

UEFA receives three preliminary bid dossiers to host UEFA EURO 2028 and 2032 – Türkiye and joint UK/Republic of Ireland bids for 2028, and Italy and Türkiye bids for 2032.

The Netherlands will host next summer’s UEFA Nations League finals, with matches taking place in Rotterdam and Enschede, while Hungary will host the 2023 UEFA Women's Futsal EURO.

UEFA launches its new Sustainable Infrastructure Guidelines at an event in Mainz, Germany. The objective is to continue to raise the bar for European football infrastructure by setting criteria and sharing best practices for a new generation of sustainable football venues.

UEFA’s global development programme ASSIST celebrates having contributed to over 400 projects across all five of UEFA's sister confederations since its launch in 2017.

DECEMBER

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin reviews a year in which UEFA and football stakeholders have united in a concerted drive to safeguard the game's well-being.

UEFA warmly welcomes the unequivocal Opinion of the Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), Athanasios Rantos, recommending a ruling of the CJEU in support of UEFA’s central mission to govern European football, protect the pyramid and develop the game across Europe.

UEFA launches Think Fast, a two-episode documentary series celebrating futsal, featuring the stars of the game and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage.

UEFA issues its 2020/21 Respect Report highlighting the initial impact of UEFA’s sustainability strategy Strength Through Unity, and focusing on how UEFA is inspiring, activating and accelerating collective action to respect human rights and the environment on and off the pitch, building a more sustainable future for European football.

The UEFA Foundation for Children’s latest activity report demonstrates how the foundation works throughout the year to support children in need around the world, using football as a catalyst for change.