Ranking Women's Euro semifinalists: World Cup winners Spain lead the pack, Italy punch above weight

The semifinalists are set at the Women's Euro, with the last four teams standing a reflection of the surprises and entertainment that have been on display this summer in Switzerland.

Women's World Cup winners Spain and reigning European champions England reached the semifinals as expected and lived up to the billing as two of the favorites to win the whole thing, the pair potentially on course to face each other in Sunday's finale two years after meeting in the World Cup final. They are joined by an unexpected duo in Italy and Germany, who survived some major battles en route to the final four.

Eight-time Euro winners Germany have experienced a range of ups and downs in recent years, trading a spot in the 2022 final for a group stage exit at the World Cup the following year, bouncing back with a bronze medal in the 2024 Olympics. The inconsistencies have been on display yet again in Switzerland but they have impressively powered through in order to make the Euro semifinals, arguably hitting a stage many would have expected them to reach before the tournament began.

Of the semifinalists, though, Italy are the surprise contenders. They have not won a knockout stage match at the Euros since 1997 and have not advanced past the quarterfinals of the World Cup but this summer, they have lived up to the billing as a team on the rise. It has already been a historic tournament for Le Azzure but the prospect of an even deeper run comes with plenty of excitement – they will compete for their first spot in the Euro final since 1997, and potentially their first major trophy ever.

The semifinals begin on Tuesday when England take on Italy, while Spain and Germany face each other on Wednesday. All sides are competing for a spot in Sunday's final at St. Jakob-Park in Basel.

Here's a ranking of the last four teams standing at the Women's Euro.

4. Italy

Italy are slowly but surely climbing up the ranks in Europe, proving their worth in a group that included Portugal and Belgium but genuinely making a case for themselves in their 2-1 win over Norway in the quarterfinals. Italy were easily the better side against Norway, a World Cup winner and historic regional heavyweight, Cristiana Girelli scoring a brace and putting herself straight into the golden boot race. Facing England, one of the world's best teams, might be too stiff a test for the rising Italians, who scored just three goals during the group stage. Tuesday's match against England will be a strong measuring stick for Le Azzure, though, especially after overwhelming Norway's defense and England's somewhat shaky performances at the back.

3. Germany

History favors Germany, and even going into the tournament, there were signs of optimism for the eight-time European champions. They have been inconsistent this summer, though, much of which can be attributed to an injury list that includes captain Giulia Gwinn and defenders Franziska Kett and Sarai Linder, the latter of whom exited Saturday's quarterfinal win against France with issues. Christian Wuck's side will also be without center back Kathrin Hendrich for the semifinals after her red card on Saturday, leaving Germany very short-staffed against Spain. They still boast a few players who pack a punch like midfielder Jule Brand and goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who was the hero in a penalty shootout against France, while their resolve to take the game to penalties after going down to 10 in the 13th minute means Germany are not to be underestimated.

2. England

England's strengths are well-defined at this point, the greatest among them being their attack – they have scored 13 goals so far this competition and spread them out amongst 10 goalscorers, a healthy mix of veterans like Lauren James and rising stars like Michelle Agyemang playing meaningful roles along the way. They will be heavily favored against Italy – and most other teams, for that matter – for that reason alone, but the reason they are not exactly neck-and-neck with Spain for top spot is because they have been inconsistent in defense. A 2-1 loss to France in the group stage and their 2-2 draw in the quarterfinals against Sweden demonstrated that the Lionesses do not respond well to physicality and can be vulnerable in the back, which could cost them against a variety of skilled opponents.

1. Spain

This title has always been Spain's to lose, and nearly three weeks after the tournament began, that is very much still the case. La Roja have cruised to the semifinals, scoring 16 goals along the way and conceding just three times. Esther Gonzalez has been in stellar form with four goals, a nice complement to her status as the NWSL's current leading goalscorer, while Alexia Putellas has three of her own. There's a reasonable argument to make that they have avoided stiff tests so far, and it is unclear if an understaffed Germany will provide that. Even then, Spain's path to the semifinals is a showcase of the argument that they are the favorites – they have a batch of the world's best attacking talent, a group of players who collectively and individually will lead the way, regardless of the opposition.