The Women’s Euros 2025 marks Belgium’s third time in the competition. Most recently, in the 2022 competition, they made it to the final eight, however, they have never made it beyond the quarter-finals, so they will be looking to get even further in 2025. To achieve this, leadership will be especially important for Belgium. Key figures include Elisabet Gunnarsdóttir, the newly appointed Head Coach, as well as players Janice Cayman and Tessa Wullaert. Each will play a distinct and vital role for the team this summer. Their leadership will be critical as Belgium continue to navigate a period of transition following Gunnarsdóttir’s recent appointment earlier this year.
Elísabet Gunnarsdóttir
Gunnarsdóttir took charge of the Red Flames in January 2025, taking over from long-term Head Coach, Ives Serneels. She is experienced, both in coaching and in leading teams to titles, after she won a series of domestic titles as Head Coach of Valur Reykjavík. She later moved to Sweden in 2009, where she coached Kristianstad in the Damallsvenskan, and was twice named as the league’s coach of the season. She was later awarded the Order of the Falcon for her services to Icelandic football.
Gunnarsdóttir brings experience of coaching at a high level, and being successful to the Red Flames. When discussing her goals for Women’s Euro 2025, she said:
“Belgium went all the way from the group stages [at] the last tournament to the quarter-finals, and that’s an experience that the country has already felt and been involved in. That’s something that we will talk about experiencing again. Getting out of the group will be a major achievement for Belgium and that’s something we are aiming to do.”
She also discussed how she has been building her own coaching philosophy into the team:
“My philosophy is about creating that and I’ve been working with Belgium for a short time, so that is something we have been prioritising – how we behave as a group and how we show up as a team for our country.”
Gunnarsdóttir has already shown her ability and determination in getting the best out of Belgium’s players, and led them to victory against England in April. Leadership and coaching expertise will be especially important for Belgium at Euro 2025. Clear goals for the team have already been established, with a strong emphasis on mentality and overall footballing philosophy.
Janice Cayman
Another important leader within Belgium’s Euros squad is Janice Cayman, who currently plays as a midfielder for Leicester City in the WSL. Similarly to Gunnarsdóttir, except as a player instead of a coach, Cayman has experience of success and winning titles. Cayman won the UEFA Women’s Champions League twice with Olympique Lyonnais, before she moved to Leicester, ahead of the 2023/24 season. She has a wealth of experience, as one of Belgium’s more senior players, having played in Belgium, and America, as well as Lyon.
She has also represented Belgium more than 150 times and holds the record for being the most capped women’s player for the Red Flames. Therefore, Cayman has become one of the Red Flames’ most important players, and her experience at international level, as well as success at club level, will be crucial for Belgium in the tournament.
Tessa Wullaert
Finally, striker and captain Tessa Wullaert is a crucial player for Belgium. She currently plays for Inter Milan and has previously played for Manchester City in the WSL, where she won the FA Women’s Cup and the FA Women’s League Cup. She has also played for Wolfsburg, where she won two league titles, three German cups and reached the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League twice, as well as playing for Anderlecht, where she won the Belgian top-flight twice in a row, notably scoring 79 goals in 59 appearances.
Wullaert’s stats show that not only is she a prolific striker, which is an important aspect of her contribution to the Red Flames, she has also been highly successful at several clubs in Europe. Her experience of success and playing at the highest level are key for Belgium at Euro 2025, as she leads the team with an ambitious mentality.
Why is this leadership important for Belgium?
Gunnarsdóttir, Cayman and Wullaert all offer something unique and significant to Belgium through their leadership: Gunnarsdóttir has described the mentality that she has implemented within her side, focused on getting the best out of individual players. Cayman and Wullaert, like Gunnarsdóttir, have been extremely successful players both for Belgium, but also at club-level, winning titles for their respective teams and gaining years of experience being successful at the highest level in football. They are also some of Belgium’s most capped players, and their experience at international level will be vital, as they aim to make their way out of the Euro 2025 group stages. Belgium face Spain and Portugal next in the group stage, after losing 1-0 to Italy in their tournament opener.
