Scotland’s hopes of reaching Euro 2025 were dashed after a 2-0 defeat to Finland in Helsinki ended their qualification campaign.
Following a 0-0 draw in the first leg at Easter Road, the decisive clash at the Bolt Arena saw Finland strike early. Natalia Kuikka opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a stunning long-range effort, and Nea Lehtola doubled the lead in the 28th minute, her shot deflecting off Sophie Howard past Eartha Cumings. Despite several chances, Pedro Martinez Losa’s side couldn’t find the goal needed to spark a comeback and will now miss another major tournament, having already sat out the Euros in 2022 and the World Cup in 2023.
Finland started aggressively, with Lehtola hitting the crossbar and Sanni Franssi missing a rebound before Kuikka’s spectacular strike put the hosts ahead. Scotland briefly rallied but conceded the second goal against the run of play. Appeals for a Finland handball late in the first half were waved away, and Sam Kerr hit the post shortly after the restart.
Despite pressing hard, Scotland lacked the cutting edge to turn the tide, extending their absence from major competitions and raising questions about Martinez Losa’s future as manager.
