Irene Paredes Out of Euro 2025 Opener Against Portugal

BERNA, Switzerland — Irene Paredes, a key defender for Spain‘s women’s national football team, will not play in their Euro 2025 opening match against Portugal on Thursday at 21:00 at Wankdorf Stadion. The absence is due to a suspension stemming from a red card she received nearly a year ago.

Paredes was expelled during a qualifying match against the Czech Republic on July 12, 2024, and has been serving a two-match suspension since. The sanction was issued for what UEFA deemed ‘serious foul play,’ as she inadvertently struck Czech player Kateřina Svitková in the head. Initially, this was set to be a one-game suspension, but it was increased to two matches after a review by UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Committee.

Having already served one match against Belgium on July 16, 2024, she is now required to fulfill the second match during Spain’s Euro 2025 opener.

This development presents a significant challenge for coach Montse Tomé, who relies on Paredes as a central figure in the team’s defensive structure. With her out, Tomé is likely to pair María Méndez from Real Madrid and Laia Aleixandri, who recently joined Barcelona.

Tomé expressed confidence in her new defensive pair. “Both players have performed well,” she said. “Aleixandri brings international experience, while Méndez has shown her potential.”

Spain faces Portugal in a critical Group B match, alongside Belgium and Italy. The Spanish squad enters the tournament as one of the favorites, following a strong track record that includes a World Cup win in 2023 and the UEFA Nations League title in 2024.

Despite the setback of losing Paredes, Tomé noted the team is focused on maintaining a strong performance, emphasizing their strategy based on possession and fast wing play. The objective remains to start the tournament with a victory, even without their defensive leader.