Gibraltar women hope to become a surprise package in European football

Gibraltar women’s national squad faces its biggest challenge since its formation. Having already experienced the strength of internationally ranked teams—such as their 12-0 defeat in a friendly against Hungary—Gibraltar will be well aware of the threat Slovakia poses in this Friday’s Nations League fixture.
That defeat to Hungary, which many will want to move past, occurred during a developmental phase that Gibraltar has since surpassed. With changes in management and a new era resembling the men’s senior team’s journey, the squad has already shown significant improvements in both attitude and preparation. This transformation was evident in Gibraltar’s competitive international debut, where they narrowly lost to both Moldova and the Faroe Islands by just one goal.
Slovakia, however, will present an entirely different challenge. Originally debuting as Czechoslovakia in 1968, they became a dominant force in women’s football before transitioning to Slovakia after the dissolution of the Iron Curtain. Their first match as Slovakia came in 1993, ending in a 6-0 defeat against the Czech Republic. They entered competitive play in the 1995 European Championships, finishing between Class A and Class B—a categorization used in women’s football at the time.
Since the abolition of that classification system, Slovakia has had opportunities to qualify for major tournaments. They won their first qualification round but fell to Portugal in the second. Currently ranked 48th in the FIFA rankings, Slovakia has seen both higher and lower standings, peaking at 34th in 2006 and dropping to 51st as recently as August 2024.
An experienced side in women’s football, Slovakia has witnessed both highs and lows. Their heaviest defeat came in 1995 when Norway triumphed 17-0—ironically, before most of the current Gibraltar squad was even born. Their biggest victory followed just two years later, an 11-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Slovakia’s present squad features players aged between 19 and 31, competing across Europe. They play in leagues in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, as well as in Sweden, Canada, Italy, Poland, Belgium, France, Austria, Greece, and Spain. Their most capped active player has already accumulated 126 international appearances.
After a drop in rankings in 2024, Slovakia suffered defeats to teams such as Serbia and Scotland but has since regained form. Victories over Wales, Greece, the Faroe Islands, and Moldova, along with a draw against Israel in July 2024, have propelled them back up the rankings. Since July 2024, they have suffered only one defeat—a 2-0 loss to Wales, which cost them their UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 qualifying play-off spot after losing on aggregate despite a 2-1 first-leg victory.
Their recent 3-0 win over the Faroe Islands and 1-0 victory against Moldova have placed Slovakia at the top of their League C group, making them favorites to finish first.
For Gibraltar’s young and inexperienced squad, expectations remain modest. A strong performance will be seen as an achievement in itself. However, as newcomers to this level of competition, Gibraltar has the advantage of being an unknown quantity—potentially making them a surprise package.
Regardless of the outcome, the match will provide Gibraltar’s women’s team with another invaluable experience in their development. While they have a long way to go before reaching Slovakia’s level of experience, each match marks another step forward on their journey.
The one thing Gibraltar fans attending this Friday’s match will know is that the Gibraltar women’s team, currently led by Scott Wiseman are likely not to fall back into an eleven-player defensive formation as some Gibraltar teams have been seen doing.
Instead, even during their defeat at the hands of Hungary, Gibraltar women have been known for their battling and offensive mentality.