Janice Cayman's dramatic late goal secured a 2-1 victory for Belgium against Portugal in their final Group B match at the UEFA Women's Euro 2025, effectively ending Portugal's hopes of reaching their first-ever major tournament knockout stage. The match, played on Friday, July 11, 2025, saw Belgium, who were already out of contention for the quarter-finals, finish third in the group, while Portugal finished fourth.
Belgium took an early lead in the 3rd minute when captain Tessa Wullaert scored after Jill Janssens' low cross. Wullaert steered her shot into the far corner, giving Belgium a dream start. Despite the early setback, Portugal fought hard to get back into the game.
The second half was filled with drama, including two disallowed goals for Belgium after VAR checks. Mariam Toloba's goal was disallowed due to a foul in the build-up, and Amber Tysiak's goal was ruled offside. Portugal's persistence finally paid off in the 87th minute when Telma Encarnacao scored an equaliser, reigniting their hopes. However, Janice Cayman's goal in the 96th minute sealed the victory for Belgium and crushed Portugal's quarter-final dreams. Cayman capitalized on poor defending from Portugal, pouncing on a loose ball and firing it home.
Tessa Wullaert expressed her satisfaction with the win, stating, "I am happy I managed to score at this tournament obviously, but me helping the team secure a victory, our only victory - that is way more important to me,".
Portugal's coach, Francisco Neto, had earlier emphasized the need to win and score goals to progress in the competition. Tatiana Pinto had also expressed confidence in Portugal's attacking play. Diana Gomes' late equalizer in the previous match against Italy had kept Portugal's hopes alive, but they needed a win against Belgium and a loss for Italy against Spain to have a chance of advancing. Ultimately, it was not to be.
With the victory, Belgium secured their first win of the Euro 2025 campaign. Despite the loss, Portugal had shown resilience throughout the tournament. They narrowly missed out on the knockout stage. Spain and Italy both advanced from Group B.
