The Lionesses have won back-to-back European Championships after becoming the first senior England team to triumph at a tournament on foreign soil.
By Jamie Spencer
England lost on penalties in the final of the inaugural European Competition for Women’s Football, as it was called back in 1984. But, 41 years later, the Lionesses emerged victorious in what was the first Women’s Euros final since then to be decided by a shootout.
Including 2017 with the Netherlands, Sarina Wiegman has won each of the last three continental tournaments as a coach and, remarkably, England’s two victories now make them the joint second most successful country in the competition’s entire history.
Yet despite their status as holders from 2022, England didn’t come into this Euro 2025 as favourites to lift the trophy again. A humbling opening defeat to France immediately suggested the reign would be short, while they were on the brink of elimination in both the quarter and semi-finals.
Even the final against Spain in Basel on Sunday evening had threatened to run away from England.
But Wiegman has built her reputation on being the ultimate problem solver. “We say we can win by any means,” she told the BBC after being draped in a winners’ medal once more.
It was what has come to be known this summer as ‘Proper England’, a phrase coined in the wake of the France defeat – when the Lionesses failed to turn up – and rolled out at each game since. This is the idea that England, immeasurably bonded in collective togetherness, leave absolutely everything out on the pitch more than anyone else – Lucy Bronze revealed after the final that she had played the whole tournament with a fractured tibia – and never know or accept they are beaten.
Spain was always going to be the biggest challenge. The reigning world champions had set the standard throughout the rest of the month, technically outstanding, and heading into the final off the back of 10 consecutive wins – ironically, since the Lionesses beat them in February.
Until Arsenal’s Mariona Caldentey headed La Roja ahead midway through the first half, England marginally edged the xG, 0.46 to 0.45, and Alessia Russo had seen a decent chance saved in the opening moments of the game. But Spain were imperious after taking the lead, keeping the ball away from England in what was fast becoming a really dominant performance.
A killer second only seemed like a matter of time, until Russo equalised 12 minutes after the second half began, pretty much out of nowhere. Where Spain’s goal had been crafted through neat link up play before a final cross went into the box, there was a directness from England, familiar to earlier rounds. Chloe Kelly, on for the injured Lauren James towards the end of the first half, supplied the in-swinging cross immediately after receiving the ball on the left. Russo’s headed finish came only 12 seconds after Hannah Hampton had the ball at her feet deep in England territory.
Kelly has rightly earned the label as England’s clutch player. She didn’t start any of the six games en-route to glory but had arguably more of an impact than anyone individual. The assist for Russo’s equaliser was almost an exact copy of the two crosses that saw the Lionesses strike back from 2-0 down against Sweden in the last eight. She converted a key penalty in the subsequent quarter-final shootout, then netted the semi-final winner against Italy. It felt fitting that she had last say in the final as well, scoring the decisive penalty with her usual swagger. Let’s not forget that Kelly had previously also bagged the dramatic extra-time winner at Euro 2022 three summer ago.
During the original 90, it was only Cata Coll’s fingertips that stopped Kelly putting England 2-1 ahead. But, in another timeline, she might not have been selected for this tournament at all. Out of favour at Manchester City in the first half of the domestic season, she successfully forced her way to Arsenal at the end of the January transfer window, and it doesn’t feel an overstatement to call it a sliding doors moment that has helped write and define international football history.
Motivated by the doubt, “Thank you to everyone that wrote me off,” she concluded.
Along with Kelly, England’s success throughout the tournament owes much to Hampton. Mary Earps’ very sudden international retirement dominated headlines in May, but Hampton had already permanently dislodged the two-time Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper many months earlier. Still, she had enormous gloves to fill when Earps had been such a main character in England’s recent success and rose to the occasion marvellously well in pressurised circumstances.
Hampton, of course no stranger to winning after playing a key part of Chelsea’s unbeaten domestic treble last season, saved two penalties in the final shootout. She had earlier saved two in the Sweden shootout and fully justified the decision about starting her. “[Sarina Wiegman] knew what I was capable of and she really put that in me to showcase what I can do,” she said.
At 24, Hampton will be back for tournament after tournament. Most of this Lionesses group are still young enough to keep returning for the next few cycles and right now there doesn’t seem to be a limit on what ‘Proper England’ can do.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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