Hands on her head, Lucy Bronze, the Lioness defender, stood frozen in disbelief and shock in front of the goal. England was trailing 1-0 against Spain, the favorites of the Women’s Euro 2025 final, and the team was in disarray.
For the third consecutive match, England’s players stared at the scoreline, searching for answers. Mariona Caldentey’s header in the 25th minute, the final touch of a fierce Spanish attack down the right channel, silenced the roaring Lionesses. The England fans, both packed in Basel’s St Jakob-Park in Switzerland and watching nervously from their homes, murmured in disappointment, recognizing the similar downbeat story they had witnessed before – a first-half goal by Spain in the 2023 FIFA World Cup final had crushed England’s hopes.
However, this time, the ending belonged to England.
Living up to their reputation as the comeback queens of the tournament, the Lionesses fought their way back into the game thanks to Alessia Russo’s equalizer in the second half, forcing the match into extra time. Despite the statistics favoring Spain with their skill and swagger, it was England’s resilience and determination that led them to victory.
England coach, Sarina Wiegman, spoke to the BBC, expressing that football is inherently unpredictable and chaotic. Demonstrating this belief, Chloe Kelly buried the decisive penalty kick, celebrating with a triumphant punch in the air, marking the completion of the comeback.
Kelly, who also assisted Russo’s header, once again became the heroic face of England’s championship-winning team, just as she had been at Wembley three years prior at Euro 2022.
The comeback was also marked by the pivotal contributions of England’s substitute players, known as “super-subs” in the tournament. They were directly involved in 10 goals throughout Euro 2025, the most ever recorded in a single edition of the tournament since 2013.
Kelly and fellow super-sub Michelle Agyemang, named the best young player of the tournament, were critical to their team’s success. Agyemang, playing in her first major tournament, had a significant impact on crucial game moments for England.
Furthermore, goalkeeper Hannah Hampton overcame adversity to become one of the most impactful players for England. Battling a serious eye condition affecting her depth perception and replacing Mary Earps, Hampton made two crucial saves in the final, strengthening England’s claim to victory.
Having triumphed in Switzerland, Wiegman and the Lionesses returned to their home country. As they celebrated their win with open-top bus parades across London, the saying was no longer “It’s coming home” but, this time, “It’s staying home.”
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2025/7/29/how-englands-lionesses-won-the-uefa-euro-2025-title?traffic_source=rss
