Euro 2025: England win second major international title

BBC News

3 days ago

England have won their second UEFA European Women's Championship trophy in a row.The Lionesses defeated Spain on penalties after a tense final in Switzerland on Sunday.It's the first time that any England team have won a major trophy abroad, after Euro 2022 was won at home in England.For fans, this victory may feel extra special following the Women's World Cup in 2023 when they lost out to Spain in the final.Did you watch the match? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
What happened in the final?
The match was played at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, with 34,000 fans in the stadium.Needless to say, the atmosphere was electric, as two of the world's most-decorated women's football teams faced each other yet again for an international showdown.England's manager, Sarina Wiegman, was looking for her third European title.A goal from Spain's Mariona Caldentey in the first half may have caused more concern for England if they hadn't already proved themselves to be the comeback queens.They had already snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in their quarter-final match against Sweden, which ended on penalties, and their semi-final against Italy which ended in extra time.
In the second half, Alessia Russo equalised with an assist from Chloe Kelly.Spain and England battled it out through extra time to penalties yet again.And it was déjà vu for the Lionesses, as Chloe Kelly delivered the winning goal in the shoot out - she had scored the winning goal in England's Euro 2022 final against Germany.
What's the reaction been?
Both Prince William and Princess Charlotte were watching the match - sometimes through their hands - from the stadium.They said they "couldn't be prouder" of the Lionesses - with Prince William shaking the team's hands at the end of the match.The King also added his congratulations, saying "there are no setbacks so tough that defeat cannot be transformed into victory, even as the final whistle looms".Prime Minister Keir Starmer was watching from the stands too, and said the team were "history makers".He confirmed there were plans to host the team at his office No. 10 Downing Street when they returned to the UK.
A big shock reveal after the match was that defender Lucy Bronze had played the whole tournament with a broken leg!"I actually played the whole tournament with a fractured tibia, but no-one knew," said Bronze.England team-mate Ellen White told BBC Sport: "I mean this in the nicest way but she is not human."To say she has just won a major tournament on a fractured tibia, that is not normal. That pain must have been insane and she smashed that ball in for the Sweden game."