Lionesses greeted by jubilant England fans on return home after Euro 2025 victory

The Guardian

4 days ago

The Lionesses have been greeted by cheering crowds after landing in Southend airport on Monday, with fans eager to give the squad a triumphant homecoming after their Euro 2025 victory.
The team landed back in the UK on Monday afternoon after defending their Euros title in a penalty shootout win over Spain in Basel, Switzerland, on Sunday. Many supporters had dressed for the Lionesses' return, wearing England kits and holding flags.
They erupted into cheers at Southend airport in Essex as the plane approached the runway and again as the team emerged from the airport to walk along a red carpet waving at fans.
The team's captain, Leah Williamson, led the squad out of the private terminal just before 5pm, carrying the European Championship trophy. Among the fans were the twins Poppy and Daisy Macdonald, 11, from Benfleet, Essex, who were holding a sign asking for a photo with the star striker Alessia Russo.
Poppy said: 'We're so proud. They've won it two times in a row and they've worked so hard for it. They've had a lot of injuries and setbacks but they've done really well.'
Daisy admitted she struggled to watch the penalty shootout, adding: 'I couldn't watch, I was very nervous, but very happy that they won.'
In a post on X, the team shared a photo of the Euros trophy draped in an England flag on a seat on the plane. The team arrived for a celebratory reception at Downing Street, hosted by Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, and Stephanie Peacock, the sports minister, just before 7pm.
No 10 was decorated for the occasion, with St George's flags draped over windows and bunting along the railings.
'It was amazing, I just burst out crying just in pure emotion,' said one fan waiting outside the black gates in front of Downing Street. 'Just that little girl inside of me watching football when I was younger and seeing how far the game has grown since then, it all just kind of got to me.'
Another fan waiting to get a peek of the team had only just come back from Switzerland to watch the team romp to a final. Izzy said seeing the players arrive at Downing Street was an opportunity that could not be missed.
'For me there wasn't really a doubt that they were going to win, but it was still really stressful,' said the 30-year-old, who asked not to share her surname, after calling in sick to work to celebrate the Lionesses' victory.
As a former player herself, she travelled to London alone and is staying in the capital for Tuesday's open-top bus tour. She said the growth in support since the team's 2022 win was evident by having to queue online for tickets to watch Sunday's match at a London screening.
'That wouldn't have happened a few years ago,' she added. 'It's great to see everyone supporting them.'
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Despite some players being lined up for MBEs after the victory, and congratulations from Keir Starmer and King Charles, it is understood that Downing Street has no plans for a bank holiday to mark the Lionesses' triumph.
'If we had a bank holiday every time the Lionesses win, [we] would never go to work,' the PM's spokesperson said on Monday, as the prime minister met with Donald Trump, the US president, in Scotland.
Earlier on Monday, Williamson was seen smiling and holding the Euros trophy as the team left their hotel in Zurich and began their journey home in the rain. Other team members, wearing their medals, smiled as they high-fived supporters waiting outside the building and signed autographs.
On Tuesday the team will do an open-top bus procession along the Mall and a ceremony in front of Buckingham Palace.
A trip to Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle may be on the cards for the winning squad in autumn as royal aides are understood to be exploring the possibility of a reception at a royal household.