Starmer hints Lionesses will be honoured after Euro 2025 triumph
The Lionesses became back-to-back European champions after beating Spain in a penalty shoot-out in Basel last Sunday – the first senior England side to lift a major trophy overseas.
The Prime Minister praised the players for inspiring a generation, including his own daughter, and for representing 'decency, fairness and respect'.
Among those tipped for recognition are Chloe Kelly, who scored the decisive penalty in the final, and goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, who saved two Spanish spot-kicks.
Head coach Sarina Wiegman, who led England to the win, could be made an honorary dame.
The Cabinet Office oversees the honours process and recipients are not confirmed until they are officially announced, but sporting heroes have often been rewarded.
After the Lionesses' 2022 win, captain Leah Williamson was made an OBE, while Lucy Bronze, Beth Mead and Ellen White received MBEs.
Sir Keir said the Lionesses' success was about 'more than football', citing their resilience in coming from behind against Sweden, Italy and Spain, and their stand against racist abuse during the tournament.
Writing in The Sun on Sunday, he said: 'When the Lionesses put that England shirt on, they stand for what we stand for together: England, in all its glory, with our shared history and values.
'The pride, resilience and unity that define this team define the very best of who we are.'
He added: 'What Sarina and our Lionesses have achieved is nothing short of remarkable. So recognition is coming – and it will be worthy of their historic success.'
The Government, he said, was committed to delivering a legacy of 'equal access to all sport for girls and boys' in schools – a key demand from the squad after their 2022 triumph.
'The Lionesses have made an entire nation proud,' he said. 'We're determined to deliver a legacy they can be proud of too.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
3 minutes ago
- The Independent
F1 standings after Hungarian GP as Lando Norris closes gap to Oscar Piastri
F1 returns to Budapest for the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend, round 14 of the 2025 season and the last race before the summer break. Championship leader Oscar Piastri won the Belgian Grand Prix last time out, with an early overtake on McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris sealing his sixth victory of the season. The Australian now has a 16-point lead over the Briton. Charles Leclerc secured a podium finish for Ferrari, while Lewis Hamilton recovered from a pit-lane start to come home seventh. However, the seven-time world champion is still chasing a first podium for the Scuderia. Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the sprint race at the first race under new team principal Laurent Mekies, while Mercedes endured a weekend to forget. Piastri won last year's race in Hungary - his first F1 victory - after a contentious team order decision instructed Norris to give up the lead. F1 driver standings after Hungarian GP 1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 284 points 2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 275 points 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 185 points 4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 157 points 5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 139 points 6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 109 points 7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 63 points 8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 54 points 9. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 37 points 10. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 27 points 12. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 22 points 12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 20 points 13. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 20 points 14. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 16 points 15. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 16 points 16. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 16 points 17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 10 points 18. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 8 points 19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 6 points 20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points 21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points F1 constructor standings after Hungarian GP 1. McLaren - 516 points 2. Ferrari - 248 points 3. Mercedes - 220 points 4. Red Bull - 192 points 5. Williams - 70 points 6. Sauber - 43 points 7. Racing Bulls - 41 points 8. Aston Martin - 36 points 9. Haas - 35 points 10. Alpine - 20 points
The Independent
3 minutes ago
- The Independent
Mimi Rhodes makes unusual hole-in-one at Women's Open
England's Mimi Rhodes found an unusual way to score low on a tough day by sinking a remarkable hole-in-one in her final round at the AIG Women's Open. High winds made for difficult conditions at Royal Porthcawl on Sunday but, with a fortuitous ricochet off her playing partner's ball, Rhodes aced the par-three fifth. Rhodes, who began six shots off the overnight lead of nine under held by Miyu Yamashita, had the benefit of following Stephanie Kyriacou off the tee. The Australian went close to a hole-in-one herself with a shot that hit the green and came to rest inches from the cup. Rhodes then played a very similar shot and, luckily for her, Kyriacou's ball was handily placed for it to deflect in off. Kyriacou was still able to hole her short putt for a deserved birdie. Meanwhile, Yamashita birdied the fourth to open up a three-shot lead as nearest challenger Kim A-lim dropped back to seven under following back-to-back bogeys. Rhodes' compatriot Charley Hull then cut the gap to two with consecutive birdies at the fifth and sixth.
Daily Mail
4 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Ferarri boss breaks silence after frustrated Lewis Hamilton labelled himself 'useless'
Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur has responded to Lewis Hamilton 's shocking comments following his poor result in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion said Ferrari should drop him from his £60million-a-year-contract after he qualified 12th while his team-mate Charles Leclerc claimed a surprise pole position. It was the Brit's worst-ever qualifying result in Budapest, and moved his head-to-head record against Leclerc in qualifying to 10-4 this season. A clearly dejected Hamilton said: 'It's me every time. I'm useless, absolutely useless. 'The team have no problem. You've seen the car's on pole. So we probably need to change driver.' Fans were stunned to hear such words from an icon of the sport and team principal Vasseur has attempted to ease the pressure on him. He explained that it is normal for a driver to struggle after joining a new team, having spent so long with Mercedes. 'He spent 20 years in the same environment,' said the Frenchman. It is a huge change. 'The car cannot cope with his driving style yet. But I want both cars fighting for podiums.' Hamilton is unlikely to be going anywhere and much of the speculation in recent times has been over the future of his boss. However, Ferrari brought those rumours to an end as they handed the Frenchman a new multi-year contract extension. 'Fred joined the Scuderia at the beginning of 2023, bringing with him extensive motorsport experience and a proven ability to develop talent and build competitive teams across all levels of racing,' a statement read. 'Since then, he has laid a solid foundation with the ambition of returning Ferrari to the top of Formula 1. Renewing Fred's contract reflects Ferrari's determination to build on the foundations laid so far. His ability to lead under pressure, embrace innovation, and pursue performance aligns fully with Ferrari's values and long-term ambitions. 'Under Fred's leadership, Scuderia Ferrari HP is united, focused, and committed to continuous improvement. The trust placed in him reflects the team's confidence in its strategic direction and reinforces a shared determination to deliver the results that Ferrari's fans, drivers, and team members expect and deserve.'
