Singing, dancing and a Cavapoo called Reggie: how England celebrated Euros glory

The Guardian

5 days ago

England's history-making players celebrated their Euro 2025 triumph alongside family, friends and a Cavapoo called Reggie long into the early hours of Monday morning.
Songs by Natasha Bedingfield, Heather Small and Gala all featured on a night of singalongs, dancing and drinking as the team, the staff and their loved ones soaked in the moment after their victory against the world champions Spain in a penalty shootout in Basel.
The Lionesses are known to love singing as a team after victories and they were already performing their own rendition of Calum Scott's cover of Dancing on My Own by the time they left the pitch to walk into their dressing room – with the head coach, Sarina Wiegman, declaring confidently that 'we're going to party tonight' in her press conference before exiting Basel.
The squad's nearest and dearest had been situated directly behind the England technical area in the lower tier of the stands in Basel, allowing the players to embrace them in the aftermath of the final, which was their third consecutive major-tournament final. After Chloe Kelly's winning penalty kick clinched the victory, Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline was soon blasting around St Jakob-Park. Lucy Bronze celebrated on the pitch amid the glitter with her young nephews while Beth Mead hugged her partner, the Netherlands and Manchester City forward Vivianne Miedema, in the stands.
The families and friends then travelled to the Dolder Grand hotel – the Lionesses' luxurious base, overlooking the city of Zurich as well as Lake Zurich and the distant mountains of the Alps – and were ready to greet the team when their coach arrived. The players, all wearing deliberately back-to-front England shirts emblazoned with 'Champions, 25', arrived at the party to the sound of the London-born singer Heather Small's debut solo single from 2000, Proud – a song that had been played repeatedly throughout the Lionesses' run to the final.
In a moment that is now becoming something of a tradition for the team at such Lionesses parties, the captain, Leah Williamson, and Wiegman, are understood to have cut a cake in celebration. Before long, all present were singing along to some of the team's favourite celebratory tunes such as Gala's Freed From Desire – which burst into popularity with football fans in 2016 at the men's European Championship in France – as well as Sweet Caroline and, several hours later, Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten.
There was also an impressive rendition of Ike & Tina Turner's River Deep, Mountain High, performed with a microphone by the England midfielder Ella Toone. A 1996 version of that same song by Celine Dion had become popular with the Lionesses after their victories at Euro 2022 on home soil, most memorably being sung by Rachel Daly on stage in Trafalgar Square at the team's public celebratory event on the day after their victory against Germany that year.
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Toone also enjoyed dancing to a remix of Teddy Swims's Lose Control on the shoulders of her boyfriend, the footballer Joe Bunney. Earlier, the team had taken turns to cuddle Reggie, a dog belonging to the team's private barista James, who has worked with the Lionesses at St George's Park in Staffordshire as well as in Zurich.
The team then flew back to London for a reception at 10 Downing Street on Monday afternoon, where they were hosted by the deputy prime minister. Before takeoff Williamson was seen cradling the European Championship trophy, saying: 'We are taking it home back to London, for the next four years.'