England’s Lionesses pulled off a historic victory at the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, overcoming tournament-long adversity to defeat Spain 3–1 on penalties in Sunday’s final after a 1–1 draw in Basel.
The win marked England’s first senior football title on foreign soil and their second consecutive European Championship under manager Sarina Wiegman, who further cemented her legacy as one of the greatest coaches in women’s football.
Despite a rocky start — including a 2–1 opening loss to France — England clawed their way through a series of dramatic knockout matches. They came from two goals down in the quarter-finals against Sweden, scored a 96th-minute equaliser in the semi-final against Italy, and were never ahead in any of their knockout games except for one minute in total.
“This is the most chaotic and ridiculous tournament we have played,” Wiegman admitted. “But the players think they can win by any means — we just never, ever give up.”
The team’s resilience and depth proved crucial, particularly in light of the pre-tournament retirements of key players Mary Earps and Fran Kirby, and the absence of Chelsea captain Millie Bright.
Though England lacked the polished style of Spain, led by Aitana Bonmati, they were tactically versatile and mentally relentless — traits widely credited to Wiegman’s leadership.
Since taking over in 2021, Wiegman has led England to two European titles and a Women’s World Cup final, after previously guiding the Netherlands to the Euro 2017 title. Her streak now includes five consecutive major finals and three European titles.
“She is bloody amazing,” said forward Chloe Kelly, who netted the decisive penalty in the final. “She’s taken the women’s game to another level — not just in England but globally.”
The Euro 2025 tournament in Switzerland also broke records, drawing a total attendance of 657,291 — the highest in the competition’s history — underscoring the surging popularity of women’s football across Europe.
As focus now shifts toward the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, the English FA has expressed its intention to retain Wiegman, whose contract runs through that tournament.
The tournament not only showcased the dominance of England and Spain — especially following Arsenal’s Champions League win over Barcelona — but also saw impressive performances from teams like Italy, who reached their first semi-final since 1997.
Wiegman praised the rising competitive standard: “The intensity of the games went through the roof. The level has gone up again.”
