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The Lionesses appear to have an infinite number of lives at Euro 2025, contrary to the saying that “cats have nine lives.”

After suffering a subpar opening-game defeat by France, they stepped up in a must-win contest against the Netherlands, defeated Sweden 2-0, and made it through a penalty shootout where they saved four spot kicks.

Then, with just a few seconds left in their semi-final against Italy, they turned things around and won 2-1 in extra time to advance to a third successive major final.

Everything was chaotic, dramatic, and, as is customary, late.

On their way to the Euro 2025 final, England’s resilience and ability to overcome hardship have been constant themes.

They faced setbacks even before arriving in Switzerland.

Conversations dominated when it should have been about the Lionesses’ fight for their European title and how they would escape a difficult group.

Prior to Wiegman’s squad announcement on June 5th, she had two senior international retirements and the departure of her World Cup captain to contend with.

On the day of Wiegman’s squad announcement, Millie Bright declared that she is unable to “give 100% mentally or physically,” and midfielder Fran Kirby followed suit on May 27.

Despite the unsettling period, Wiegman had to insist there was “no crisis” heading into the tournament with a combined 217 caps between the three.

Hannah Hampton was the only capped goalkeeper in the squad, and two senior Earps and Bright players, Earps and Bright, did not travel to Switzerland, raising the question of whether there was enough experience.

It was always going to be simpler to say than to do to leave the group stage.

With England’s adversaries including 2017 champions the Netherlands and heavyweights France, optimism was low.

England needed to start strong against France, but things didn’t go as planned.

England’s shaky defense was brutally exposed in a 2-1 defeat at Stadion Letzigrund.

The Lionesses became the first reigning champions to lose their first game at the women’s Euros tournament after being outpaced and outplayed.

England, however, delivered when the pressure was on.

Their tournament would have ended if they had defeated the Netherlands, but they did so thanks to an impressive 4-0 victory over the Dutch, continuing their quest for Euro 2025.

As a result of Wiegman’s tactical adjustments paying off, Lauren James scored twice and Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone also had goals.

England resurrected their quarter-final spot with an emphatic 6-1 victory over Wales four days later, gaining the confidence boost they needed.

With a draw drawn outcome of second place in Group D, England faced Sweden in the quarter-finals, avoiding old rivals Germany, and defeating Spain, who won the 2023 World Cup, in the draw.

That must have been a good thing, right?

However, Sweden won all three of their group games while only conceding one more goal than any other team.

England was 2-0 up and tied for second within 25 minutes.

In Zurich, experienced defender Lucy Bronze and 19-year-old forward Michelle Agyemang both scored in the final 11 minutes to make extra time happen.

Sweden twice failed to convert when it would have won, leading to a breathtaking penalty shootout, and England stumbled over the line to win the game.

After the game, Wiegman said, “At least three times, I thought we were out.”

“This team is incredible, I don’t know why, but I don’t know why.” They are united. They take the necessary steps to reverse our behavior.

In a joint statement, the Lionesses said they would “find another way to combat racism” by halting the anti-racism gesture of taking a knee before games.

Fare, the head of the world’s largest anti-discrimination organization, questioned England’s decision to stop performing what it considered a “powerful anti-racist act,” but Wiegman defended her players, saying the “impact was not good enough.”

Esme Morgan joined Carter in the starting XI after Wiegman made her debut in four games and left Carter out of the starting XI.

However, Italy’s semi-final victory on Tuesday gave England the biggest scare.

The underdogs, who were eight places below England in the world rankings and who had to make their first semi-final since 1997, were the winners.

Wiegman hoped to reach a fifth successive major final as manager while England were aiming for a third straight title.

However, Barbara Bonansea and Italy’s shock lead in Geneva was not read as the script.

Only Hampton’s double save prevented England from going up to 2-0 late in the second half. Then, wiegman’s substitutes performed another magic, with Kelly scoring the winning goal in extra-time after Agyemang scored a stoppage-time equalizer.

Wiegman described it as a movie, and Kelly said it would be an extraordinary fantasy that you couldn’t replace.

Even after cutting a corner straight into the side-netting in stoppage time and having her penalty saved, she was one of the coolest guys in Stade de Geneve.

But she jumped out and punched the rebound over the line as quickly as she could, beating team-mate Ella Toone, before gesturing to the crowd to “colllapse” with her celebration.

She was completely aware of it.

The most recent women’s Euros goal scored was her 119th-minute winner.

England’s most recent goal on record in regular time of a Euros was Teenager Agyemang’s equalizer at 95:01.

In the 88th minute, Wiegman said, “We do have to score now otherwise we’ll have a problem and we’ll have to fly home tomorrow.”

When I saw that there was seven minutes of stoppage time, we had time to create a second chance. We had to keep moving because the clock kept ticking. The team maintains its resolve.

England thinks they can cross the final hurdle because they have already passed this point.

This is England, not world champion Spain or Euro 2022 champion Germany who will follow.

“This team is made up of three major championships in a row and the Euros final once more proves that.” We fight until the end, defender Bronze said.

The Russo and Toone of this year are Kelly and Agyemang.

Following England’s dramatic Euro 2025 semi-final victory over Italy, a text sent by a BBC Sport user perfectly sums it up.

The Lionesses heavily relied on their super subs, particularly Alessia Russo and Ella Toone, to win Euro 2022 three years ago.

The duo did not start a match at that tournament, but they did in all six games.

The most a substitute has ever scored in a Women’s European Championship game has ever been a goal, with Toone scoring two goals from the bench, including one in the final.

A new double act is emerging in 2025, establishing themselves as a force for Sarina Wiegman’s side to reach yet another significant tournament final.

Chloe Kelly, the forward for Arsenal, has started three substitute games for Michelle Agyemang and Chloe Kelly has started three of England’s matches so far in Switzerland.

The pair played a key role in England’s passage to the semi-final and final once more.

When England defeated Sweden 2-0 in the quarter-final, both players scored. Lucy Bronze scored the equaliser in the 81st minute thanks to Kelly’s assist, which also helped make the score 2-0. Kelly also scored in the shootout to advance to the last four of England’s three players.

England were once more left behind in a game that lasted five days, and Wiegman had to use her bench, particularly Kelly and Agyemang, to save the day.

Agyemang, a teenager, kept England in the game, and the 19-year-old equalized in normal time’s 96th minute to make extra time.

Agyemang made just one senior appearance before the tournament, making him a hot commodity in Wiegman’s Euro 2025 squad.

She scored just 41 seconds after being introduced to Belgium on her April debut.

After adding Agyemang to the 23-man squad, Wiegman inquired if she might be a “wildcard” off the bench. “Yes, I think so, I think so. We’ll see what she can bring.

She can bring something new, I’ve seen her in training sessions and in Belgium. I’m hoping she can demonstrate that.

Agyemang clearly demonstrated her abilities to Wiegman.

She scored twice in Switzerland to earn her second goal since Cecilie Pedersen for Norway in 2009, making her the first teenager to do so twice.

The 19-year-old claims she is unsure of how she manages to save England when it is most in need.

She said, “I don’t know,” after the game in Geneva. By God’s grace, that is. I’m so happy to be able to say I’m a part of this team because we are doing amazing things together.

Leah Williamson, England’s captain, said: “She feels inevitable right now. She was replaced by her Arsenal team-mate Agyemang.”

She has good qualities. She is a nightmare to play against, despite what she brings. She makes a great teammate for both my club and my country. I hope she enjoys tonight and is all set to go over the weekend. She deserves her flowers.

Agyemang is 19 years old, in a semi-final of the European Championship, and she played like she had spent many years with her team-mates, according to BBC Sport pundit Nedum Onuoha, who backed her to win.

She is a true star, she says.

When Agyemang lobbed the goalkeeper and hit the crossbar moments before Kelly’s penalty, she almost scored a second for Italy.

Ellen White, England’s record goalscorer, said, “She nearly got the winner.

The 119th minute winner by Kelly against Italy was the most recent Women’s Euros victory.

After a difficult time with Manchester City, the forward, who signed permanently for Arsenal before the 2025 World Cup, said she was considering leaving the sport.

She was recalled to Wiegman’s England squad after joining Arsenal on loan. She and the Lionesses are now reaping the rewards.

After the game, Kelly said, “You’re so happy for these moments where I felt like giving up football and make you appreciate them forever.”

According to Bronze, Kelly, who famously scored the winning goal for England in the famous match against Germany at Wembley to defeat the country to win Euro 2022, has “made a difference” in every game in Switzerland.

She did it as well before the final Euros, according to Bronze. She recovered from an ACL injury and scored the winning goal in the Euros final, but we forget.

She has been doing it week in and week out, and all she has is a confidence and attitude that I can’t buy.

She hasn’t started any games, but she has every single game started and changed people. That’s for sure one of the players you want on your team and not the other team.

Laura Giuliani had initially saved Kelly’s penalty, but she did so without resuming the shootout.

England record-scorer Ellen White told BBC Radio 5 Live, “Thankfully Chloe Kelly had the composure to sprint and tuck it under the goalkeeper.” “To remain calm and follow up.

Wiegman was asked if Agyemang is forcing herself into her starting lineup for the final after the match.

She won’t try to force me, Wiegman claimed. She is prepared for the request and is very grateful. Her development and growth occurred naturally. From joining our team to not starting at Brighton, getting lots of more minutes, and demonstrating her talent. She feels very good about how things turned out for her.

What do BBC Sport readers think about Kelly and Agyemang’s merits starting on July 27 in Basel?

Please allow us to get Kelly and Agyemang’s starting 11 right on Sunday, Stephen. They must both begin. And in the pressure games, James just stops moving.

Rich: Chloe Kelly has a strong game. She is always involved in some things on the pitch. should have a clear advantage over James. There must be a quicker substitution. Sometimes managers mistake their managerial skills for being overly clever.

Anon: Yes, we are still in, but I don’t understand SW’s substitutions. At half-time, Kelly should have started. And why did Agyemang and Beever-Jones come on so late?

Jas: Kelly and Agyemang must start. This is the second time they have changed.

After being racially abused, defender Jess Carter claims that her support in England’s Euro 2025 semi-final against Italy “meant everything” otherwise she wouldn’t have had the confidence to play in the 2-1 victory.

Following a successful extra-time performance in Geneva, the Lionesses were able to advance to the Euros final for the second time in a row.

Just two days prior, Carter made it known that she had been the victim of racist abuse online since the Swiss tournament started.

The England players then made a statement that they would no longer kneel before games and instead sat still before Tuesday’s kickoff against Italy. Carter was one of the witnesses who stood with their arms tucked together on the touchline in a show of solidarity.

The 27-year-old Gotham FC defender made a dazzling comeback when she came on late in extra time as a substitute as the reigning champions fought for a comeback victory.

The response to the audience “meant everything,” Carter told BBC Sport.

Without that, whether or not I would have spent the final three minutes on the pitch, I wouldn’t have felt confident.

I’m not sure if I had had the guts to stand up for my team. I can’t be more appreciative of everyone who has shown their support for me because they have given me the opportunity to do that.

“I’m incredibly appreciative of them.” Because they were loud and amazing, I hope they kept that energy throughout each and every game for each and every player we had.

Thank you so much for the incredible love I experienced.

When Carter was pressed to describe her emotions on the touchline, Carter replied, “I was trying to focus on not crying.

“Standing together” was intended to raise awareness of racism, that it is still present, and that people still have to deal with it.

We wanted to make the point again to people who leave hateful comments, but I’m not saying that will be done. We’re here to strive to do what you can for your country.

I can handle those criticisms, but I don’t mind if someone says that my feet don’t matter because they don’t play well. I’ll continue to give everything to help my country.

Former Chelsea defender said: “It was really difficult for me to step up and talk about something.” I keep my head down and keep going, which is not really my style.

“But it got to the point where I didn’t feel at ease or confident.”

Everyone on my team has been fantastic, I said. My team has provided incredible support.

England were on the verge of losing in Geneva when Michelle Agyemang equalized in the 96th minute, before Chloe Kelly scored after saving her penalty in the final minute.

Emma Raducanu and Cameron Norrie both won the Washington Open on Tuesday, impressively.

In the opening round, Raducanu defeated Marta Kostyuk, the world number 27 and seventh seed, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.

Naomi Osaka, who has four Grand Slam titles, will face her next, 6-2 7-5, against Yulia Putintseva.

In the second round, Norrie had to work hard to defeat second-seeded, world number seven Lorenzo Musetti, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, for his first victory over a top-10 player in two and a half years.

Despite sacrificing a 4-0 lead in the tie-break, Raducanu, the British number three, took the opening set after a grueling 71 minutes.

In the second set, Kostyuk, who had lost five singles matches in a row since May, rallied to break and draw level at 4-4.

The Ukrainian double faulted Raducanu for giving her two match points, which the Briton took on her second chance, after forcing Kostyuk to serve in order to remain in the match.

The 2021 US Open champion described it as an “extremely good win.”

She continued, “I’m happy with how I fought through the first set and stayed strong when I needed to,” she continued.

In the end, Norrie won the match with just three winners, two of whom came from aces, but won the other two to force a decision.

In the fifth game of the final set, he broke Musetti, who had a first-round bye, in the sixth game to give him a 4-2 lead.

In the final game, the Italian saved two match points, including one on a Norrie double fault, before sending a backhand beyond the baseline, giving the Briton victory in two hours and seven minutes.

Norrie admitted that he was playing tennis once more and that he had “let go of the expectations” as a result.

After beating Ghana 4-2 on penalties in a shootout at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, hosts Morocco will face Nigeria in the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final.

After 90 minutes, neither side was able to break the deadlock in extra time, which ended 1-1.

Egypt’s third penalty was saved by the diving Khadija Er-Rmichi, and Evelyn Badu struck it wide with a perfect score from the spot. With Morocco still holding a perfect record, 18-year-old Comfort Yeboah was under too much pressure.

The Black Queens, who were the better side in the opening period and had the lead through Stella Nyamekye in the 26th minute, had very different beginnings.

After the break, Morocco found their equalizer through Sakina Ouzraoui’s winger, who was only 10 minutes away.

Morocco knew there was every chance a different West African opponent could make them angry on their own patch after defeating Nigeria in the semi-finals three years ago.

And that’s how it ended up against a Ghanaian side, who has improved over the course of the tournament.

Former England youth international Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, one of the Black Queens’ standout players in Morocco, had the first real chance after some physical opening exchanges that was marred by nervousness on both sides.

After three minutes, Ghana wasted another chance when Nyamekye chose to shoot from distance, which resulted in a comfortable save.

After a long ball found its way to full-back Josephine Bonsu, who was forced to make a fine reflex save from Er-Rmichi, who had only the opportunity to tuck the rebound home.

Nyamekye remained a livewire presence the rest of the half, causing issues for the defense of the North Africans and frequently assisting in possession turnovers.

After selecting an unchanged starting lineup for the first four games of the tournament, Morocco’s World Cup-winning coach Jorge Vilda, who had made two changes, made a first-half tactical change after the goal, and immediately made a change.

Najat Badri replaced central midfielder Elodie Nakkach, reversing one of those pre-game adjustments.

After a tussle with defender Susan Duah in injury time, the hosts only really threatened their opponents once in the first half when captain Ghizlane Chebbak fell to the ground. The officials erred when they rebuffed the penalty claims.

However, Morocco dominated the second half, and the roles completely changed.

Before Ouzraoui scored, Badri had already forced a quick save from Cynthia Konlan, who had already collected a long ball that passed past the Ghana keeper.

Nyamekye, 19, was almost immediately given a second by Er-Rmichi when she was too quick and didn’t compose herself.

Extra time appeared inevitable as the passage of time passed, despite Morocco continuing to control the proceedings.

The two players who would soon experience penalty heartbreak combined for their best chance to win it in the first half of extra time.

Yeboah’s speculative shot from range was impulsively parried back by Er- Rmichi, with Badu lurking and nearly escaping.

After that, neither team’s energy level increased significantly, leaving neither team with much to offer.

And there are penalties as well.

Morocco exceled in every way possible in their semi-final shootout against Nigeria at Wafcon 2022.

The Ghanaian side, who defeated Algeria on spot kicks in their quarter-final, was under pressure again thanks to Hanane Ait El Haj, Ibtissam Jraidi, Kenza Chapelle, and Anissa Lahmari’s all-consensus conversions.

Although Bonsu and Alice Kuti scored in the opening two rounds, Badu and Yeboah were unable to find the target.

The three-time champions now have six knockout games played against host nations in Wafcon.

Morocco has never won a continental title, just like Ghana.

After beating Ghana 4-2 on penalties in a shootout at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat, hosts Morocco will face Nigeria in the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final.

After 90 minutes, neither side was able to break the deadlock in extra time, which ended 1-1.

Egypt’s third penalty was saved by the diving Khadija Er-Rmichi, and Evelyn Badu struck it wide with a perfect score from the spot. With Morocco still holding a perfect record, 18-year-old Comfort Yeboah was under too much pressure.

The Black Queens, who were the better side in the opening period and had the lead through Stella Nyamekye in the 26th minute, had very different beginnings.

After the break, Morocco found their equalizer through Sakina Ouzraoui’s winger, who was only 10 minutes away.

Morocco knew there was every chance a different West African opponent could make them angry on their own patch after defeating Nigeria in the semi-finals three years ago.

And that’s how it ended up against a Ghanaian side, who has improved over the course of the tournament.

Former England youth international Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, one of the Black Queens’ standout players in Morocco, had the first real chance after some physical opening exchanges that was marred by nervousness on both sides.

After three minutes, Ghana wasted another chance when Nyamekye chose to shoot from distance, which resulted in a comfortable save.

After a long ball found its way to full-back Josephine Bonsu, who was forced to make a fine reflex save from Er-Rmichi, who had only the opportunity to tuck the rebound home.

Nyamekye remained a livewire presence the rest of the half, causing issues for the defense of the North Africans and frequently assisting in possession turnovers.

After selecting an unchanged starting lineup for the first four games of the tournament, Morocco’s World Cup-winning coach Jorge Vilda, who had made two changes, made a first-half tactical change after the goal, and immediately made a change.

Najat Badri replaced central midfielder Elodie Nakkach, reversing one of those pre-game adjustments.

After a tussle with defender Susan Duah in injury time, the hosts only really threatened their opponents once in the first half when captain Ghizlane Chebbak fell to the ground. The officials erred when they rebuffed the penalty claims.

However, Morocco dominated the second half, and the roles completely changed.

Before Ouzraoui scored, Badri had already forced a quick save from Cynthia Konlan, who had already collected a long ball that passed past the Ghana keeper.

Nyamekye, 19, was almost immediately given a second by Er-Rmichi when she was too quick and didn’t compose herself.

Extra time appeared inevitable as the passage of time passed, despite Morocco continuing to control the proceedings.

The two players who would soon experience penalty heartbreak combined for their best chance to win it in the first half of extra time.

Yeboah’s speculative shot from range was impulsively parried back by Er- Rmichi, with Badu lurking and nearly escaping.

After that, neither team’s energy level increased significantly, leaving neither team with much to offer.

And there are penalties as well.

Morocco exceled in every way possible in their semi-final shootout against Nigeria at Wafcon 2022.

The Ghanaian side, who defeated Algeria on spot kicks in their quarter-final, was under pressure again thanks to Hanane Ait El Haj, Ibtissam Jraidi, Kenza Chapelle, and Anissa Lahmari’s all-consensus conversions.

Although Bonsu and Alice Kuti scored in the opening two rounds, Badu and Yeboah were unable to find the target.

The three-time champions now have six knockout games played against host nations in Wafcon.

Morocco has never won a continental title, just like Ghana.