Lucy Bronze, a Lioness defender, stood obstinately in front of the goal while holding hands on her head and disbelief dominated her thoughts. Spain, the tournament’s favorite, defeated England 1-0 in the final of the Women’s Euro 2025 tournament, and their team was a chaotic mess.
It was a circumstance that was too well-known.
England’s players were staring at the scoreboard without any answers for the third time in a row. The roaring Lionesses had been silenced by a 25th-minute header from Mariona Caldentey, the final touch to a blistering Spanish move down the right channel.
The England fans everywhere screamed “Not again,” from the thousands of people gathered in Basel’s St Jakob-Park in Switzerland to the millions of people watching nervously return home. They had previously witnessed this depressing story: An England-centric English heart was crushed by a first-half Spain goal in the 2023 FIFA World Cup final in Sydney, Australia.
However, England had to write the ending this time.
The Lionesses, who lived up to their title of tournament comeback queens, reclaimed the title with Alessia Russo’s equalizer in extra time, forcing the reigning champions back into contention.
La Roja‘s statistics were heavily in the hands of the first two hours of football, but despite their skill and swagger, England’s grit and determination kept them alive.
After riding a rollercoaster of emotions on the touchline as her side defeated Spain 3-1 on penalties, England coach Sarina Wiegman declared to the BBC, “Football is chaos.”
Chloe Kelly triumphantly slammed her fist in the air after her signature prancing run-up. The Spaniards called the event “remontada,” or “remontada” as they called it.
The calm, focused Kelly, who also set up Russo’s header, once more represented England’s triumphant side, just as she did three years ago at Euro 2022 at Wembley.
The 27-year-old flashed a smile as she proudly held up the coveted gold medal hanging around her neck, noting that “the first time was so nice, we had to do it twice.”
Super-subs steal the show, in a word.
A fitting nod to England’s Euro 2025 campaign was Sunday’s comeback victory: thrilling, chaotic, and entertaining.
Their ability to survive, adapt, and strike when it mattered most shaped their championship career for a team that led for just under five minutes in the knockout stages.
They did so, writing one of the greatest plays in English football history, a feat only rivaled by the 1966 men’s World Cup victory at home.
“The pitch has been the most chaotic tournament ever… ” It was chaos right away, according to Dutchwoman Wiegman, who has since won three Euro titles.
It’s incredible to lose your first game and win the European Championship.
Indeed, England’s title defense began with a 2-1 defeat to France, casting doubts on their standing as real contenders. However, their resounding victories, including a 4-0 victory over the powerful Netherlands and a 6-1 victory over their neighbor, Wales, kept the ship moving until the end.
However, the storm arrived just in time, bringing with it the ultimate test of England’s resolve at the tournament’s business end. The team was forced to the brink by the quarterfinals and semifinals, which required the players’ greatest concentration during the tense late-game moments. Wiegman’s tactical prowess and squad depth proved crucial in every situation for them.
Teen sensation Michelle Agyemang’s superb equaliser against Sweden saved England from two goals down to win 3-2 on penalties.
The 19-year-old reserve player, whose last name appropriately refers to the “saviour of the nation,” once more showed up in the moment when it was most needed, this time scoring a stoppage-time equalizer to send the game into extra time against Italy.
In the final moments of extra time, Kelly, the super-sub, completed the job by turning in the rebound from a missed penalty.
The English interchange players had the best of impact at the game. They scored 10 goals, which is the most goals ever scored in a single tournament since 2013, twice the total of any other team.
The saying goes, “Tough times don’t go on.”
Prior to a loan move to Arsenal, Kelly struggled for minutes at Manchester City and was unsure of her place in the Euro 2025.
A Champions League final was won right where it was, and a Euros final is now won by Kelly, who has a habit of changing games whenever it matters most.
“Tough times don’t last,” is a phrase to use when telling someone, or perhaps experiencing something similar.
Hannah Hampton, a goalkeeper, rose above hardship to become one of England’s most impactful players at the European Championships, just like Kelly.
The 24-year-old, who is playing her first major tournament and filling Mary Earps’ shoes, pulled off two incredible saves in the quarterfinals with a bloody nose before evicting two more crucial goal attempts in the final, including one from Aitana Bonmati, who many football commentators consider to be the best player in the world.
Hampton defied the odds, winning the player of the match award in the final, having been born with a serious eye condition that still affects her depth perception despite numerous surgeries.
Wiegman praised Hampton, saying, “I think she’s done amazing. To stop those penalties in the Euros final and to win it feels a little like a fairytale.
Wiegman and the Lionesses are now back on their home turf after being able to survive the storm in Switzerland. The message is no longer, “It’s coming home,” as they ride through roaring crowds in their open-top bus parade across London on Tuesday. It will remain there this time.
Source: Aljazeera
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