Euro 2025: England bid to retain their Euro crown in final against Spain
In the hours before the tournament showdown, England boss Sarina Wiegman said the team is 'going to do everything we can to win it' and she would prefer to avoid a 'nerve-wracking' match.
This comes after a number of dramatic late comebacks in the tournament to make it to the final in Basel, Switzerland, to face Spain, who beat them in the World Cup.
Wiegman made only one change in her team from Tuesday's semi-final victory over Italy, playing Gotham FC defender Jess Carter.
She elected to play Esme Morgan in defence earlier in the week.
Chelsea forward James has also made the starting eleven, after she was forced off with an ankle issue in that final-four comeback against Italy.
Carter started the Lionesses' first four matches in Switzerland, revealing before the semi-final that she had been targeted by racist abuse on social media and would be taking a step back from the platforms.
There were two changes for Spain as centre-back Laia Aleixandri returned from suspension to replace Maria Mendez and forward Athenea del Castillo earned a start in place of Claudia Pina.
The Prince of Wales, who is patron of the Football Association (FA) and set to be in Switzerland on Sunday to cheer the team on, wished them good luck on Saturday.In an online message, William said: 'Good luck to the Lionesses tomorrow.'The nation is so proud you are through to the final, after some stunning comebacks! We are all cheering you on! W.'
On Saturday Wiegman said: 'We're happy that we're in the final and we're going to do everything we can to win it and make that happen.'When you are in some scenarios, you hope you can turn it around with some subs or shape change, but the most important thing is that the players believe we can win and change the game, and that's what we've shown.'We want to do well, we don't want a nerve-wracking game, but it also shows what the competition has been and I say it all the time, but the women's game is improving so much and every game is a hard game, so I'm just really glad that we made it through.'England clinched their place in the final with a last-gasp victory over Italy in extra time in Switzerland on Tuesday.It also took a a dramatic penalty shootout win over Sweden to keep their title hopes alive and reach the semi-final, as England looked as though they were going out in extra time.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
2 minutes ago
- Metro
England Euro 2025 hero second favourite to win Sports Personality of the Year
Two Lionesses are in the frame to be named the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year after England won Euro 2025. Sarina Wiegman's side beat Spain in a dramatic penalty shootout to retain their European title. Pre-tournament favourites Spain led through Mariona Caldentey's first-half header but Alessia Russo's second-half equaliser took the final to extra-time and then penalties. England missed their first spot-kick – Beth Mead's effort saved after her first had to be retaken due to a double kick – but Spain then missed three in a row, with Hannah Hampton saving two. Chloe Kelly, who scored the winner in the Euro 2022 final win at Wembley, struck home the decisive penalty to spark bedlam among England fans in the stadium and watching on from back home. Moments after England lifted the trophy, Kelly was installed as the second-favourite to win the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award. Betfair spokesperson Sam Rosbottom said: 'Chloe Kelly is the new second-favourite to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award after scoring the winning penalty for England in the Euro 2025 final. 'Hannan Hampton is also in the mix after saving two penalties to help England win the tournament. Kelly and Hampton are joined by fellow Lionesses Lucy Bronze and Leah Williamson who are among the outsiders to win the award.' Despite the Lionesses' historic success, Rory McIloy remains the favourite to win Sports Personality of the Year after he completed the career Grand Slam by winning the Masters earlier this year. By winning at Augusta, McIlroy became just the sixth man – and first European – in history to win all four majors. Rory McIlroy: Evens Chloe Kelly: 7/4 Lando Norris: 5/1 Hannah Hampton: 5/1 Lucy Bronze: 15/2 (was 16/1) Luke Littler: 9/1 Leah Williamson: 16/1 (was 20/1) Odds courtesy of Betfair World darts champion Luke Littler and Formula One driver Lando Norris are also contenders for SPOTY following impressive rises in their respective sport. Littler etched his name into darting history by becoming the youngest ever PDC World Championship winner at the start of the year. The 18-year-old won the World Matchplay on the same day England retained their Euros title to complete darts' triple crown. England's path to Euro 2025 glory was far from straightforward but the Lionesses delivered when it mattered most to retain the trophy they first lifted in 2022. Penalties were also required in the quarter-finals and Wiegman's side recovered from missing four spot-kicks to beat Sweden. The Lionesses were minutes from exiting in the semi-finals against Italy before Michelle Agyemang scored a dramatic 96th-minute equaliser and Kelly scored late in extra time. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video After coming from behind yet again to beat favourites Spain in the Euro 2025 final, Wiegman said: 'I can't believe it! 'We said we can win by any means and that's what we have shown again today. I am so proud of the team and the staff. It is incredible. 'I just can't believe it. I have a medal around my neck and we have a trophy. It has been the most chaotic tournament on the pitch – all the challenges we had on the pitch against our opponent. 'From the first game it was chaos. Losing your first game and becoming European Champions is incredible. Football is chaos.' More Trending England star Ella Toone added: 'Amazing feeling. I felt all the same emotions as I did back then [at Euro 2022]. 'We worked so hard, winning a tournament for your country – there's no better feeling. We deserved that and we should be so proud of ourselves. 'There were times when people thought we were down and out but we never did. We had that belief in the squad that we were going to come out and win. 'That's the quiet confidence we have in ourselves. Amazing feeling. We're going to enjoy the night. I love a party, I'm a Tyldesley girl of course I love a party!' For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Spain captain takes huge swipe at England after Euro 2025 final defeat MORE: Alex Jones had 'no idea' about misconduct complaints made against Jermaine Jenas MORE: Chloe Kelly's proud husband joins sweet tributes after Women's Euros win
The Independent
2 minutes ago
- The Independent
Why Sarina Wiegman is the best manager in the world
And Sarina dancing, two stars on the shirt. Yes, it's a predictable line, but it is said with all the more meaning given how fans sang "Three Lions" after a sensational and utterly unpredictable Euro 2025 victory for England. 'I kept asking myself, 'how can this happen?' Sarina Wiegman herself said, with the immediate payoff: 'But it happened.' 'The most chaotic, ridiculous tournament I have played.' No wonder she was dancing at the end, and then laughing that the image had already been projected to the world before she even arrived at her press conference. The victorious England manager was still, of course, utterly composed. She naturally knew exactly what to say, just like before the game. 'Enjoy it,' was the main message as the players left the dressing room. They can certainly enjoy it now and relish every moment. Wiegman admitted it will be a rare match she watches back for reasons other than tactical analysis. Before the final - and even during it - enjoying it might have seemed a dubious prospect, especially when Spain seek to exhaust and exasperate you with possession for so long. And yet it again brought out something Wiegman and her players very much enjoyed. Digging in. Showing grit. Pride. 'Proper England,' as repeatedly rang out during this tournament, especially at the end. The defining and decisive images of these games - almost as much as Alessia Russo's header or Chloe Kelly 's penalty - were blocks, tackles, players still putting it in when they had so little left to give. Wiegman admitted that was what stood out for her. 'The fight,' she said. 'We said it a couple of times, the players said 'proper England'. Today we also had to defend very well. They were challenging us. But you see how we give everything to defend the goal. I do enjoy that, because that says something about the team and the togetherness and the will to really want to win.' There's more to these words than Wiegman just enjoying that togetherness. She ensures togetherness. Wiegman talks about 'the most chaotic, ridiculous tournament,' and she can speak from more experience than anyone, given that this is her third successive Euros victory. That is a record that shouldn't really be possible, but she's managed it. She only fortifies her claim to be the best coach in the women's game. 'She's bloody amazing,' tournament-winner Chloe Kelly beamed. 'She's an incredible woman, what she's done for this country, we should all be so grateful for. 'What she's done for the women's game, not just in England, in the Netherlands she's done it, she's taken it to a whole other level. The work doesn't go unnoticed from the staff behind her, they're incredible people and I'm so grateful to have worked with such amazing staff members.' As if it needs to be said, Wiegman knows how to win tournaments. Even her sole recent 'failures', in the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, were narrow defeats in finals. Getting that far twice still displayed her aptitude for this, for driving a team through knock-outs. It comes from creating the right team culture. Gareth Southgate got that and got England's men further than anyone else. Wiegman gets it, but has even more. There are, of course, bigger debates to be had about the performances, how the best team only occasionally wins tournaments, and even football identity and tactical ideology. But those are debates for the Football Association and Dan Ashworth. Wiegman can only manage what she is given, and it clearly works in terms of maximising it all for results. It may not always be pretty - England again came back into a game by going direct. It may not even maximise performance given how close England repeatedly came to going out. This was the fifth different rescue act they needed, having survived multiple times more scares. But Wiegman ensures they know how to get there. They squeeze the most out of their talent in a different way than coming together as a collective in a tactical sense like Spain have shown repeatedly. "We have players that have talent, and the togetherness of this team is really incredible, but also the belief that we can come back,' Wiegman said. "The players say we can win by any means, and we just never, ever give up. Today of course, we had moments where we really had to fight, but I thought we also had some very good moments in the game.' In response to a question about the player of the match, Hannah Hampton, whose entire tournament vindicated yet another Wiegman decision, the manager was tactful. Mary Earps and Millie Bright, of course, weren't mentioned in any of this. "Every player has their one story and journey and hers has been incredible. Starting the tournament and losing the first game, there was so much riding on every game, we had five finals. She had to step up and I think she has been amazing. It's a little bit like a fairytale to stop those two penalties in the final.' She's right as regards individual stories, though. Lucy Bronze had her energy, and that willingness to play through pain. Jess Carter had far more serious issues, and saved her best display for the final and the toughest challenge. Michelle Agyemang had her impact, and now her award for young player of the tournament. Kelly, then, evidently had points to prove. Her year had started with a struggle for minutes at Manchester City, and so much doubt. It culminates with… well, she can describe it herself. 'There were a lot of tears at full-time, especially when I saw my family, because those are the people that got me through those dark moments. I'm so grateful to be out the back end but if that's the story to tell someone experiencing something the same, that sometimes it doesn't last and just around the corner was a Champions League final - won that - and now a Euros final - won that. 'So, thank you, everyone who wrote me off.' That could be said of England as a whole, given how this tournament went, but they ended it still as European champions. Kelly ultimately puts that down to one person. 'What she's done for me individually, she gave me hope when I probably didn't have any. She gave me an opportunity to represent my country again. I knew that I had to get game time and representing England is never a given.' Neither is tournament victory. Wiegman has made it as close to a guarantee as you can get. So, how will she actually enjoy herself? She's already put two stars on their shirts.
The Independent
2 minutes ago
- The Independent
How famous fans have reacted to the Lionesses' Euro 2025 victory
England 's Lionesses won the Women's Euros, triumphing over Spain in a penalty shootout after the match concluded 1-1 following extra time. Chloe Kelly scored the decisive penalty at Basel's St Jakob-Park, sparking widespread celebrations across the nation. The team received extensive praise from prominent figures, including the Prince of Wales, the King, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. Numerous celebrities, such as Piers Morgan, Rylan Clark, Amanda Holden, Alan Carr, Mel B, Stacey Solomon, and Shania Twain, also extended their congratulations. Coach Sarina Wiegman expressed her disbelief and immense pride, describing the tournament as 'chaotic' but praising her team's resilience.
