One British Vogue Editor's Wild 72 Hours in Switzerland for the Women's Euros Final

Vogue

5 days ago

It's a Saturday afternoon in Basel, Switzerland, and the streets are deathly quiet. Everything looks spotless, polished, the chocolatiers and linen shops and beer-slash-pasta cafes all neatly lined up in a row. There is no indication, on the outside at least—maybe simmering beneath the surface, maybe in the terse expression of a passing fan—that tomorrow is the Women's Euros 2025 final, in which England goes up against Spain, arguably the best team in the world, or at least undoubtedly the bookies' favorite (but they're not England, are they? Crucially, they are not England).
Right now, the Lionesses are—according to what professional footballer Jill Scott tells me over crisp Heinekens in a local hotel—probably going for gentle walks, drinking coffee, and maybe having a quick meeting ahead of the game. They won't be preparing at this stage—it's far too late for that. But they'll be more than ready, she has no doubt. She knew they were going to get through the semifinals against Italy, even when it looked bleak.
'I never believed they were going home, it was weird,' she says. 'When there was only one minute left on the clock, I turned to Beth Mead's dad and said, 'You know what, they'll get one chance,' and as I said that, Hemp crossed it and Michelle scores, which was a brilliant finish.' If they win tomorrow, or 'when they win,' as Jill puts it—again she's sure, she has that feeling—it'll be an even bigger achievement than in 2022, she says; the teams have gotten even better, the pressure is even higher.
By Sunday, the vibe's picked up in Basel as Brits trickle in—men, women, kids, endless queer couples—in face paint and flags and customized kits. But it's the Spanish fans that seem the most sure. Maybe it's because our hotel is closer to the Spanish fan zone, or maybe it's because they beat us in the 2023 World Cup final, but even the way they wear the Spanish flag tucked into the back pocket of their jeans emanates a certain assurance, as if to say, nice try, but we got this. But then I remember Jill, and how she's told me, and a few others in our group by now, that the Lionesses are going to win. And if anyone knows, it's the former Lioness who was on the squad herself when we last won. And it's this which is rattling around my mind as we head to the stadium, and take our seats by the pitch, Heineken can sawed off into a cup, eyelids fixed open as if stuck with tape.