Latest news with #BurnaBoy
Times
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Sarina Wiegman boogies to Burna Boy at England Euros parade in London
Of all of England's remarkable achievements of the past month, Sarina Wiegman dancing to afrobeats on stage in front of 65,000 people may be the most extraordinary. This episode was the highlight of England's parade for the Euro 2025 trophy, which made the equivalent event in 2022 feel like small fry. Starting along The Mall, concluding in front of Buckingham Palace and watched by an exultant crowd, this was a final, emphatic symbol that this team has the nation fawning. Three years ago England marked their first Euros title with a ceremony in Trafalgar Square. While the mood was euphoric and emotional, the occasion felt a little underwhelming and as if it had been thrown together at the last minute. Held the day after England had won the final in front of 87,192 people at Wembley, the celebration attracted 7,000 fans. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. Yet on Tuesday, less than 48 hours after England had won their second successive Euros title by toppling Spain in Switzerland, the team enjoyed a massive, spectacular and at times surreal parade. Several fans defied police instructions by climbing over fences for better vantage points. Unlike in 2022, when supporters were generally happy to offer mellow congratulations, spectators were immersed in Lionesses mania. Most importantly, the 2025 version had Wiegman's dance moves. She initially cut a reserved, cerebral figure after becoming England's head coach in 2021, and remained relatively restrained throughout the Euro 2022 triumph. She has since gradually let her guard down, and showed more emotion than ever during England's thrilling run to Euro 2025 glory. Yet even her animated approach in Switzerland had prepared no one for the scenes on Tuesday. First, two bits of context. In a press conference in November 2023, Wiegman admitted that her favourite song was For My Hand by Burna Boy, featuring Ed Sheeran. During Euro 2025 she occasionally broke out into a dance to celebrate England's dramatic victories. The outcome? Burna Boy surprising Wiegman during the parade, of course. The singer emerged just after Wiegman had been interviewed, prompting an expression of shock from the usually calm and collected coach. Before anyone could quite process what was happening, Wiegman was unveiling her dance moves while her players cheered her on from behind. This was a trivial moment with a meaningful undertone. Wiegman has been perceived as a stern, blunt Dutchwoman who is brilliant at winning football matches but not exactly much fun at a party. However, as she displayed some rather nifty footwork, it was clear that she knows how to enjoy herself too. Some supporters will never accept a foreigner leading the national team but, if any coach can become an honorary Englishwoman, it is Wiegman. She has delivered unprecedented success and is now sufficiently beloved by the country to feel comfortable making herself look silly in front of an enormous audience. There were other memorable moments from the parade. A tearful Leah Williamson could barely talk as she looked down The Mall. Lucy Bronze at least acted the most hungover. Chloe Kelly was unsurprisingly the one to drop the f-bomb. Heather Small made a late cameo to sing Proud. There was room for the profound too, as the Euros trophy was brought on to the stage by Kerry Davis, the Lionesses's first black player. Nevertheless, Wiegman stole the show. She is a prodigious tactician, empathetic woman-manager and, as the parade revealed, a goofy dancer. Right now, it is impossible not to love her.
Fox News
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
England's Euro 2025 Champions Get Heroes' Welcome With Surprise Guests
Thousands of fans came out to celebrate England's back-to-back Women's Euro titles in London on Tuesday as coach Sarina Wiegman and her players were given a homecoming to remember. Led by a marching band along the iconic Mall and later serenaded on stage by music stars Burna Boy and Heather Small, England's players and staff partied in front of Buckingham Palace. "I was crying all the way down The Mall. This is unbelievable. This is probably one of the best things we've ever been a part of," said captain Leah Williamson, fighting back more tears. England made history by becoming the country's first national soccer team across the men's and women's game to win a tournament on foreign soil with the penalty shootout victory against world champion Spain in Basel on Sunday. Arriving on two open-top buses with "Champions" emblazoned on them, the players waved to the fans who, wearing face paint and waving flags, had lined the streets to welcome their heroes. "We didn't really know what to expect coming into it today, but everyone was so excited on the bus and it was so nice to come back to England and celebrate with our fans," said Alessia Russo, who scored England's equalizing goal in the final, which ended 1-1 after extra time. "It's just a bit surreal. It's crazy to see this many people come out in the home of England, in London, heading up to Buckingham Palace, I'd never have dreamt of anything like it." The central band of the Royal Air Force got the atmosphere going — playing England soccer anthems "Three Lions" and "Sweet Caroline." There was more music on stage with a special surprise for Wiegman, who is a fan of Burna Boy. The Nigerian Afro-fusion star joined her to sing his hit song "For my Hand," with Wiegman dancing along and joining in. The Dutch coach completed a three-peat of Euros titles, having previously won with her native Netherlands in 2017 and England in 2022. She has a remarkable record of reaching the final of her last five major tournaments as coach of the Netherlands and England. "I hoped for a little less chaos," she said of the her latest triumph, which featured comebacks from England in each of the knockout rounds through to the final. "They just showed up when it was really necessary." Heather Small was next on stage to sing "Proud" with England's players joining in again before lifting the trophy in front of the thousands of fans who had gathered, with fireworks filling the sky. For Williamson, triumph was another benchmark as she became the first England captain to lift two major trophies. "Obviously we do it for us and our team, but we do it for the country and for young girls. This job never existed 30, 40 years ago and we are making history every single step," she said. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
The Independent
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Burna Boy dances with England manager Sarina Wiegman at Euro 2025 victory parade
Watch as Sarina Wiegman dances with Burna Boy at the Lionesses ' homecoming victory tour in London on Tuesday (29 July). The England coach, who led the team to two consecutive European championship wins, was shocked when she saw the Nigerian artist appear on stage outside of Buckingham Palace. The pair hugged as the singer performed his 2022 hit 'For My Hand' featuring Ed Sheeran, with Ms Wiegman appearing to sing along to the words. Alex Scott, former England star who was hosting the celebration, revealed before Burna Boy came out on stage that he is the coach's 'favourite artist'.
Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
England's Euro 2025 champions given a heroes' welcome with some surprise guests getting involved
Thousands of fans came out to celebrate England's back-to-back Women's European Champions in London on Tuesday as coach Sarina Wiegman and her players were given a homecoming to remember. Led by a marching band along the iconic Mall and later serenaded on stage by music stars Burna Boy and Heather Small, England's players and staff partied in front of Buckingham Palace. 'I was crying all the way down The Mall. This is unbelievable. This is probably one of the best things we've ever been a part of,' said captain Leah Williamson, fighting back more tears. England made history by becoming the country's first national soccer team across the men's and women's game to win a tournament on foreign soil with the penalty shootout victory against world champion Spain in Basel on Sunday. Arriving on two open-top buses with 'Champions' emblazoned on them, the players waved to the fans who, wearing face paint and waving flags, had lined the streets to welcome their heroes. 'We didn't really know what to expect coming into it today, but everyone was so excited on the bus and it was so nice to come back to England and celebrate with our fans,' said Alessia Russo, who scored England's equalizing goal in the final, which ended 1-1 after extra time. 'It's just a bit surreal. It's crazy to see this many people come out in the home of England, in London, heading up to Buckingham Palace, I'd never have dreamt of anything like it.' The central band of the Royal Air Force got the atmosphere going — playing England soccer anthems 'Three Lions' and 'Sweet Caroline.' There was more music on stage with a special surprise for Wiegman, who is a fan of Burna Boy. The Nigerian Afro-fusion star joined her to sing his hit song 'For my Hand,' with Wiegman dancing along and joining in. The Dutch coach completed a three-peat of Euros titles, having previously won with her native Netherlands in 2017 and England in 2022. She has a remarkable record of reaching the final of her last five major tournaments as coach of the Netherlands and England. 'I hoped for a little less chaos,' she said of the her latest triumph, which featured comebacks from England in each of the knockout rounds through to the final. 'They just showed up when it was really necessary.' Heather Small was next on stage to sing 'Proud' with England's players joining in again before lifting the trophy in front of the thousands of fans who had gathered, with fireworks filling the sky. For Williamson, triumph was another benchmark as she became the first England captain to lift two major trophies. 'Obviously we do it for us and our team, but we do it for the country and for young girls. This job never existed 30, 40 years ago and we are making history every single step,' she said.
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Inside the Lionesses' jubilant Euro 2025 victory parade: How Sarina Wiegman let her mask slip, Chloe Kelly's iconic f-bomb, and Leah Williamson's touching message
'In Sarina We Trust,' the placards proclaimed, bobbing above the crowd as tens of thousands flooded down the Mall, inching ever closer to Buckingham Palace. Some had travelled from as far as Durham and as wide as Bristol, all for a glimpse of their heroes – and, of course, the Dutch manager who has delivered something once unimaginable: unflinching, unparalleled success to this country. Wiegman, understated as ever, had to be coaxed to the microphone to address the sea of flag-waving, jubilant faces, and asked to reflect on the night her side rallied one final time to clinch a second European crown in three years. 'Chaos,' she summarised, before delivering the most Wiegman of lines: 'We always had a plan and the players were trying to execute that on the pitch. We kept our hope and belief. We just showed up when it was really necessary and urgent.' Straight to the point. Always reluctant to embellish. Never one to claim individual credit, never one to seek the spotlight. And then the mask slipped – in the most unexpected of ways. The announcement that her favourite singer, Afrobeats star Burna Boy, would be joining her on stage. She gasped, a hand flying to her forehead. 'No way,' she cried, before launching into a spontaneous jig to For My Hand, arm-in-arm with the Nigerian artist, hips swaying as her players erupted in laughter behind her. They, too, were caught off guard by this rare lapse in composure – a glimpse of their manager revelling, at last, in the praise so rightfully hers. 'Her face when they brought Burna Boy out was a picture. None of us could believe it, to be honest,' Esme Morgan told the BBC after the celebrations. The anthem of the tournament had become Wiegman's too. The 1950s classic by The Champs had been joyfully reworked – 'Sarina!' replacing 'Tequila!' – and was roared once more by the faithful gathered below. Leah Williamson summed it up: 'She's an amazing woman. She stands by us on and off the pitch. She supports us in whichever way we need – and then she's ruthless. If she tells me to jump, I say how high.' Seventeen-year-old fan April Caswell from Hertfordshire reflected with striking eloquence: 'She's carried the team so well. To get them to the end and win was absolutely amazing. It's so inspiring – the way she's helped bring up these women who are representing their country. That's inspiring a lot of girls to go after their dreams.' Over the past few weeks, England have felt the love of this crowd in fleeting moments. When they stepped out of their hotels for brief walks around the city. When they opened social media and saw the flood of messages from home. When they were stopped on Zurich's trams for selfies. When press conferences were interrupted by FaceTimes from family – as happened with Hannah Hampton, after her standout performance in the win over Sweden. And, of course, when they stepped onto the pitch and heard the roar. Here, that love surged towards them with force and fervour from every corner of the country. Fans lined the streets in red and white, chanting their names – and they didn't stop. Some had set off as early as three in the morning, heading for the tree-lined, red-tarmac stretch of London's most iconic ceremonial route before dawn had broken. As the hours passed, replays of the Lionesses' road to glory lit up the big screens. There were gasps as the crowd relived the heartbreak of the opening defeat to France, but the loudest cheer of all was saved for Chloe Kelly's decisive penalty. Some cracked open beers with their Monday breakfasts. A few bold fans even clambered onto the media platform to get a better view, prompting gentle intervention from the police. But no one could have asked for more when it came to the speech delivered by Leah Williamson after sobbing her way down the Mall atop the open-top bus. 'This is probably one of the best things we have ever been a part of, so thank you for coming out,' the England captain told the crowd. 'There are lots of ways to win a football match and we repeatedly did it the hard way, but I think you can see how much we care about playing for England, how much we love it. '2022 was a fairytale, but this feels really hard-earned, and we are very proud of ourselves. So thank you – and we hope you are (proud of us), too. 'My message is: everything we do, obviously we do it for us and our team, but we do it for the country and we do it for young girls. This job never existed 30, 40 years ago and we are making history every single step. Thank you so much for being with us. Stay with us – this story is not done yet.' The Mall was filled with thousands of excited England fans who filled up all available space to watch the presentation The Lionesses cruised along The Mall to celebrate their second European title on the trot Woman-of-the-hour Chloe Kelly put it more succinctly – and with no less impact – declaring, 'It's so f**** special!' The outburst drew titters from the crowd and nervous laughter from Alex Scott, who swiftly apologised for the language, as Kelly later did on social media. The occasion felt quintessentially British in the 21st century: a flamboyant clash of tradition and modernity. It began with bagpipes, pomp and ceremony. The backdrop – Buckingham Palace and the Queen Victoria Memorial – was nothing short of majestic. There was a dash of the vintage – Heather Small's Proud sent Ella Toone and Alessia Russo into a frenzy. And then came the flavour of the new: DJs, Alex Scott, visor sunglasses – and, crucially, women at the forefront of celebration for their sporting achievement. One of the day's quiet tragedies was the absence of Jess Carter, who had flown back to the United States to play for her club, Gotham FC, in the NWSL. After all she endured this tournament – from the racist abuse that forced her off social media to her rock-solid, triumphant display against Spain – she deserved this moment more than most. But her decision to return to club duty before taking her bow was a testament to her character. Here's hoping she heard the loudest roar when her name was announced at Basel's St Jakob-Park – a stadium that will now carry the memory of this special group of players for many years to come.
