Home again! The Lionesses became back to back European champions one year ago

On this day one year ago, July 27 2025, the Lionesses became European Champions for the second time in the row. The nerve wracking finale in Basil was decided in penalty shootout. The national hero once again was Chloe Kelly, who took the decisive kick. Let's recall the 2025 UEFA Women's Euro final.

The Lionesses became two-time European champions a year ago. Alongside Germany, they are only the second nation to have successfully defended the UEFA Women's EURO title. Once again, they did so under the head coach Sarina Wiegman. Wiegman had already won the tournament with her homeland Netherlands in 2017, making it a remarkable hattrick of European titles.

Absence of the icons

Although the Lionesses travelled to Switzerland as the defending champions after lifting the trophy in 2022, they were not considered the favourites. Spain would win, experts across Europe agreed. That was the consensus not only before the tournament began but also ahead of the final, where Spain and England met.

Spain had won the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup and arrived at the EURO as favourites to complete the one major title still missing from their trophy cabinet. It was Spain who had beaten England 1:0 in the World Cup final three years earlier.

England, meanwhile, were missing several key players compared to their victorious 2022 squad. Goalkeeper Mary Earps, midfielder Fran Kirby and vice captain Millie Bright decided not to take part in Switzerland. Earps and Kirby announced their international retirements shortly before the tournament, while Bright missed out through injury. Shortly after the EURO, Bright also announced her retirement from international football before eventually bringing her playing career to an end altogether.

No one believed them

England's start to UEFA Women's EURO 2025 could hardly have gone worse. They opened the tournament with a deserved and disappointing 2:1 defeat to France. Simply put, the Lionesses were second best and looked far from convincing. It was Sarina Wiegman's first-ever defeat at a European Championship. It also marked the first time in history that the reigning champions had lost their opening match at the tournament. At that point, very few people still believed England could retain their title.

After the humbling defeat, England knew they had to win their remaining group matches to reach the knockout stage. To the surprise of many, Wiegman made only two changes to her starting XI. Jess Carter moved into central defence, while Ella Toone replaced Beth Mead.

They proved to be inspired decisions. Wiegman once again demonstrated the qualities for which she is so highly regarded: she does not panic and has the courage to trust her own judgement rather than giving in to outside pressure. Even before the tournament, she had made it clear to every player whether they were likely to start or begin on the bench. But she also explained to those not in the starting XI that their role would be vital and that they would be expected to change games from the bench. The knockout stage would ultimately prove just how right she was.

Before then, however, the Lionesses comfortably dispatched their remaining group opponents, beating the Netherlands 4:0 and Wales 6:1. The turnaround after the opening defeat was extraordinary. The Dutch had been considered among the favourites to win the tournament and entered their meeting with England believing they could effectively end the defending champions' hopes. Instead, England completely outclassed them in a match they simply had to win, producing a performance worthy of champions.

The knockout stage was far less straightforward, but England repeatedly showed the mentality of winners and an unwavering belief in themselves. Nowhere was that more evident than in the quarter-final against Sweden. With just ten minutes remaining, they trailed 2:0. That was when two of England's biggest heroes of EURO 2025 stepped forward: the then 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang and Chloe Kelly. One scored, the other provided two assists, and within the space of two minutes the score had been transformed to 2:2.

In Kelly and Agyemang we trust

Agyemang had made her senior England debut only a few months earlier, while Kelly had considered retiring from football in January. Fortunately for England, she did not. Without those two players, there very likely would have been no title.

After a goalless extra time, the match went to penalties. Perhaps the worst—and certainly one of the most nerve-racking—shootouts in football history. Of the 14 penalties taken, only five were converted. Sweden scored twice, England three times, sending the Lionesses into the semi-finals while Sweden were left heartbroken. As Donna in Mamma Mia movie said: July 17, what a night!

The semi-final against Italy felt like a repeat of England's quarter-final against Spain at EURO 2022. Back then, England had trailed 1:0 until the 83rd minute before Ella Toone equalised and Georgia Stanway scored the winner in extra time to secure a 2:1 victory. Afterwards, captain Leah Williamson famously said: "The english are never done." She repeated those words after this year's semi-final, which had striking similarities to that dramatic comeback.

Never done and nerves of steel

England needed every bit of luck they could find. Until the last moment, it was unclear whether captain Williamson would even play after injuring her ankle in the previous match and being forced off. Sadly, the injury had impact on her next season with Arsenal when she came back to pitch in December.  Esme Morgan replaced Jess Carter in defence after Carter had come under heavy criticism for her performance. Unfortunately, much of that criticism on social media descended into racist abuse, reigniting the debate over how women's football, a sport that proudly presents itself as inclusive and safe for everyone, should tackle such behaviour.

Back to the semi-final itself. Italy were enjoying a fairytale run. They had reached the last four for the first time since 1997 and looked on course for a historic place in the final after taking the lead in the 33rd minute. Despite relentless pressure, England were unable to find a way past Italy's goalkeeper during normal time. But Italy paid the price for repeatedly running down the clock, with the referee adding seven minutes of stoppage time. Deep into the sixth minute of added time, Michelle Agyemang struck again to send the match into extra time.

The job was then completed by England's other EURO 2025 saviour Chloe Kelly. After Beth Mead was fouled in the penalty area, England were awarded what many felt was a harsh penalty. Kelly stepped up to take it. She failed to convert the spot kick, but reacted quickest to score the rebound. It came in the closing moments of extra time, narrowly sparing England from yet another penalty shootout.

"Things don't always go according to plan. But the important thing is that we never give up. When we step onto the pitch, we have to be prepared for every situation," captain Leah Williamson said afterwards, adding that the overall quality of the tournament meant no match could be taken for granted. It was also a response to the fact that England had entered the semi-final as overwhelming favourites but had come within minutes of elimination. They may not have dominated the knockout stage, but they kept finding ways to win.

Arsenal Women power

And so, the team many had written off after the opening defeat found themselves playing for the title once again. Standing in their way were favourites Spain, who had dominated every opponent throughout the tournament and reached the final with a perfect record.

But the Lionesses showed their fighting spirit and reminded the football world why they should never be counted out. England started the final brightly but, as had happened in every knockout match, conceded the opening goal. Mariona Caldentey of Arsenal put Spain ahead. In the second half, however, another Arsenal player, Chloe Kelly, delivered yet another decisive moment, crossing from a corner for Alessia Russo to equalise with a header.

Just as in 2022, the final was level at 1–1 after 90 minutes and went into extra time. And once again, Chloe Kelly would have the decisive say. This time, though, the outcome was settled only in a penalty shootout. A fitting conclusion to a tournament filled with dramatic comebacks and shootouts. Spain missed three of their four penalties, and Kelly converted England's decisive kick at the start of the fifth round.

England became the European champions once again.

Next stop? Brazil!

On 27 July 2025, the Lionesses successfully defended their European title, becoming only the second nation after Germany to achieve the feat. Chloe Kelly once again played a decisive role. Remarkably, she did not start a single match at EURO 2025 and had considered retiring from football only six months earlier because, in her own words, the game had stopped bringing her joy. A winter move from Manchester City to Arsenal transformed everything. There, she won the UEFA Women's Champions League by defeating Barcelona, whose players formed the backbone of Spain's national team.

England's triumph in 2022 inspired hundreds of thousands of young girls to take up football and contributed to a significant rise in attendances across the Women's Super League. The long-term impact of this tournament, which also broke television audience records for women's football, remains to be seen. What it did confirm, however, is that this sport, and England in particular, can no longer be overlooked.

Now attention turns to the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. Unlike Spain, England have not yet secured qualification. The two rivals were drawn together in the same qualifying group, with Spain coming out on top. England must now face Greece, and if they win, they will meet the winner of Slovakia versus Ukraine.