Euro

GIRLS are aloud and making us proud!

OK, no more nostalgia about 1990s ‘Girl Power,’ but the times they are a-changing and then some.

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The Red Roses blossomed last weekend as the England women’s rugby team won the World Cup in front of a record 82,000 Twickenham full-house.

That came hot on the heels of our Lionesses’ back-to-back European Championships successes and proves that women’s sport is here to stay.

Rewind two or three decades and women, when mentioned in the same breath as football, was something approaching a dirty word. Just look at the history books.

In 1921 there were over 150 women’s football clubs playing games in front of 40,000-plus gates.

So what did the FA do? They banned it, saying it was “unsuitable for females.”

It only took nearly five decades for the FA to change their minds and growth in the women’s game in the 70s and 80s was slow.

In fact, the national team had to wait until 1998 to have its first full time coach, Hope Powell.

The 2012 London Olympics handed the women’s game a massive boost. TeamGB were watched by over 70,000 at Wembley against Brazil and footie for females was finally freed.

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Last year, an FA study revealed a 56 percent rise in the number of women and girls playing football in the previous four years.

The number of registered female football clubs has more than doubled in the last seven years and just look at crowds in the WSL.

Seven seasons ago the highest gate at any game was 2,648 for Chelsea against Manchester City. Last season it was nearly 57,000 for the North London derby.

A new sponsorship deal with Barclays is worth £15million a year and WSL clubs’ revenues soared 34 percent in 2023-24 alone. So from the grassroots all the way up, women’s football is on the up.

Thankfully, that kind of progress is being repeated in other sports and not just rugby, where there has been significant growth in recent years to the tune of a 60 percent rise in registered players since 2017.

What about cricket? Our girls took a pasting against the Aussies, but the World Cup is upon us with England aiming for a fifth title.

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In other sports, women do us proud. From netball’s Jade Clarke to tennis star Emma Raducanu, to athlete Keely Hodgkinson and world champion boxer Lauren Price… the list is long and shows just how women are flourishing.

Having said that, I was stunned to read that middle-distance runner Georgia Hunter Bell still worked full-time in tech sales just a few months before winning a bronze at last year’s Paris Olympics.

I cannot imagine a male elite athlete doing the same.

Georgia won silver at the World Championships last month and hopefully being a 24-7 athlete will help her go one better next time.

I’m obviously aware of the lack of female representation in the corridors of power within football and other sports, but I hope that is slowly changing.

Both the FA and PL chairs are women — Debbie Hewitt and Alison Brittain — and are doing a fine job.

Right now, though, I’d rather concentrate on the progress that has been made in a relatively short time.

The WSL is in rude health and will get bigger and better, underlining the fact that we, as a nation, are leading the way in the men’s and women’s game.

We should celebrate that because ‘girls just wanna have fun’.

While Northern Ireland’s skipper on the night, and their most capped player of all-time, Steven Davis remembers a performance where “not very much of it was good”, the odds of an unlikely upset had lengthened further when Martin Paterson fired the visitors into a 14th-minute lead.

Aurelien Joachim cancelled out that goal before half-time however and Stefano Bensi put the side, who had previously won only four World Cup qualifiers, into a shock lead.

Gareth McAuley appeared to salvage a face-saving draw with a late header, but Mathias Janisch struck three minutes from time to leave O’Neill reflecting on an “unacceptable” performance.

The manager went on to call his side’s game management “pathetic”, while local newspapers were even less kind, labelling the result against the part-timers ranked 140th in the world as the worst in the country’s history.

And yet, nine of O’Neill’s starting eleven that night, along with five members of his bench, were a part of the 23-man squad when Northern Ireland headed to Euro 2016 less than three years later.

“Sometimes when you hit rock bottom, there’s only one place to go and that’s to come back from it,” said McAuley when asked about the dramatic turnaround.

Even if hindsight shows how rash a decision it would have been, there were questions over O’Neill’s future after the result.

McAuley, whose goal against Ukraine in Lyon later gave Northern Ireland their first ever win at a European Championships, says such doubts never permeated into the senior playing group.

“It’s one of them things, there was probably a real transitional stage. There was the old guard and then there was new players coming in and Michael was coming in,” said the former West Bromwich Albion centre-back.

“It’s difficult really for an international manager when you think of how many actual training sessions you get, building relationships with players, getting your points across. These things do take time.

“But Michael had a way that he wanted to do things, and we could see that, we were behind it. It just got there, it just clicked. There were so many factors around it, but the belief that we had in what we were being asked to do was what really galvanised us to move that forward.”

Wales will play in the European top flight for the first time in 24 years in 2027 after beating Austria 2-1 in dramatic fashion in their Women’s EuroHockey Championship II semi-final in Poland.

It will mark Wales’ return to the European A Division for the first time since 2003 having already secured a place in the World Cup qualifiers for just the second time in their history, by progressing from the group stage in Gniezno.

Wales’ men will also play in the World Cup qualifiers and Europe’s 2027 top flight after their 5-0 win over Italy in the EuroHockey Championship II in Portugal.

Against Austria, Wales women captain Beth Bingham struck first, in the 21st minute, by tapping in from a penalty corner rebound.

Kristine Vukovich levelled for Austria with 10 minutes left through a penalty corner, but Amy Cradden stepped up to score the winner late on, also from a penalty corner, to spark Wales’ celebrations.

Hands on her head, disbelief clouding her thoughts, Lioness defender Lucy Bronze stood frozen in front of the goal. England were 1-0 down in the Women’s Euro 2025 final to the tournament favourites, Spain, and their team was a chaotic mess.

It was a situation that was all too familiar.

For the third match in a row, England’s players stared at the scoreboard, devoid of answers. A 25th-minute header from Mariona Caldentey, the final touch on a blistering Spanish move down the right channel, had silenced the roaring Lionesses.

“Not again,” was the collective murmur of the England fans everywhere, from the tens of thousands packed into Basel’s St Jakob-Park in Switzerland, to the millions watching nervously back home. They had seen this downbeat script before: a first-half Spain goal in the 2023 FIFA World Cup final in Sydney, Australia, had crushed English hearts.

But this time, the ending was England’s to write.

Living up to their billing as the comeback queens of the tournament, the Lionesses clawed their way back into the contest through Alessia Russo’s equaliser in the second half, forcing the world champions into extra time.

Two hours of football saw the statistics heavily favour La Roja, but for all their skill and swagger, it was England’s grit and grind that carried them through to victory.

“Football is chaos,” England coach Sarina Wiegman told the BBC after riding a rollercoaster of emotions on the touchline as her side beat Spain 3-1 on penalties.

With her signature prancing run-up, Chloe Kelly buried the final spot kick into the net, triumphantly punching her fist in the air. The comeback, or “remontada” as the Spaniards call it, was complete.

The calm and composed Kelly, who also set up Russo’s header, was once again the heroic face of England’s title-winning team, just as she was at Wembley three years ago at Euro 2022.

“The first time was so nice, we had to do it twice,” remarked the 27-year-old, flashing a smile as she proudly held up the coveted gold medal hanging around her neck.

Super-subs steal the show

Sunday’s comeback victory was a fitting nod to England’s Euro 2025 campaign: thrilling, chaotic and entertaining.

For a team that led for just under five minutes in the knockout stage, their ability to survive, adapt and strike when it mattered most defined their championship journey.

And in doing so, they scripted one of the greatest chapters in English football history, a triumph rivalled only by the men’s World Cup win at home in 1966.

“It has been the most chaotic tournament on the pitch…. From the first game, it was chaos,” said Dutchwoman Wiegman, who now has three Euro titles in her resume.

“Losing your first game and becoming European champions is incredible.”

Indeed, England’s title defence began with a 2-1 loss to France, casting early doubt over their credentials as true contenders. But resounding victories – a 4-0 thrashing of the mighty Netherlands and a 6-1 rout of neighbours Wales – steadied the ship as they sailed through to the knockouts.

The storm, though, arrived soon enough, bringing with it the ultimate test of England’s resolve at the business end of the tournament. The quarterfinals and semifinals pushed the team to the brink, demanding utmost composure from the players in the nerve-racking late-game moments. They rose to each occasion, with Wiegman’s tactical nous and the squad depth proving decisive.

Eleven minutes away from elimination in the quarterfinals, teen sensation Michelle Agyemang scored a superb equaliser against Sweden, as England recovered from two goals down to win 3-2 on penalties.

The 19-year-old reserve player, whose surname fittingly means “saviour of the nation“, once again stepped up when it mattered the most, this time in the semifinals against Italy, netting a stoppage-time leveller to send the match into extra time.

Super-sub Kelly then finished the job, converting the rebound from a missed penalty in the dying seconds of extra time.

The impact of England’s interchange players at the tournament was unmatched. They were directly involved in 10 goals, twice as many as any other side and the most ever recorded in a single edition of the tournament since 2013.

‘Tough times don’t last’

Just six months ago, Kelly was struggling for minutes at Manchester City and unsure of her Euro 2025 spot, until a loan move to Arsenal changed her fortunes.

“Just around the corner was a Champions League final, won that, and now a Euros final, won that,” said Kelly, who has made a habit of changing matches when it matters most.

“If that’s a story to tell someone, maybe experiencing something the same, tough times don’t last.”

Just like Kelly, goalkeeper Hannah Hampton also overcame adversity to emerge as one of England’s most impactful players at the European Championships.

The 24-year-old, playing in her first major tournament and filling in for the big shoes of Mary Earps, pulled off two brilliant saves in the quarterfinals with a bloodied nose before thwarting away two more crucial goal attempts in the final, including one from Aitana Bonmati, considered by many football commentators to be the best player in the world.

Born with a serious eye condition that still affects her depth perception despite multiple surgeries, Hampton defied the odds, ending her Euro campaign with the player of the match award in the final.

“I think she’s done amazing,” Wiegman said of Hampton. “It’s a bit like a fairytale to stop those penalties in the final of the Euros and to win it.”

Having weathered the storm in Switzerland, Wiegman and the Lionesses are back on home soil. As they ride through roaring crowds in their open-top bus parade across London on Tuesday, the message is no longer, “It’s coming home”. This time, it’s staying home.

Building Lego is something forward Lauren Hemp has done for years. She built a Beauty and the Beast castle while in Switzerland, which she proudly carried as the Lionesses checked out of the hotel before flying home on Monday.

Hemp managed to get others on board too, with teenager Agyemang also getting involved.

“I was building a really tiny stadium the other day because I was bored and suddenly Lucy [Bronze] was like, ‘we can make this so much better’,” said Agyemang, who was the breakout star of the tournament.

“I didn’t know she had really good skills when it came to Lego. We made a replica of the stadium and now she wants to make it a tradition, so I think we’ll have to do Geneva next time.”

Agyemang certainly kept herself busy, playing a piano that was brought over by the England kitman in a van.

“I play the piano, the bass guitar and the drums. I have my piano in my room so I’m spending a lot of time in there just playing and chilling,” she told BBC Sport.

“It’s 88 keys, so full size – but not a grand piano. It’s very important. I don’t think that there’s a day that I go without playing it because it’s right in front of me.

“Especially on game days, I probably spend about two hours just playing and enjoying myself.

“With evening games, where they are six o’clock or nine o’clock [kick-offs], there is a lot of time within the day to just chill and that is what I do.”

Agyemang’s piano playing has been so impressive it put off Williamson from playing, who performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra at Maida Vale Studios in December 2023 when she was recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

“I did bring a portable keyboard and I felt discouraged because I heard some of the other girls in the team had been playing theirs,” said Williamson.

“I felt like I was too far behind so I left it. There’s so much socialising to be done I don’t have time for hobbies. I will pick that up when I get back.”

Meanwhile, defender Esme Morgan encouraged the squad to produce basketball trick shots for a social media video in the group stages.

Chloe Kelly told BBC Sport that Morgan turned her room into a beauty salon to ensure the Lionesses looked their best on the big stage.

“We enjoy spending time together away from the pitch, which is really nice,” said Kelly.

“Whether that is Esme [Morgan] opening her beauty salon to do lash lifts, or sitting down and watching Love Island.

“It means when you go on to the pitch you know you’ve got each other’s backs.”

The King has led a chorus of praise for the “awesome” Lionesses after their European Championship victory on Sunday.

After Sarina Wiegman’s side clinched a nail-biting win against Spain on penalties, he said England had showed “there are no setbacks so tough that defeat cannot be transformed into victory, even as the final whistle looms”.

Prince William and Princess Charlotte, who watched the match from the stands in Switzerland, said they “couldn’t be prouder” of the side.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who was also in attendance, called the team “history makers”.

Downing Street said it will hold a special reception for the Lionesses on Monday to mark their “momentous achievement”.

The event will be hosted by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and sports minister Stephanie Peacock.

In a statement released after the final whistle, King Charles said: “For more years than I care to remember, England fans have sung that famous chant ‘football’s coming home’.

“As you return home with the trophy you won at Wembley three years ago, it is a source of great pride that, through sporting skill and awesome teamwork, the Lionesses have made those words ring true.

“For this, you have my whole family’s warmest appreciation and admiration.

“Well done, Lionesses. The next task is to bring home the World Cup in 2027 if you possibly can.”

Princess Charlotte was seen applauding from the stands alongside her father at St Jakobs-Park in Basel during the hard-fought contest against Spain.

After the match, a statement from her and Prince William was shared on social media: “What a game! Lionesses, you are the champions of Europe. We couldn’t be prouder of the whole team. Enjoy this moment England.”

The victory saw the Lionesses become the first women’s team to retain a European Championship, and also the first England football team to win a major trophy away from home.

After the match, Sir Keir wrote on X: “Champions! Congratulations Lionesses – what a team. What a game. What drama.

“You dug deep when it mattered most and you’ve made the nation proud. History makers.”

Goalkeeper Mary Earps, who retired from England duty in May after being dropped from the squad for Euro 2025, said her former teammates were “incredible”.

An open-top bus tour will be held in central London on Tuesday to mark the win, with a celebration due to be held outside Buckingham Palace.

It will process along The Mall from 12.10pm, before a staged ceremony at the Queen Victoria Memorial.

Fans can attend for free and it will also be broadcast on the BBC.

Downing Street has no plans for a bank holiday to mark the win, the BBC understands.

Downing Street has no plans for a bank holiday to mark the Lionesses’ Euro 2025 win, the BBC understands.

England made history on Sunday as they retained their title against World Champions Spain after a dramatic penalty shootout in Basel.

A homecoming parade will be held in central London on Tuesday, with an open-top bus tour culminating in a ceremony outside Buckingham Palace.

But the government appears set to confirm there will be no bank holiday to mark the occasion, in line with what happened when England won the same tournament three years ago.

Calls for a bank holiday after a major football success are not new, but none were held when England’s men’s team won the World Cup in 1966, nor when the Lionesses won the Euros in 2022.

Sir Keir has previously suggested he would be open to giving people a day off work to celebrate an England win, saying at the time that the 2022 victory should be “marked with a proper day of celebration”.

When the Lionesses reached the World Cup final against Spain in 2023, Sir Keir said “there should be a celebratory bank holiday if the Lionesses bring it home”.

Downing Street will likely have an eye on the economic cost of announcing an extra bank holiday.

Government modelling has previously put the cost at £1.36bn, while accountancy firm PwC estimated the figure would be closer to £831m.

Sir Keir watched on from the stands as England clinched a win on penalties, after the two sides held each other at 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra time.

Spot kicks from Alex Greenwood, Niamh Charles and Chloe Kelly, as well as two huge saves from goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, were enough to see England emerge from the tense match victorious.

The prime minister described the team as “history makers” after the full-time whistle, adding: “You dug deep when it mattered most and you’ve made the nation proud.”

Hampton, who has been playing her first major tournament as England’s first-choice goalkeeper, had big shoes to fill in Switzerland.

Earps – twice named as the best women’s goalkeeper in the world – had played significant roles in England’s victory at Euro 2022 and on the way to the 2023 World Cup final.

But Hampton, who looked likely to start at the Euros even before Earps’ retirement, has proved she deserves the number one shirt.

“At the start of the tournament did you think Hannah Hampton would be the star? Perhaps not. You wondered how she was going to do,” ex-Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha said.

“Look how well she has done on the biggest stage. To save those penalties – and these were really good saves. She backed herself 100%.

“An amazing moment to see her be that important to the team.”

Just months after England’s Euro triumph in 2022, Hampton was dropped from the squad.

Reports suggested it was because of her behaviour, and she had to wait until March 2023 for a recall, when Wiegman said Hampton had “sorted out personal issues”.

Speaking to BBC One following her shootout heroics in the 2025 final, Hampton said: “All I can really say is thank you to Sarina [Wiegman] for all the belief and faith that she’s had in me.

“She knew what I was capable of and she really put that in me to really go and showcase what I can do.”

Hampton, who helped Chelsea win a domestic treble this season, has shown exactly what she is capable of throughout the tournament.

After losing their opening game against France, Hampton was instrumental in helping England bounce back against the Netherlands – with a sublime defence-splitting pass starting the attack for England’s first goal and setting the tempo for a statement 4-0 performance.

Then, in their quarter-final against Sweden, she pulled off two brilliant saves in the shootout to help keep England’s title defence alive.

“The girls have run around for 120 minutes, so the least I can do is save a couple of pens here and there and help the team out in any way I can,” Hampton told BBC Radio 5 Live after the final.

She added on BBC One: “There’s still a lot more to come from me. For my first major tournament, to win it is not too bad.”

BASEL, Switzerland — England thrived in the high drama yet again to take down Spain in a penalty shootout and win another Women’s European Championship title on Sunday.

Chloe Kelly lashed in her spot kick to give defending champion England a 3-1 win in the shootout after a 1-1 draw after extra time.

It’s the second straight Women’s Euros final decided by Kelly scoring.

England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton saved spot kicks from Mariona Caldentey and Spain superstar Aitana Bonmati, before substitute Salma Paralluelo dragged her shot wide of the goal.

England’s Chloe Kelly scores the winning penalty against Spain goalkeeper Catalina Coll during the Women’s Euro 2025 final at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland, Sunday.

(Martin Meissner / Associated Press)

The defending champion won the only way it knew how at this thrilling Euro 2025.

England fell behind in the first half, fought back in the second and relied on its superb substitutes — just as it did against Italy and Sweden previously in the knockout rounds.

England leveled the score in the 57th on Alessia Russo’s header from a cross by Kelly after Caldentey had given Spain the lead in the 25th by finishing Ona Battle’s cross.

Spain trailed for only four minutes in the entire tournament — and not for one second against England — yet the reigning World Cup winner could not seal its first European title.

Kelly had scored an extra-time winning goal for England at Wembley three years ago to beat Germany 2-1.

In extra time, Spain had good possession in the England penalty area so many times yet did not force a decisive goal.

Spain goalkeeper Cata Coll saved spot kicks from England captain Leah Williamson and the first by Beth Mead.

It was appropriate in England’s memorable tournament that Mead’s penalty was retaken under a brand new soccer rule that allows a second chance when a player scores by slipping and touching the ball twice. It did not matter after Hampton’s saves.

Classic Arsenal goals

Arsenal attackers like scoring with perfectly placed headers from inviting crosses sent to the ideal spot.

Spain took the lead Sunday with a very English goal — a fullback’s cross from the byline finding the head of an Arsenal player to score, on a rain-slicked field on an overcast, cloudy day.

The strong Spanish flavor leading to Caldentey’s opener was in the neat passing to find Athenea del Castillo in the penalty area and her vision to see Battle’s direct run into space.

Caldentey was in the Arsenal team that won the Women’s Champions League final in May beating a Barcelona side with six starters who also lined up for Spain on Sunday. Spain used three more Barcelona players as substitutes.

The Arsenal forward line in that final, Russo and Kelly, combined to tie the Euro 2025 final. Kelly’s right-foot cross from the left was floated toward the head of Russo who guided the ball back toward the top corner of the Spain net.

Wiegman’s hat trick

England coach Sarina Wiegman has still never before been eliminated from a Women’s Euros tournament. Despite how close she came three times this month.

The top female national-team coach of her generation has a Euros hat trick after leading England to victory in 2022 and her native Netherlands to the 2017 title.

Both those titles were won as the host nation team and no England senior team, men or women, had previously won a world or continental title abroad.

Wiegman also extended the run of title-winning women coaches to eight Women’s Euros editions across 28 years. Women were outnumbered by male coaches each time.

Royal appointment

There was royalty from both nations in the VIP box at St-Jakob Park, including heirs to each throne.

Prince William, the first son of Britain’s King Charles, was with his daughter Princess Charlotte. He is president of the English Football Assn.

Also present were Princess Leonor of Spain and her younger sister, Infanta Sofía. At the 2023 World Cup final Sofia was at the game with her mother, Queen Letizia in Sydney, Australia.

Dubar writes for the Associated Press.

The Lionesses beat La Roja 3-1 on penalties after drawing 1-1 in extra time to retain the European Championship.

Chloe Kelly scored the decisive spot kick as England beat Spain 3-1 in a penalty shootout to win Euro 2025, successfully defending the title they won three years ago after an enthralling encounter that ended 1-1 after extra time.

Spain dominated possession in Basel, Switzerland on Sunday and made the breakthrough in the 25th minute as Ona Batlle crossed and the England defence was caught flat-footed, allowing Mariona Caldentey to head the ball past Hannah Hampton.

With Lauren James faltering due to an ankle inury, England were struggling, but Kelly came off the bench to replace her just before the break, and it proved an inspired substitution from England manager Sarina Wiegman.

Kelly helped close down England’s porous left flank and provided the cross for Alessia Russo to level in the 57th minute, the forward heading home her inch-perfect assist.

Spain continued to monopolise the ball, but could not find another goal before the end of normal time, and the story continued through extra time as they probed and probed, but could not break through the English defence as the game finished 1-1.

The Spaniards got the shootout off to a great start when Catalina Coll saved Beth Mead’s effort, but England keeper Hannah Hampton stepped up and saved from Caldentey and then from Aitana Bonmati to put England in the driving seat.

Coll got Spain back into it with another one-handed stop to block Leah Williamson, but Spain substitute Salma Paralluelo then fired her kick wide of the target.

That set the stage for Kelly to repeat her 2022 heroics, when she scored the extra-time winner over Germany that won her team the title at Wembley.

Kelly made her trademark prancing run-up before smashing the ball into the net and peeling away in ecstasy to celebrate with the rest of the players in front of the England fans.

“I’m so proud, so proud of this team, so grateful to wear this badge, and I’m so proud to be English … I was cool, I was composed and I knew I was going to hit the back of the net,” Kelly said.

Spain trailed for only four minutes in the entire tournament – and not for one second against England – yet could not seal their first European title.

The final was the first time since the inaugural edition in 1984 that the game was decided by a penalty shootout – a match in which England were beaten by Sweden.

Speaking to the BBC, England goalkeeper Hampton said: “This team is just unbelievable, incredible.

“We’ve shown throughout this tournament [that] we can come back when we go a goal down. We have that grit. We never say die – we just keep going, and we did that today.”

LUCY BRONZE has revealed that she played the entirety of Euro 2025 with a fractured tibia.

The Lionesses stalwart, 33, incredibly fought through the serious injury to play a key role as Sarina Wiegman’s side retained their Euros crown.

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Bronze played 105 minutes of England’s final victory over Spain, before finally being forced off at half-time of extra time with a knee issue.

Following the Lionesses’ 3-1 penalty shoot-out victory, the Chelsea full-back told the BBC: “I have actually played the whole tournament with a fractured tibia, and then I have hurt my knee on my other leg.

“That’s why I got a lot of praise from the girls after the Sweden game, as I’ve been in a lot of pain. If that’s what it takes to play for England, that’s what I’ll do.”

“Very painful.”

On the tournament as a whole, warrior Bronze added: “We never lost belief in ourselves. There was a lot of noise on the outside. We stuck together and dug deep. To win on penalties. This team is so inspiring to be part of.

“What we have done today is unbelievable.

“Winning on penalties is an amazing feeling, but to lose on penalties is a horrible way to lose a final.

“I know a lot of these girls from Barca missing penalties. It is difficult I have been there a couple of years ago.

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“This year it was meant for England.

“Today we have shown resilience. We have shown everyone to believe in yourself no matter what people say about you.”

Bronze, whose middle name fittingly is “Tough”, was praised for her robustness by boss Wiegman earlier in the tournament.

The Dutchwoman said: “That resilience, that fight. The only way you get her off the pitch is in a wheelchair.”

England’s Chloe Kelly says she is ‘so proud to be English’ after she scoring the winning penalty in the final of Euro 2025 as the Lionesses beat Spain.

FOLLOW: England defend European title with dramatic shootout win over Spain – reaction & report

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THE Lionesses are champions of Europe once again after BEATING Spain in the Euros final.

Sarina Wiegman’s side got their revenge for the 2023 World Cup final, beating Spain on penalties.

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England retained the title they won the Euros in 2022 against Germany at Wembley.

In the World Cup final, Mary Earps made a huge save, but in her absence, Hannah Hampton stepped up, and saved TWO penalties in the shootout.

LIVE – Watch all the action from England vs Spain as it happens

The Lionesses celebrated in style after their 2022 victory in front of home fans.

SunSport can reveal if there will be celebrations as emphatic if they once again triumph in the final.

Will there be a victory parade if the Lionesses win the Euros?

There have been no confirmed plans of a trophy parade ahead of the final.

However, after the 2022 Euros triumph, the Lionesses held an event at Trafalgar Square, where they paraded the trophy.

The action was shown live on the BBC.

SunSport will keep you updated on any developments, after the Lionesses won tonight.

Wiegman is also ruthless.

She dropped former England captain Steph Houghton in 2022, and told goalkeeper Mary Earps she would not be the number one for Euro 2025.

Her honesty is appreciated by many, but not all.

“Sarina has always been direct, she always says it how it is, whether you like it or not, and it’s something you have to take on the chin,” said midfielder Georgia Stanway.

“Get the people around you that you need and if she gives you some negative feedback then you know that the rest of the staff are going to help you to fix it.”

Kirby went from being a starter in 2022, to the fringes of the squad before she was told she would not make the cut for 2025.

The Brighton midfielder announced her international retirement early as a result but says Wiegman learned quickly what style of feedback people could handle.

“If it’s not right for the team, she will be direct with you, regardless of what you are feeling,” said Kirby.

“But she gets to know you, so you have that respect for her when you do have to have that difficult conversation. You know that it’s not personal, it’s just she needs more from you or she needs you to do more for the team.

“She is just consistent with everyone, regardless of whether you’ve got 80 caps or five. Everyone is treated the same.”

White says they had regular one-to-one conversations when Wiegman first took over and they often discussed analysis on Zoom away from camp.

“She visits clubs as well, and has communication with club managers. She’ll always pick up the phone to you no matter what time it is,” added White.

“She’s so approachable. Yes, she is the manager, but she is a human being. She wants what is best for you.”

Bardsley’s injuries meant she had to retire before making an appearance under Wiegman but she had regular contact throughout her attempted comeback.

The ex-goalkeeper was given a six-week deadline to return to play and when it was clear she wouldn’t make it, she called Wiegman, who was “very empathetic”.

“She is really emotionally intelligent and could feel I was disappointed. It probably made her selection headache a lot easier but she said lots of nice things about my career. I was just grateful,” said Bardsley.

“I would have loved to have played under her. She took the time to have a chat and I really appreciated that because she didn’t have to do that.”

But Houghton did not feel she was given the same treatment and has been critical of Wiegman’s approach to her.

Writing in her book, Houghton said she felt Wiegman was “pretty brutal” in how she communicated that she would not be part of her squad for the 2023 World Cup.

“We were told we would know the final World Cup squad on Tuesday,” Houghton wrote.

“On the Monday, I had an appearance at St George’s Park for Nike. When I went back to the changing room, I had a missed call from Sarina. She didn’t know I was there, so when I told her, she asked me to go and meet her in the canteen, where she told me she wasn’t taking me.

“I found myself wondering if this would have been a face-to-face conversation if I hadn’t already been at St George’s Park. Sarina told me that I probably wouldn’t play for England while she was in charge.

“She obviously made her mind up, which is fine and I’ve got to respect that. The problem was more that I think she’d intended to have this conversation over the phone, and she knew she was going to tell me I wasn’t in her plans at all. I thought that called for a face-to-face conversation given the career I’d had.”