Spain’s chance to shine: Euro 2025 offers opportunity to move past controversy

ZURICH — This tournament has felt different for Spain. While they entered Euro 2025 as reigning world champions and favorites, they’ve never been further than the semifinals before. And, amid many off-pitch battles since their 2023 World Cup victory in Australia, their fight to be recognized for their football, and not for the events that followed, has pushed them onward.

There are old wounds to be healed in this clash against England, which is a repeat of the World Cup final from two years ago. Spain reigned victorious with a 1-0 win over the Lionesses that day, but their success was quickly overshadowed by an unsolicited kiss on the lips by disgraced former Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales on forward Jenni Hermoso.

What should have been an evening to remember for Spain, full of joy and celebration, was shrouded in controversy. Every positive from their campaign was quickly forgotten — Aitana Bonmatí was named Player of the Tournament; Salma Paralluelo won Young Player — as Rubiales’ actions marred what should have been one of the best moments of the players’ lives. A media frenzy that moved past sport and into culture and society followed, then dragged on for months after.

Since then, the players have seldom wanted to address what occurred. It is not that they want to forget or pretend it never happened — behind closed doors they are still fighting for change — but this team wants the narrative in Switzerland to be on it, its technical ability and run of five wins from five games so far.

This squad is one of the most technically gifted teams ever and has a blend of youthful energy with Cata Coll, Vicky López and Clàudia Pina mixed with peak-age superstars such as Bonmatí and veterans such as Paredes and Alexia Putellas. Moreover, they are doing things that no Spain women’s team have done before.

“It seems like it was written in the stars,” captain Irene Paredes said after Spain defeated Germany in the semifinal. “It looked like [the players] were out of the game, then there were doubts about whether they would make it, and today they were the stars.”

Spain came close to reaching the final in 1997, with their run ending in the semifinals, but after that, they failed to feature in a Euros until 2013. Even over the past decade, for all their recent recognition as the best team in the world, their campaigns in Europe have been bitterly disappointing, all ending in the quarterfinals until now.

The 2023 World Cup was the team’s first major trophy — soon followed by the UEFA Nations League in 2024 — but the Spanish game did not see the resulting boost that England did from winning Euro 2022. Indeed, despite housing some of the best players in the world, the domestic Liga F was unable to capitalize on what should have been a jump start and is still dominated by Barcelona.

“I would like to say that everything has changed, and the World Cup gave us more things, but I cannot say that,” Bonmatí told the BBC in 2024. “I compare [it to] when England won the Euros — everything changed — but we won the World Cup, which I think is bigger than winning the Euros, and no, it never changed, especially in the league. We are having the same problems as always. We have a lot of problems.”

England midfielder Keira Walsh, who spent two seasons in Barcelona playing with a lot of Spain’s squad, will be lining up against her former teammates on Sunday but spoke about the need for them to move on from the events of the World Cup.

“I think they probably could have had more [respect],” Walsh said. “I think, the way [the Women’s Super League] jumped after we won the Euros and everything in and around it, if you compare it to Spain, it probably wasn’t the same and they won the World Cup.

“After the game there was a lot of controversy and I don’t think, for them, there was enough spotlight on how incredible they played and how incredible some of their players were. It was all about the other stuff that had gone on. As a professional, that was disappointing to see. I have a lot of friends in that team, and I think they probably deserved a little bit more than what they got.”

But it has not been easy to move on. An 18-month battle ensued as the team fought to eradicate the narrative and get back to just playing football. Rubiales, whose three-year FIFA ban will be lifted in October next year — and others were dismissed and were even charged in criminal proceedings. It took a toll on the players and consumed every narrative of every game — Nations League, European qualifiers and friendlies alike.

Remarkably, though, Spain’s standards did not slip. Of their 36 games from the 2023 World Cup final until now, they’ve won 29 of their 36 games (including the five Euros games this summer), with two draws and five losses. One of those, of course, was against England (1-0) in the Nations League in February, though they got revenge in the return fixture with a 2-1 win in June.

Spain have stayed at the highest level possible throughout their trials and tribulations, which speaks to their mentality as champions. There is more to fear with the team this time, too: It is the first tournament where the players have felt completely relaxed and able to focus just on football, with the federation improving their facilities, board, family access and expansion of backroom staff.

“Today, I feel like we have made history again,” Bonmatí said after the semifinals. “For the first time, we have reached the final of a European Championship and we have beaten Germany, which we had never done before. I am proud to belong to this generation of footballers who are achieving so much. This is not over yet.”

Spain are desperate to prove that they can claim the one title that has eluded them. And if they are to win the Euros, it will be a redemption; a chance to have their champion status be solely about them, their incredible football and not be overshadowed.

Asked what she wants to see from the final, Walsh even put aside any notion of rivalry to focus on the bigger picture. “Just for the girls this time, as a friend and a fellow footballer, for them to just go and enjoy this final,” she said. “They play incredible football, and deserve to be there. As a human being I just want them to go out and just enjoy the game of football.”