England’s Euro 2025 win defies logic; Spain’s curse continues

BASEL, Switzerland — England defended their Euro 2025 crown as they beat Spain 3-1 on penalties in Basel on Sunday.

Spain had the best of the first half and Mariona Caldentey struck the opener with a powerful header. But Chloe Kelly changed the game for the Lionesses when she replaced an injured Lauren James in the 40th minute and sent in a perfect cross for Alessia Russo to head home the equalizer on 57 minutes.

England had gone behind to every opponent in the knockout rounds, but couldn’t find a winner despite the arrival of super sub Michelle Agyemang. Spain’s own sub Salma Paralluelo had two wonderful chances to score in extra time, but the game went to penalties.

Beth Mead slipped and scored the first in the shootout, but VAR intervened as she was adjudged to have touched the ball twice and Cata Coll saved her retaken effort. Caldentey then missed Spain’s second effort, as Hannah Hampton pushed it away to level things, and she then stopped Aitana Bonmatí’s shot to give England the advantage.

Leah Williamson then saw hers saved, but Salma blazed hers wide of the post before Kelly stepped confidently up to hand England the trophy.

– Women’s Euro 2025 bracket, results and fixtures schedule

England get their movie ending, but it defies logic

There will never be another tournament win like this. It looked like the Lionesses had used up all nine of their lives after the Sweden quarterfinal penalty shootout. But then came Italy, as Agyemang popped up in the 96th minute to take the match to extra time, and Kelly scored a late winner. This England team have lived the most remarkable existence in Switzerland — from the depths of concern after the opening France performance, to the dominance of Netherlands and Wales, then the bonkers knockout matches.

Spain were a different story though; England were underdogs against the reigning world champions. But there was something about this “movie,” as manager Sarina Wiegman called it, as England bounced from round to round. It felt like the tournament was destined to end up in English hands as they produced miracle after miracle

And there was one more to come against Spain. This was a performance based on grit, determination, some brilliant defending from Jess Carter, and sheer fight as England held off the Spanish onslaught in extra time. England had been second best for much of the match, but this team don’t know when they’re beaten.

And the star? Kelly. The Euro 2022 match-winner, the 119th minute winner in the Italy match, and then the winning penalty in Basel.

England led their knockout matches for four minutes and 52 seconds in total. Sometimes football defies logic. This tournament is one of them. — Tom Hamilton

Spain curse continues

Spain’s search for their first Euros crown goes on after this painful defeat. The world champions made history in Switzerland, reaching the final for the first time in their history, but could not covert their possession into victory.

Spain took control after Caldentey’s 25th-minute opener. Montse Tomé’s decision to shift the Arsenal player back on to the left, having used her on the right in the previous knockout rounds, paid off. She was allowed freedom to roam inside, linking well with Alexia Putellas and Bonmatí as La Roja exerted their dominance.

However, after scoring 14 goals in the group stage, Spain have failed to hit the net with the same frequency since. They couldn’t find the second goal to take the game away from England and once the Lionesses leveled in the second half Spain also struggled to create chances. It took an injection of youth in Clàudia Pina, Salma and Vicky López to swing the momentum back in Spain’s favor against a tiring England.

For all their possession in extra time, though, they lacked a presence in the box, having removed Esther González and opted against turning to Cristina Martín-Prieto. They ended the game with 22 shots to England’s eight and had another four in the shootout. But with three missed, they squandered their chance to make more history. Questions will follow for Tomé. — Sam Marsden

Kelly the game changer, as James gamble backfires

If in doubt, break the glass and call for Kelly and Agyemang. They are the 2025 version of Toone and Russo from three years ago.

In the final, we saw Kelly a lot earlier than in previous matches. England had concerns over Lauren James’ fitness heading into the match as she picked up an ankle injury and was forced off against Italy at halftime, and didn’t look fully fit against Spain. She struggled to impose herself on the match as England gambled on her fitness and got that roll of the dice wrong.

But Kelly’s impact was again incredible. Playing off the left wing, it was her cross which dropped beautifully on Russo’s head for England’s equalizer — not bad for a player who was told at university that her heading wasn’t up to scratch — and though Agyemang caused havoc on the field she didn’t get the chance to extend her incredible record off the bench.

Wiegman’s other changes were well judged: Beth Mead on for Ella Toone after 87 minutes, Lucy Bronze had run herself into the ground and was replaced by Niamh Charles while Georgia Stanway was also exhausted with Grace Clinton replacing her.

And of course Kelly wrote herself into history once again, as she slotted the winning penalty. In terms of clutch subs, there is no one like her. — Hamilton

Spain’s Salma struggles

Having won the 2023 World Cup Young Player of the Tournament, starting most of that victorious campaign, it was a different story for Salma at these Euros.

Confined to the bench and failing to really make an impact, the 21-year-old forward was subbed on in the 89th minute for González, hoping to break the 1-1 deadlock, but missed three key chances that could have won Spain the game by the end of extra time.

There is a likely cause for her decline, though. In October, she announced she was stepping away from football citing mental and physical exhaustion and it has been a battle to get her back to her old form ever since. She did not score at Euro 2025 and of her six substitutions — averaging 33 minutes per game — she had only eight goal attempts, with an average passing accuracy of 75.6%.

Having once been tipped to be the next star player in an already star-studded Spain lineup, it was a disappointing tournament for the youngster and summed up by her key missed penalty in the shootout. — Keogh

Arsenal vs. Barcelona, anyone?

At halftime, England were 1-0 down and losing the battle in midfield. The usually reliable trio of Stanway, Keira Walsh and Toone were being overrun and outclassed by arguably the best engine room in club and international football with Patricia Guijarro, Putellas and Bonmati causing all sorts of issues.

It took a tactical tweak from Wiegman to drop Bronze into midfield when England had the ball to provide another option and create an overload. And if it looked familar it’s because it’s exactly what Arsenal manager Renee Slegers did to cramp that same midfield when the Gunners defeated Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League final.

The tweak allowed England to play through the midfield in the second half and worked in tandem to set up their equalizer, with Walsh picking out Stanway to make the run before passing to Kelly to cross for Russo.

Putellas had been marking Walsh all game, a tactic used during the 2023 World Cup and by both Sweden and Italy this tournament as it voided one of England’s most valuable players and nullified the ability to play through the center, where the side are so dangerous.

In the first half, Spain had 284 touches in the attacking half, but a significant drop to 153 in the second showed that England’s tactics not only worked to improve their own attacking threat but also countermanded Spain’s ability to play through theirs, something that has made them so dominant since their rise in 2023. — Emily Keogh

Carter steps up under huge pressure

After a turbulent tournament, Carter proved to be one of England’s best players in the final. It has been anything but an easy tournament for the defender, having struggled during England’s opening 2-1 loss to France, she had a dire game against Sweden and was at fault for both goals.

Off the back of the win, secured via penalties, Carter spoke out about the racist abuse she faced online since the start of the Euros. The team decided to stop taking the knee to try and force change, as well as writing statements online, and some even limited their social media use in solidarity with the Gotham FC center back.

But she was dropped for the semifinal against Italy, coming on as a substitute in the 121st minute, and it wasn’t certain she would start the final. She did, and was quick to foil Spain’s attacks all game long, as she did incredibly well to outmuscle players and keep calm when dealing with the press from Spain’s front line.

Her relationship with Williamson blossomed and they kept Spain out for much of the game, forcing the usually punishing side into errors and skewed chances. Carter’s emphatic celebration after stopping Bonmati’s chance in the closing stages of extra time encapsulated how much her incredible performance meant to her. — Keogh

Coll deserved better

Coll was not rewarded for a fine performance in Spain’s goal. She sat out the first three games at these Euros as she recovered from tonsillitis, eventually returning for the quarterfinal against Switzerland. She had a big role to play in Spain’s run to the final, including a sensational late double save against Germany in the semifinal, but her heroics could not help them over the line against England.

She had to be alert to make a low stop to her right to keep out Russo early on and then made a stunning save with her outstretched leg from Lauren Hemp — admittedly after giving the ball away trying to play out from the back. Another save followed from Kelly in the second half and she did enough to win most shootouts: saving from Mead and Williamson. Unfortunately, her teammates couldn’t convert.

She had said before the final she wanted to take a penalty and there was a suggestion she may have taken the fifth. It would have been a fitting finale for her performance, but it never got that far. — Marsden