Spain came up short at Euro 2025, but there’s hope for the future

Spain had just reached the final of Euro 2025, but there was a serious look on captain Irene Paredes’ face as she spoke to the media after the win over Germany in Zurich last Wednesday.

“Come on, tía, we have to celebrate,” interrupted a beaming Cata Coll, the goalkeeper well aware that those moments do not come around very often. Outside, her teammates were doing just that: Cristina Martín-Prieto was banging a drum, Patri Guijarro was blasting music from a speaker, and Olga Carmona was asking where the beer was as the players filed on to the bus for the journey back to Lausanne.

Sadly for them, that proved the high point of Spain’s summer in Switzerland in the end as another Euros eventually came to a crushing end with Sunday’s penalty shootout defeat to England in Basel. Midfielder Aitana Bonmatí, named the Player of the Tournament, said the loss left her in shock, while there was a realization among her teammates that they now have to wait another four years for a shot at becoming European champions for the first time.

The world champions had ticked off a series of firsts as they made their way to the final at St. Jakob-Park: a first Euros knockout win, a first-ever victory over Germany, and a first final appearance. They had played the best football throughout the tournament, winning all five of their games, and were favorites to beat England, as they did in the World Cup final in 2023.

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Instead, they were sent home empty handed once again — having been eliminated in the quarterfinals in 2013, 2017 and 2022. Their only other appearance at the finals, in 1997, ended at the semifinal stage.

The immediate reaction was of luck deserting them again at the Euros. Three years ago it was Alexia Putellas, at the peak of her powers, tearing her ACL on the eve of the tournament and setting the stage for a quarterfinal exit to England; this time it was a failure to turn dominance into goals and the cruel nature of penalties.

“We deserved more, but who doesn’t?” Paredes told reporters after the final. “England had that bit of luck they’ve had throughout the tournament. It wasn’t to be for us.”

Spain had over 60% of the ball and 22 shots to England’s eight, but rarely tested goalkeeper Hannah Hampton after Mariona Caldentey gave them a first-half lead. Alessia Russo equalized for England and, after Bonmatí, Caldentey and Salma Paralluelo missed their penalties, Chloe Kelly converted to make it back-to-back Euro wins for England.

“I’m devastated,” Bonmatí said, apologizing for missing from the spot. “From the 70th minute onwards, we were in control. We were the better team. I think we’re the ones who have done the best [in the tournament], who have played the best and who have the most talent.”

That may well be linked to the fact Spain have finally been given the tools they need to perform.

There have been significant changes to the setup around the national team since that World Cup win, which culminated with former Royal Spanish Football Federation [RFEF] president Luis Rubiales forcibly kissing Jenni Hermoso. That led to a player revolt, Rubiales’ departure and finally recognition from the RFEF that the conditions around the squad needed to be improved.

Sources have told ESPN that there is still work to be done, but this has been a tournament marked by the players finally being able to focus purely on football.

“The fact things have changed in terms of the [RFEF], we feel much better during training camps than we did before and that is reflected on the pitch,” Bonmatí told ESPN before the semifinal against Germany.

The players were impressed with the pitch and the facilities installed for them at the Juan-Antonio-Samaranch Stadium, their training base by the lake in Lausanne, and the attention to detail at the hotel, including spaces for children, for players who are parents, like Paredes. Sources say it is a world away from what they experienced at previous tournaments.

Sources also detail how an increased support staff, including coaches, physios and nutritionists, helped with small-but-important details in Spain’s run to the final. One source suggested the analysis which revealed Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger leaves her near post unattended, which led to Bonmatí’s semifinal winner, may not have been picked up by skeleton staff at previous finals.

The rest days, the freedom for the players to get out and see Switzerland with their friends and families, also helped the squad disconnect and remain fresh.

“That I can sit here and all the questions you ask me are [just] about football reflects the changes we are achieving,” coach Montse Tomé said on the eve of the tournament.

Paredes added “firm steps forward” have been taken. The knock-on effect to those changes, which can also be seen as a positive, is that there are also increased expectations on Tomé and her players to deliver.

“This team has been growing little by little,” defender Laia Aleixandri told ESPN. “There’s more and more demanded of us all the time. Having been world champions, it gives you some peace of mind, but it also makes you realise the level of demand needed to do that.”

With that demand, there may now be some difficult questions. Tomé’s contract expires next month and her future is uncertain. She did well to fuse together a mix of youth and experience in Switzerland, keeping the focus on football, but ultimately came up short once again, as was the case at the Olympic Games last summer when Spain finished fourth.

Is that good enough when you consider the squad she has at her disposal? It includes back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner Bonmatí, Putellas, herself a two-time Ballon d’Or winner, Barcelona’s midfield lynchpin Guijarro, WSL Player of the Year Caldentey, and NWSL and Euros top scorer Ester González.

And the production line is not slowing down. Young Vicky López and Clàudia Pina both impressed at these finals, while there is hope that Paralluelo, who has had a difficult year, can rediscover the form which saw her finished third in the Ballon d’Or in each of the last two seasons.

Paredes, Putellas and González, all into their 30s, may not have as long to run on their international careers, but a clear identity dictates Spain will create more talent and win more trophies. No country has such a defined — or successful, certainly in recent years — philosophy across their women’s, men’s and youth teams.

However, it still takes a little more to get over the line at major tournaments. In winning her third consecutive Euros, England coach Sarina Wiegman showed she has what it takes. Does Tomé?

That is one of the questions facing the RFEF, although, that said, it’s worth reflecting on where this team has come from. Spain had never won a knockout game at any major finals going into the World Cup in 2023. They have since won six — and lost the seventh on penalties — and are world champions and Euros runners-up, even if Sunday’s painful defeat to the Lionesses hurt.

Bonmatí, who recovered from viral meningitis to make the tournament, certainly doesn’t need to be offering apologies. The final defeat may not have ended with Coll leading the party, Martín-Prieto banging the drum and Carmona seeking beer, but Spain can have reasons to believe their Euros luck will change.