England are European champions! The Lionesses overcame the world champions Spain in the Final of UEFA Women's EURO 2025 to make it back-to-back triumphs in the European Championships.

The Lionesses' defence of their European crown kicked off against France in the group stage at the beginning of the month. Sarina Wiegman's side also came up against the Netherlands and Wales, finishing up as runners-up in Group D to advance to the knockout stages.

A rematch against Sweden - the team England beat in the semi-final of EURO 2022 at Bramall Lane in Sheffield three years ago - was on the cards in the quarter-final of the tournament.

England's final-eight match-up didn't go off without a hitch. With the Lionesses trailing Sweden by two goals up until the final ten minutes of the contest, Wiegman's team went on to prevail on penalties to advance to the semi-final.

Italy awaited in the final four and again, the Lionesses had it all to do after falling behind in the first half but a last gasp equaliser forced yet another knockout tie to extra time. In the final moments of the game, after being awarded a penalty, England flipped the script to advance to the Final.

And if there hadn't been enough drama in the Lionesses' run to Basel, the Final was decided by a shoot-out and, well, you know the rest...

Lauren James’ brace helped England reignite their hopes of a title defence at EURO 2025, as they triumphed 4-0 against the Netherlands at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich.

The Lionesses got off to a strong start and made it count in the first half as James fired home the opener before Stanway doubled the lead with a brilliant low shot from range.

While Alessia Russo saw a goal ruled out for offside in the build-up just after the break, James soon gave England their third with a cool finish in the box before Toone added the glitz with a fourth.

Russo latched onto a pin-point pass forward from Hampton on 22 minutes, before cutting back the ball back inside to an underlapping James.

From there, it was clear James had only one ambition as she surged forward into the centre of the box before firing home with aplomb.

And on the stroke of half-time the Lionesses capitalised on the pressure to double their lead. As the Netherlands struggled to clear their lines from a deep free-kick, the ball fell to Stanway on the edge of the box who drilled a low shot in at the near-post from range.

Despite a short spell of Dutch pressure, it did not take long until the Lionesses did have their third as Hemp put the burners on to race to the right byline.

Losing her defender, she cut back for Russo whose contact scuffed the ball to Toone. While she saw her shot blocked, James was in place once more to slot home the rebound.

XAnd it was four shortly after, as Russo raced onto another ball over the top before holding the ball up to cut back to Toone at the edge of the box who finished beyond the reach of van Domselaar into the bottom right corner.

And things soon went from bad to worse for Wales as Hemp latched onto Toone’s cross from the right to head home at the back post on 30 minutes.

After bagging three assists against the Netherlands, Russo finally had a goal of her own on the stroke of half time. In a reversal of roles from that game, Toone cut the ball back across the box for Russo to slot home into the bottom left corner.

Mead was set up by a brilliant turn and pass by Beever-Jones in the 72nd minute, and made no mistake to beat one defender before firing home.

But Wales would leave their mark as they raced away on the break just four minutes later. Fishlock charged down the centre before playing Cain in behind to the left of the box. Her first-time shot was struck brilliantly to beat Hannah Hampton and fly into the top corner.

But England would not allow Wales to have the final say as Beever-Jones nodded home a looping cross from Mead to restore their five-goal deficit.

England came back from two goals behind to reach the Euro 2025 semi-finals by defeating Sweden on penalties after a 2-2 draw at the Stadion Letzigrund.

Sweden got off to a swift start as a mistake at the back saw Kosovare Asllani capitalise to give her side the lead and it would only get worse when Stina Blackstenius added a second 20 minutes later.

But while England left it late, they would not be defeated so easily. Lucy Bronze nodded in at the far post before Michelle Agyemang fired home from close range to level the scores and take the game to extra-time.

And it was Bronze’s penalty that gave England the advantage in the shootout, before Smilla Holmberg’s miss kept the Lionesses’ hopes of a title defence alive.

It could not have started much worse for England as sloppy passing at the back proved their undoing early on.

Asllani managed to get a touch on Jess Carter’s pass out before Keira Walsh played it straight to Swedish feet, allowing Blackstenius to play in her captain, who made no mistake to tuck her shot into the bottom corner after just two minutes.

Sweden had their second on 25 minutes when Julia Zigiotti Olme threaded a ball in behind for Blackstenius to run onto. The Arsenal striker made no mistake to fire across goal and bury the ball into the far corner.

A triple change by Sarina Wiegman with 20 minutes to go brought renewed impetus to the England attack but it was the introduction of Kelly eight minutes later that made the impact.

Her inswinging ball off the left just 63 seconds after coming on was perfectly weighted for Bronze to head home at the far post and put England back in the game.

It was Kelly once more who instigated the move on 81 minutes that saw Beth Mead nod her ball down into the path of Agyemang, who finished with aplomb from close range.

Extra-time beckoned and once that had passed, it was penalties. After Russo scored the opener in style, James and Filippa Angeldahl exchanged misses before Zigiotti Olme brought proceedings level.

Mead, Magdalena Eriksson and Alex Greenwood proceeded to miss their spot-kicks before Nathalie Bjorn fired Sweden ahead.

But Kelly stepped up to the plate to keep England in it, before the sides exchanged a further two missed penalties.

Bronze, who had already scored to get England back in the game, buried her sudden death spot-kick before Holmberg sent hers over and sent England into the semi-finals.

"Every single time I saved one, I was just thinking, 'please put it in so we have a bit of a cushion'."

Hannah Hampton

England proved they are never beaten once more, as Chloe Kelly struck deep into extra-time to send the Lionesses into a third consecutive major tournament final with a 2-1 extra-time win over Italy in the UEFA EURO 2025 semi-final in Geneva.

Despite the Lionesses controlling long stretches of the first half, Italy struck first as Barbara Bonansea rifled home at the far post to give England plenty to do after the break.

But once more Sarina Wiegman’s substitutes kept them in the game, as Michelle Agyemang kept her composure to score the equaliser six minutes into added time.

And with one minute left of added time, Le Azzurre conceded a penalty that Kelly saw saved at the first time of asking but powered home the rebound to send England to the EURO 2025 Final.

It was against the run of play that Italy took the lead in the 33rd minute, as Sofia Cantore charged forward down the right and England failed to deal with the resulting cross.

Lucy Bronze couldn't get sufficient contact to stop the ball flying all the way out to Bonansea on the left of the box, who controlled well before rifling a shot past Hannah Hampton.

England kept pushing but found the Italian back five increasingly difficult to penetrate. As the final whistle approached, chances increased at both ends.

Bronze saw her header back across goal cleared off the line and England were lucky to escape conceding a second moments later as once more they struggled to clear in the box.

But when all hope seemed to be lost, it was Agyemang who delivered once more. Mead took down a cross from the right before cutting back for the 19 year old, who showed brilliant composure to wait before slotting the equaliser home in the 96th minute to take the game to extra-time.

Agyemang nearly proved England’s saviour once more when she broke through on goal with four minutes remaining only to see her clipped shot rebound off the crossbar.

But moments later, Mead was hauled to the floor in the box, with the referee immediately pointing to the spot.

Kelly stepped up to take and while she saw her first attempt saved by Giuliani who guessed correctly to her right, she made no mistake to power home the rebound to send England into the EURO 2025 Final.

The Lionesses became the first ever senior England side to win a major tournament on foreign soil, becoming EURO 2025 champions after Chloe Kelly thumped home the winning penalty at the end of a 1-1 draw with Spain after extra time at St. Jakob Park in Basel.

Mariona Caldentey gave Spain the lead as she rose highest to meet Ona Batlle’s cross, before Alessia Russo responded after the break with a brilliant header back across goal to put England back in it.

And after Hannah Hampton had saved two penalties in the shoot-out, Kelly stepped up to secure a historic victory.

In a half of shifting momentum, it was Spain who went ahead in the 25th minute, as Ona Batlle found space at the byline to the right of the box before dinking a delicate cross into the centre and it was Arsenal’s Caldentey who rose highest to nod home the opener.

But after the restart, Russo had England back on level terms.

It was Kelly who produced a delightful cross onto the head of the Arsenal forward, who made no mistake with a brilliant header back across goal and into the top corner.

"We are going to make a movie some day. This is a movie. My goodness, it is unbelievable."

Sarina Wiegman

Neither team could find a breakthrough after the contest went to extra-time yet again and for a second time this tournament, England faced penalties.

After being forced to retake her penalty, Mead saw her opening spot-kick saved before Patri Guijarro fired hers in. Alex Greenwood then scored before Hampton stepped up to save Caldentey’s to put England back on level terms.

And after Niamh Charles slotted her effort into the bottom left corner, Hampton palmed Bonmati’s spot-kick away to put England in the driver's seat.

Williamson and Paralluelo exchanged misses before Kelly stepped up to win England the EUROs for the second time in a row and get the party started.