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The stage was set for an epic finale clash between England and Spain in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 at the St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland. Coming into the final, many had lost their hopes on the England national team when they were defeated by France in the opening fixture of the tournament. However, they defied the odds and Sarina Wiegman’s side fought back and won in extra-time of the quarter-finals, semi-finals and in the final, they went on to defeat the Spanish national team 3-1 on penalties to clinch the title.
The England squad started with three changes ahead of the final in the quest of producing a convincing performance. England were not the favourites to reach the final, but somehow they managed to get over the line to see themselves battle it out against Spain. Spain, on the other hand, had won all of their matches in the tournament coming into the final, defeating teams by huge margins. But the final clash saw both the teams put in a tight shift and finish 1-1.
Hannah Hampton’s heroics guides the Lionesses over the line
Hannah Hampton turned out to be the point of difference as she held her nerves in the penalty shootout and stopped two crucial penalties in the shoot-out to help the Lionesses gain the advantage. The final penalty was rocketed straight into the net by Chloe Kelly, which was also the fastest goal of the tournament which saw England reclaim the title and emerge victorious against the mighty Spain.
After the defeat against England, the Spanish coach Montse Tome stated, “This is sport. You must know how to lose and today we missed the penalties. I think we did a good first half and then after the 1-1 goal we sank, and then in extra time we managed to control the ball but we didn’t manage to get the victory.” England will now be aiming to win the 2027 World Cup after managing to defend this prestigious title after 2022.
