In a penalty shootout: England's women become European champions again

England's women's soccer team demolished the Spanish world champions in a thrilling European Championship final, defending their title in dramatic fashion. The Lionesses showed great nerves of steel, celebrating a 3-1 penalty shootout victory in Basel after the score had been 1-1 (1-1, 0-1) after 120 minutes.

The match winner in front of 34,203 spectators at a sold-out St. Jakob-Park in Basel was goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, who saved the penalty shots from Mariona Caldentey and Aitana Bonmatí. Substitute Salma Paralluelo also missed. Chloe Kelly converted the decisive effort, setting off huge celebrations for the English team.

Long one-sided match between Spain and England

In a long, one-sided match in front of 34,203 spectators, Mariona Caldentey gave the Spanish favorites the lead in the 25th minute. But the English fought back into the game, with Alessia Russo equalizing in the 57th minute. For England's Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman, this was her fifth World Cup or European Championship final, her third consecutive European Championship triumph, following successes with her home country (2017) and England (2022). She equalized the record held by former DFB coach Tina Theune (1997, 2001, and 2005).

The many celebrities in the stadium, including Prince William and former national coach Joachim Löw , witnessed a high-class final, dominated for a long time by Spain's ball-playing talent. Two years after the World Cup final in Australia, which the Spanish women won against the then European champions thanks to a goal by Olga Carmona, Wiegman's eleven only occasionally played like defending champions, especially before halftime.

Spain goalkeeper Cata Coll made strong saves on both Russo's low shot and Lauren Hemp's close-range effort. Coll himself had set up Hemp's chance with a misplaced pass. Spain played their extreme possession game, as they had in their 1-0 win against Germany. Semi-final winner Aitana Bonmatí, two-time World Player of the Year Alexia Putellas, and Patri Guijarro dominated, combining in midfield almost at will. The English women, led by Bayern's Georgia Stanway, found no answer to the Barça trio.

Although top striker Esther González missed two good chances, Caldentey headed home a deserved lead from Ona Batlle's cross. England's strong goalkeeper Hannah Hampton scowled at Spain's dominance, while Tomé gestured to her team to continue passing the ball with precision.

England's defense, led by center-back Jess Carter, who returned to the starting lineup and whose fiancée, German national team goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, was rooting for the visitors in the stands, seemed to be stuck in their own half at times. Relief? A long time later, no sign of it. The technically talented Lauren James was forced off shortly before halftime with an injury. Chloe Kelly, who scored the winning goal in the 2022 European Championship final against Germany, replaced her.

Kelly revives English offensive

The English women were the last team to beat "La Roja" in February, winning 1-0 in the Nations League. And they clearly remembered that after the break. Stanway saw Kelly on the right, who crossed into the center, where Russo headed in the equalizer.

Wiegman's team sent further signals. Defender Lucy Bronze received a yellow card for a hard tackle on Carmona, and Kelly's shot was just deflected around the post by Coll. Spain's dominance crumbled, even though substitute Claudia Pina forced Hampton into a brilliant save with a powerful shot.

Neither side managed much more until injury time, although both coaches relied on their tried-and-tested substitutes: Michelle Agyemang and Beth Mead for England, and Paralluelo and super-talented Vicky López, who turned 19 the day before the final, for Spain. Paralluelo, in particular, had several chances to make it 2-1 in extra time.