Women's Euro: England challenges Spain for a summit rematch

The former, reigning world champions and big favorites for the tournament, want to win their first continental title and do the World Cup-Euro double, after also winning the Nations League in 2024: only Germany achieved this during its reign on the continent (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009). Spain could become the 6th team to win this competition in fourteen editions (Germany, England, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway). Opposite, the defending champions England aim to retain their crown, for Sarina Wiegman's fifth consecutive final as coach (2017 and 2019 with the Netherlands and 2022, 2023 and 2025 with England).

Eliminated by England in the quarter-finals in 2022, La Roja have since covered themselves in glory thanks to a talented squad, which had to fight (even now) with its own federation (RFEF) to obtain treatment that lived up to its promises. After their triumph at the 2023 World Cup, only a fourth-place finish at the Olympics has weakened their stranglehold on global football.

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This final in Basel, sold out like 29 of the 31 matches of the tournament, will see the two best continental teams face off, echoing the Arsenal-FC Barcelona clash won 1-0 by the Londoners in the last Champions League final. Having come from nowhere twice, in the quarter-finals against Sweden (2-2, 3-2 pen) and against Italy in the semi-final (2-1, aet), the English can count on their "supersubs" Chloe Kelly (27 years old) and Michelle Agyemang (19 years old), who sounded the revolt each time.

The teammates of prodigy winger Lauren James, who was doubtful due to an ankle injury against Italy, never gave up and that is what will remain of their tournament in Switzerland, scoring six of their fifteen goals from the 79th minute onwards. Champions of mental strength and drama, they were less impressive in the game, even if they have the second best total of shots (94), behind... Spain and its 123 attempts. "I think that we all, individually and as a team, have this desire to fight, to not give up, and you have seen it in matches where sometimes you could have the impression that we were at the end of our tether and then someone came on and changed everything," summarized the attacking midfielder Ella Toone.

For their part, the Spanish didn't need to draw on such resources: they were only trailing by four minutes (by Italy in the group stage) in the entire tournament. In all, Montse Tomé's players scored 17 goals from 10 different scorers and conceded only two. Only the semi-final was more complicated: it took a stroke of genius from playmaker and two-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati to overcome Germany in extra time, and two consecutive miracles from goalkeeper Cata Coll at the end of regulation time. Symbolically, these two players had a complicated start to the Euro due to viral meningitis for the former and tonsillitis for the latter.

Off the pitch, the English women supported the Spanish women's anti-sexist fight in the autumn of 2023 following the kiss imposed by former RFEF boss Luis Rubiales on striker Jenni Hermoso, who was not called up for this Euro. "There is a lot of respect between the two teams and I think the most important thing" for the Spanish women "will be to enjoy this final without controversy," hoped English midfielder Keira Walsh.