England Secures Women’s Euro 2025 Title in Thrilling Penalty Shootout

BASEL: In a tense final, Chloe Kelly converted the critical penalty, securing England’s victory over Spain in a penalty shootout and successfully defending their Women’s Euro 2025 title. The match concluded 1-1 after extra time on Sunday.

Despite a strong showing throughout the match, the Spanish team was ultimately unable to convert their dominance into a win.

The Lionesses, after a narrow escape earlier in the tournament, reached the Euro 2025 semi-finals. They triumphed over Sweden in a dramatic penalty shootout and then overcame a two-goal deficit before edging out Italy in the semi-finals, where Kelly again played a pivotal role, scoring the decisive goal in the 119th minute.

Spain, the reigning World and Nations League champions, took the lead in the 25th minute when Mariona Caldentey’s header found the back of the net, beating goalkeeper Hannah Hampton.

A strategic substitution saw Kelly replace the injured Lauren James, who was dealing with an ankle issue. This substitution proved fruitful as Kelly assisted Alessia Russo’s equalizing goal in the 57th minute, reigniting England’s hopes.

Spain maintained their compelling play, dictating possession and fashioning scoring opportunities, but they failed to capitalize as both normal and extra time concluded without further goals.

The penalty shootout saw the momentum shift as Hampton began saving Spanish spot-kicks, denying Caldentey and then Aitana Bonmati, before Salma Paralluelo’s shot went wide.

Kelly then delivered a flawless penalty, driving the ball into the net and igniting jubilation among the English supporters in the stadium.

Reflecting on the win, Hampton stated that the team demonstrated resilience, holding Spain for 120 minutes and performing under pressure.

Hampton’s Words

“This is England; this is our moment. We showed grit for 120 minutes, doing everything necessary to keep Spain out. It came down to one kick, and we executed,” Hampton said.