England’s 2025 was not built on control or comfort, but on resistance, belief, and an extraordinary ability to survive when everything seemed to be slipping away. This Lionesses side did not dominate tournaments in the traditional sense. Instead, they endured them, bending under pressure without ever breaking, finding solutions in moments when the margins were thinnest and the noise loudest. By the end of the year, England were no longer simply champions. They were something more compelling. They were the queens of the comeback.
The tone for the year was set early at Wembley against Spain in the Nations League, a night that demanded patience rather than spectacle. Spain arrived as world champions and asserted themselves immediately, probing England’s defence through Salma Paralluelo’s footwork, Lucia Garcia’s power and Aitana Bonmati’s intelligence between the lines. England absorbed pressure, stayed organised and waited. When the moment came, it was delivered through Alessia Russo’s strength and awareness inside the box, the ball spilling loose for Jess Park, who reacted first and finished from close range. It was not a dominant performance, but it was a defining one, reinforced by Hannah Hampton’s composure as she denied Spain repeatedly in the second half to secure a victory that felt like a statement of intent rather than just three points.
That sense of resolve was tested days later when England returned to Wembley under a cloud of uncertainty following Mary Earps’ shock retirement. The questions were relentless, and the pressure was unmistakable, but the response could not have been more precise. Aggie Beever-Jones tore Portugal apart in a first-half display that transformed anxiety into celebration, scoring a hat-trick inside 33 minutes and announcing herself on the biggest stage. Lucy Bronze and Beth Mead scored; the match was effectively over by half-time, and England played with a freedom that suggested a group unburdened rather than shaken. Beever-Jones looked fearless, linking seamlessly with Mead and Jess Park, pressing relentlessly, and even contributing to Bronze’s opener. At the same time, Chloe Kelly’s late goal underlined England’s growing reliance on impact from the bench.
That theme of response under scrutiny returned after England’s defeat to France, when criticism followed them into a crucial meeting with the Netherlands. This time, the reply was ruthless. Sarina Wiegman faced her former side, and England played with aggression, pace and purpose, scoring four and putting qualification firmly back in their control. Lauren James, returning from injury, reminded everyone what England had missed with her ability to dictate play and demand attention. At the same time, Ella Toone, recalled to the starting line-up, delivered an emotional moment of brilliance with a stunning goal dedicated to her late father, set up by her closest friend Alessia Russo. Toone struck twice, Russo provided three assists, and Georgia Stanway, heavily criticised in the aftermath of France, did her talking on the pitch as England looked like themselves again, what she later described as proper England.
If that performance restored belief, the quarter-final against Sweden redefined what this team was capable of enduring. England found themselves two goals down, punished early by Kosovare Asllani after a loose pass and then again by Stina Blackstenius, who outpaced the defence and finished with composure. No team had ever overturned a two-goal deficit in a Women’s Euros knockout match, and for long periods it felt as though a familiar physicality and efficiency were outmatching England. Hannah Hampton kept them alive with a vital save before half-time, Leah Williamson produced a crucial block, and then the momentum shifted through Wiegman’s changes. Michelle Agyemang, Beth Mead and Esme Morgan entered the fray, followed by Chloe Kelly, whose impact was immediate and transformative. Her cross found Lucy Bronze for a powerful header, and moments later she delivered again, setting up the 19-year-old Agyemang to equalise. Extra time followed, bodies dropped, nerves frayed, and then came penalties, a shootout that descended into chaos. Fourteen were taken, only five scored, the lowest conversion rate in Euros history. Hampton saved two, Sweden’s goalkeeper Jennifer Falk saved four but then sent her own effort over the bar, and Lucy Bronze calmly converted before Sweden’s final miss sealed an extraordinary escape. England had made history, and they were not finished.
The semi-final against Italy added yet another layer to England’s reputation for drama. Italy struck first through Barbara Bonansea and defended with discipline, frustrating England as chances came and went. With the clock ticking down, Hannah Hampton produced a crucial save that kept hope alive, and then, deep into stoppage time, Michelle Agyemang delivered again. Introduced in the 85th minute, the teenager equalised in the 96th, her surname, which translates from Ghanaian as 'saviour of the nation’, a description that felt increasingly appropriate. Extra time loomed, penalties beckoned, and then Beth Mead was fouled late on. Chloe Kelly stepped up, her penalty was saved, but she reacted quickest to bury the rebound in the 119th minute, sending England into another final and confirming Wiegman’s extraordinary record of reaching every major final she has managed.
The final itself brought England full circle, facing Spain once more, this time with redemption at stake after their World Cup defeat. Spain struck first through Mariona Caldentey, and England trailed at half-time yet again, doubts resurfacing as Wiegman’s decision to start an injured Lauren James appeared to backfire. Once more, the manager acted decisively. Chloe Kelly entered the match and shifted the match's direction immediately, delivering a cross that Alessia Russo headed home to level the score. From there, England dug in, throwing bodies in the way, clearing lines and playing for penalties with the quiet confidence of a team that had been here before. When the shootout arrived, Hannah Hampton saved two spot-kicks, Spain missed three in a row, and Chloe Kelly, the woman for the moment, stepped forward to convert the decisive penalty. England had retained their European crown, becoming the first England side to win a major tournament on foreign soil and the first to win a single-legged Euros final after trailing at half-time.
The celebrations that followed spilt onto the streets of London days later, as tens of thousands gathered along The Mall from the early hours, flags draped over shoulders and songs echoing through the capital. Families travelled from across the country, some from Wales and beyond, united not by geography but by belief in what this team represents. Sixty-five thousand lined the route as the Lionesses arrived on open-top buses, medals catching the sunlight in front of Buckingham Palace, the symbolism impossible to miss. This was not just a homecoming, but a confirmation of cultural shift, a reminder that women’s football is not a future promise but a present reality.
From the forgotten Lionesses of 1971 to back-to-back European champions, England have reset the standard and redefined what it means to win. They did not take the easy path. They took the hardest one, again and again, and emerged each time with something more substantial than silverware. They emerged with legacy.
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