Chloe Kelly the hero again as England beat Spain in Euro 2025 final shootout | OneFootball

So much heart. The Lionesses staked their claim to be considered the greatest English sports team of all time in Basel. They are a team that have changed the very fabric of the country, opened doors and raised their voices loud, and on Sunday evening Chloe Kelly was the hero amid heroes again, converting the winner in a gripping penalty shootout after England had battled back from trailing Spain.

Mariona Caldentey’s header had given the dominant world champions a first-half lead, but it was cancelled out by Alessia Russo after 57 minutes, Kelly’s cross providing the assist, England’s ability to come from behind in each of their knockout games a testament to the character of a side that just never gives in.

Extra time was a tight affair with few chances but with England being pushed further and further back into their own half. There was no winning goal, though, and in the end Hannah Hampton saved two of Spain’s penalties – from Caldentey and Aitana Bonmatí – while Salma Paralluelo put her effort wide.

Spain have a style of play so embedded in them from an early age that it is as natural as breathing and, when the support around them matches that, they will be unstoppable. England, though, have the resource, the backing of their federation and the hearts of the nation. Critically, they also have the best manager in world football in Sarina Wiegman, who secured her third back-to-back European title, and a spirit that cannot be shaken.

Lauren James was deemed fit to start despite having been forced off with an ankle injury against Italy but the more notable difference to England’s lineup was the switch of James and Lauren Hemp to opposite wings. England had clearly taken note of Germany’s impressive defensive display in their semi-final against Spain, Hemp dropping back on the outside of Lucy Bronze with the team falling into a back five as Jule Brand had done so effectively, the winger also possessing the pace to get back and cover for the battling right-back when she launched forward.

It was a game of chess and Wiegman moved her pieces across the board, having studied Spain’s playbook. England started brightly, Russo forcing a save from Cata Coll from a tight angle, with James a little slow to the rebound. Coll’s shin then spared Olga Carmona’s blushes after Hemp beat her to the ball out from the goalkeeper and attempted to squeeze it in at the near post.

Those bright moments were few and far between, Montse Tomé’s side predictably dominated possession and it was only a matter of time before they manoeuvred their way through. Caldentey had missed the target from the edge of the area moments before and she made no mistake at the second time of asking, Bonmatí escaped Georgia Stanway on the right, found a threatening Athenea del Castillo who played to Ona Batlle and the full‑back’s cross was headed in by the Arsenal player.

Shortly after it was determined that the worthwhile gamble on James’s fitness had not paid off. The Chelsea forward clearly struggled here and in the 40th minute she was off, following a small period with the medical team as Kelly stripped to her playing kit.

Impact sub turned emergency sub, the question was whether Kelly could be as effective as she had been when England were chasing a game late on throughout the tournament. The answer was an empathic yes. The equalising goal was front‑to‑back football, Hampton feeding Keira Walsh, who had all the time in the world, who sent Stanway coasting towards the box, the Bayern Munich player put it wide to Kelly and the Arsenal forward pinged it in for her club teammate Russo to head in. Game on.

Russo’s time was up less than 15 minutes later, the forward replaced by England’s knockout hero Michelle Agyemang, the 19-year-old entrusted with almost 20 minutes of regular time. Spain withdrew Alexia Putellas, much to the Barcelona midfielder’s visible frustration in favour of the versatile forward Clàudia Pina. She tested Hampton within minutes, the Chelsea keeper tipping her powerful strike over the bar.

Before the game the players’ “proper England” mantra had weaved through the streets of Basel towards the stadium, big red letters on a white background at the front of the fan march, signs declaring a picky tea as better than tapas or jam roly-poly as better than churros (controversial) spoke to the joviality of the occasion. It was big and it was loud. A big win for England in Switzerland has been off the pitch as well as on it. The coming together of the Football Supporters’ Association and Football Association to host an England-focused fan park, Lionesses HQ, in Zurich and then before the final in Basel brought together a disparate fanbase, one that had travelled in huge numbers across the tournament.

It was a visible representation of the impact of the 2022 win. In many ways it was more impressive than the home European Championship in 2022, the travelling fans muting any concerns over how England would fare without the huge support from the stands.

They needed all that support – and more – as extra time came and went, the warrior Bronze forced off with a knee injury on her 140th cap. After the game she revealed that she had played the tournament with a fractured tibia.

On to the shootout and, in keeping with England’s whole tournament, it had plenty of drama in it. Beth Mead stepped up first but slipped as she converted, VAR ruling that she had touched the ball twice and her retaken effort was saved by Coll. The Spaniard also saved from Leah Williamson but it didn’t matter.

Patri Guijarro, Alex Greenwood and Niamh Charles all scored but then it was Hampton time with her two saves before Kelly stepped up to write her name in history again.

Header image: [Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters]