England's history-making players celebrated their Euro 2025 triumph alongside family, friends and a cavapoo called Reggie long into the early hours of Monday morning. Songs by Natasha Bedingfield, Heather Small and Gala all featured on a night of singalongs, dancing and drinking as the team, staff and their loved ones soaked in the moment after their victory against world champions Spain in a penalty shootout in Basel.
The Lionesses are known to love singing as a team after victories and they were already performing their own rendition of Calum Scott's cover of Dancing On My Own by the time they left the pitch to walk into their dressing room – with head coach Sarina Wiegman declaring confidently that “we're going to party tonight” in her press conference before exiting Basel. The squad's nearest and dearest had been situated directly behind the England technical area in the lower tier of the stands, allowing the players to embrace them immediately after the final, which was their third consecutive major-tournament final.
After Chloe Kelly secured victory with her winning penalty kick, Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline was soon blasting around St Jakob-Park. Lucy Bronze celebrated on the pitch amid the glitter with her young nephews while Beth Mead hugged her partner, the Netherlands and Manchester City forward Vivianne Miedema, in the stands. The families and friends then travelled to the Dolder Grand hotel – the Lionesses' luxurious base overlooking Zurich and Lake Zurich – and were ready to greet the team when their coach arrived.
The players, all wearing deliberately back-to-front England shirts emblazoned with “Champions, 25”, arrived at the party to the sound of Heather Small's Proud, a song that had been played repeatedly throughout the Lionesses' run to the final. In a moment that is now becoming something of a tradition for the team, captain Leah Williamson and Wiegman are understood to have cut a cake in celebration. Before long, all present were singing along to Gala's Freed From Desire, Sweet Caroline and, several hours later, Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten.
There was also an impressive rendition of Ike & Tina Turner's River Deep, Mountain High, performed with a microphone by midfielder Ella Toone. Toone also enjoyed dancing to a remix of Teddy Swims's Lose Control on the shoulders of her boyfriend, fellow footballer Joe Bunney. Earlier, the team took turns to cuddle Reggie, a dog belonging to the team's private barista James. The team then flew back to London for a reception hosted by the deputy prime minister at 10 Downing Street, with Williamson seen cradling the trophy, saying: “We are taking it home back to London, for the next four years.”
