England's women's football team, the Lionesses, will defend their European Championship crown on Sunday against Spain in Basel. Sarina Wiegman's side secured their place in the final with a dramatic 2-1 extra-time victory over Italy in the semi-final, thanks to a late goal from substitute Chloe Kelly. This marks England's third consecutive major tournament final, having won Euro 2022 and reached the 2023 World Cup final, where they lost to Spain.
Spain, who beat Germany 1-0 in extra time in their semi-final, enter Sunday's match as favourites. However, England's resilience has been a hallmark of their campaign, with last-minute victories in the knockout stages. The final kicks off at 5pm BST at St Jakob-Park and will be broadcast on BBC One, iPlayer, ITV1, and ITVX.
England's journey to the final has been turbulent. After a poor opening loss to France (2-1), they rebounded with convincing group-stage wins against the Netherlands (4-0) and Wales (6-1). The quarter-final against Sweden saw England come from 2-0 down to force extra time and win a dramatic penalty shootout 3-2, with only five of 14 penalties scored. The semi-final against Italy was even more tense: 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang equalised in the 91st minute, and Chloe Kelly scored the winner in the 119th minute.
Key players for England include captain Leah Williamson, Georgia Stanway, Alessia Russo, and Lucy Bronze, who continues to impress at 33. Teenager Michelle Agyemang has become a fan favourite with crucial goals off the bench, while goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has been solid, saving two penalties in the shootout against Sweden. Spain's strength lies in possession and midfield control, led by Aitana Bonmatí, who recovered from viral meningitis in June.
Despite criticism of Wiegman's late substitutions and inconsistent performances, the team's never-say-die spirit has kept fans believing. England will look to avenge their World Cup final loss to Spain and secure back-to-back European titles.
