England’s Lionesses have etched their names into history by winning the Women’s Euro 2025, becoming the first England team to secure a trophy on foreign soil. The journey, captured in a photographic series by Guardian writers, saw them overcome an early setback to beat World Cup holders Spain in the final in Basel.
The campaign began shakily with a 2-1 defeat to France in Zurich, a result that left Sarina Wiegman’s side facing early elimination. “The hour was approaching when Sarina Wiegman rolled the dice,” wrote Nick Ames. The manager’s decision to start Lauren James in the No 10 role backfired, leaving England misshapen and leggy. Yet the defeat served as a wake-up call, sharpening minds ahead of a must-win clash with the Netherlands.
Responding with urgency, England swept aside the Netherlands 3-0 in a thrilling display. “From shambolic to sublime,” noted Suzanne Wrack, as goals from Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp and an own goal turned the tide. Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Toone dictated play, while Wiegman’s switch to move James to the right unlocked the attack. The win revived England’s title defence and set up a decisive group match against Wales.
England sealed their quarter-final spot with a commanding 6-1 victory over Wales in St Gallen. “You could see the togetherness of our team,” said Wiegman. Stanway, Toone, Hemp, Alessia Russo, Beth Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones all found the net. Walsh praised Toone’s defensive work in the No 10 role, saying, “She covers a lot of spaces that we can’t.” The result confirmed England as group runners-up and set up a quarter-final against Sweden.
In the knockout phase, England faced a stern test from Sweden in the Letzigrund, but eventually prevailed. The semi-final and final saw the Lionesses grow in confidence, culminating in a hard-fought victory over Spain to lift the trophy. The triumph marked a redemption arc after the group-stage scare, underlining the resilience that has become a hallmark of Wiegman’s squad.
