A total of 65,000 jubilant England fans lined the Mall in central London on Tuesday to welcome home the victorious Lionesses after their Euro 2025 victory on Sunday. The squad, returning from Switzerland on Monday after their second successive Euros triumph, rode an open-top bus through the crowd before taking to a stage at the Queen Victoria Memorial.
Team captain Leah Williamson, handed a microphone by broadcaster Alex Scott, said: 'I’ve been crying all the way down the Mall. This is unbelievable.' She acknowledged the victory was achieved 'the hard way' with late equalisers, extra time and penalty shootouts, adding: 'This story is not done yet.'
Among the fans was Joanne Rumsby, 58, who wore an England flag and said: 'I saw them win at Wembley three years ago, but to see them win again was everything.' Beth Magee, 49, scaled a wall to get closer to the stage, calling the players 'incredible role models'.
The Lionesses' first Euros victory in 2022 inspired 1,500 new teams and a 50% increase in female players. Vivienne Avery, 55, said she started playing after that win. Her daughter Ruby Davies noted that girls' teams are now widespread: 'Winning twice means it’s in everyone’s faces now.'
Manager Sarina Wiegman, who danced on stage with singer Burna Boy, said of the victory: 'We kept having hope. The bonding in this team made the absolute difference.' Star player Lucy Bronze described the fan response as 'amazing'. During the celebration, Chloe Kelly shouted an expletive on live television, calling it 'so special'.
