Victorious England players were greeted by chants, cheers and tears as they rode an open-top bus and lifted the trophy on stage in central London on Tuesday. A total of 65,000 jubilant fans lined the Mall to welcome home the Lionesses after their second successive European Championship victory.
“I just wanted to be part of history,” said 58-year-old Joanne Rumsby, an England flag over her shoulders. The squad, back from Switzerland after Sunday’s final, danced and waved from the “champions”-branded bus before taking the stage outside Buckingham Palace. Captain Leah Williamson said: “I’ve been crying all the way down the Mall. This is unbelievable.”
Williamson acknowledged the team had won “the hard way” with last-minute equalisers and penalty shootouts. “We do it for the country, we do it for young girls,” she said. “This story is not done yet.”
The Lionesses’ influence has spurred grassroots growth: after their 2022 win, 1,500 new teams were registered and girls’ participation rose over 50%. New fan Vivienne Avery, 55, said: “I literally started the week after they won.” Her daughter Ruby Davies noted that local girls’ teams are now plentiful. Manager Sarina Wiegman praised the team’s bond, saying: “We kept having hope.”
