England are champions of Europe once again. The Lionesses won back-to-back Euro titles on Sunday, claiming Euro 2025 in a dramatic penalty kick shootout over reigning World Cup champions Spain. The match ended 1-1 in regulation, nobody could score in extra time, and a 3-1 win in the shootout clinched the crown for the underdogs. 

It was a poor display of penalties with a lack of accuracy seeing five of the nine penalties taken missed or saved. Chloe Kelly scored the clinching penalty with a powerful effort to the left side of the goal, sending the Lionesses into a frenzied celebration in Switzerland.

Spain were far and away the more dominant team in the game, controlling possession and shots, but England were just as efficient for most of the game. While Spain took the lead before the half-hour mark via a header from Mariona Caldentey, the English responded just before the hour mark via Alessia Russo.

In total, five out of seven knockout stage games in the competition went to extra time.

Here’s what to know:

Spain start fast, finish slow

Spain navigated large stretches of the group stage without Aitana Bonmati, who battled back from viral meningitis, and starting goalkeeper Cata Coll, who recovered from tonsillitis. Even without key players, the roster made quick work of their group stages with dominating wins over Belgium, Italy, and Portugal. There were questions around whether or not their backline was tested, and during the final, even more was asked of them against a threatening England attack.

In the end, it was Caldentey who scored the opening goal for Spain in the final, a header on the end of an impressive sequence between Bonmati, Athenea del Castillo, and Ona Batlle.

Bonmati was named player of the tournament despite her slower start to the competition, and forward Esther Gonzalez earned the Golden Boot with four goals.

England defy fatigue

The Lionesses’ run to the final had plenty of dramatic moments in the knockout rounds, with each game going to extra time, and two to penalty kick shootouts. In a final that pushed both teams to physical limits, England had to overcome both injury and exhaustion. The roster battled through significant injury and fatigue along the way, and dynamic forward Lauren James was subbed out in the first half due to a lingering ankle issue.

A second-half equalizer by Russo was the initial difference maker, thanks to an assist by Kelly, who came in for the injured James. The moment was enough to push England through extra time and into a penalty shootout. 

As the game carried on, more injury and fatigue plagued the English, and defender Lucy Bronze revealed on broadcast that she had been playing the tournament on a fractured tibia. 

“I’ve played the whole tournament with a fractured tibia but nobody knew and I’ve hurt my knee today,” Bronze said after the game. “Which is why the girls gave me a lot of love after the Sweden game.”

Bronze went down late in the game, but after a brief spell on the sideline, she almost closed out the game, but she was eventually subbed out during the 105th minute. 

Ultimately, it was Kelly who played England’s hero. A familiar role for her as she scored the Lionesses’ game-winning goal during the 2022 Euro final, only to repeat a similar moment in 2025 when she converted the deciding penalty against Spain. 

“I’m so proud of this team. So grateful to wear this badge, and I’m so proud to be English. I was cool, I was composed, and I knew I was going to hit the back of the net. I don’t miss penalties twice,” Kelly said on the broadcast after the game. 

The player alluded to her big moment during the semifinal, where her initial penalty was stopped, but then converted on a rebound against Germany in extra time.

The game changer also credited her coach, who faced some criticism over the tournament for lack of rotation, stale tactics, and too late for comfort changes. 

“It’s not just the team but the team of staff behind us. It’s 23 players. Sarina Wiegman, she’s done it again. It’s unbelievable,” she said.

The group will celebrate their second consecutive Euro title, and individual accolades as well. Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton earned player of the final honors, and 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang was named the tournament’s best young player for her incredible late-game heroics during the quarterfinal and semifinal. 

What’s next

Spain will have a few months to think about their loss before the group returns to action in the 2025 UEFA Nations League semifinal. The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup winners will face Sweden in a two-leg semifinal in October. England were eliminated from the Nations League semifinal round by Spain earlier this year, but a second consecutive Euro title is a pretty nice prize in the meantime, and they’ll likely be celebrating their Euro achievement in the build-up to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.