Key events
The win was history making. It was the first time England had won a major tournament away from home. The Lionesses also became the first senior English side to defend their title – and they did it by coming from behind at half-time – the first time that had been done before at the women’s Euros.
The celebrations went long into the early hours of the morning – as expected. Songs by Natasha Bedingfield, Heather Small and Gala all featured on a night of sing-alongs, dancing and drinking as the team, the staff and their loved ones soaked in the moment. A cavapoo called Reggie was at the heart of it all.
Let’s cast our mind back to two days ago. England v Spain. Defending Euro champions v world champions. And what a game it was. Mariona Caldentey gave the Spanish the lead but Sarina Wiegman’s side have shown time and time again that when they are down, they are never out. Alessia Russo pulled one back before a nervy extra-time sent it to penalties.
It was a poor start for England, Beth Mead missing her spot kick after a retake due to double contact. But the Spanish were clearly ill-prepared for penalties, with Hannah Hampton coming up big to make saves against Caldentey and the Ballon d’Or holder Aitana Bonmatí. Tied at 2-1, Chloe Kelly stepped up and scored the winning penalty into the top corner after her signature bouncy run-up. Cue the scenes.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of England’s victory parade celebrating their triumphant Euro 2025 defence in Switzerland after a penalty shootout win against the world champions Spain.
Yesterday the Lionesses were greeted by fans as they landed back in the UK before attending a reception at Downing Street hosted by Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister.
Today an even bigger jubilant crowd will be able to celebrate with the team. The open-top bus procession along the Mall will begin at 12:10 BST before a ceremony at the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace. Attendance for fans is free.
Join me for all the latest and feel free to send your thoughts on the Lionesses win, what you plan to wear to the parade and anything else you want to share. The email can be found at the top of this blog.
