Chloe Kelly scored the winning penalty as England successfully defended their title at Euro 2025 by beating world champions Spain in a shootout.
Champions on home soil in 2022, England were underdogs for the final with a Spain side who beat them in the World Cup final in Australia in 2023.
An unconvincing route to the final had done little to dispel the notion that they would come up second best against Spain, and England fell behind in the 25th when Mariona Caldentey headed La Roja ahead.
But Alessia Russo equalised in the 57th minute and, after England successfully kept Spain at bay in extra time, it was they who kept their composure in the shootout, despite Beth Mead missing the first spot-kick after a retake.
Hannah Hampton saved from Caldentey and Aitana Bonmatí, before Salma Paralluelo dragged her penalty wide, enabling Kelly, scorer of the winner against Germany three years ago, to lash home and seal back-to-back titles for the Lionesses.
England v Spain
England made a strong start and would have taken an early lead if not for Cata Coll, who produced a fine diving save to deny Alessia Russo from a tight angle after she was played in down the right channel by Lucy Bronze.
Spain grew into the game thereafter and Hampton produced an alert piece of goalkeeping to prevent Esther Gonzalez from opening the scoring.
The world champions almost gifted England an opener when the Lionesses’ press drew a stray pass that Lauren Hemp pounced on inside the area, only for Cata Coll to keep out her powerful low effort.
And Hemp’s inability to take that chance was punished as Caldentey broke the deadlock, heading into the top-right corner from Ona Batlle’s superb right-wing cross.
England then suffered a setback when Lauren James, who had been a doubt ahead of the game with an ankle issue, was forced off five minutes before the end of normal time in the first half. The Chelsea star was replaced by Kelly.
Kelly, instrumental off the bench during England’s route to the final, provided the spark the Lionesses required 12 minutes into the second half, her superbly placed left-wing cross finding the head of Russo, whose finish looped beyond a helpless Cata Coll and into the bottom-left corner.
England continued in the ascendancy after levelling and Kelly nearly completed the turnaround when she shot across goal at the end of a neat move. The excellent Cata Coll was equal to her effort, however, turning it behind the post.
Spain introduced Claudia Pina in pace of Alexia Putellas and she went close to delivering an instant impact, her near-post drive turned over by Hampton.
La Roja dictated terms in the first period of extra time without creating much in the way of chances, the most nervous moment of the half for England coming when the impressive Batlle fizzed a dangerous low ball across the face of goal, with no Spain player able to find the telling touch.
England stalwart Lucy Bronze was withdrawn due to injury during the extra time interval, and another injury blow came late in the second period as Georgia Stanway was forced off after Vicky Lopez curled over for Spain as they laboured to try to break the Lionesses down.
They were unable to do so, and that failure ultimately proved crucial, even though Spain took the lead in the shootout after Mead was denied by Cata Coll having been ruled to have accidentally kicked the ball twice on her first attempt.
Patri Guijarro put Spain in front but, after Alex Greenwood found the net, Hampton dove to her left to thwart Caldentey. She then saved brilliantly from Bonmati after Niamh Charles’ confident penalty and, though Leah Williamson saw her spot-kick saved, Paralluelo’s miss teed up Kelly to etch her name into England history once again.
