1 year ago
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ESPN
Jul 28, 2025, 04:30 AM ET
Euro 2025 is over, with England and Spain delivering a fitting finale to what has been a rollercoaster of a tournament.
The Lionesses are back-to-back champions, but which players made a sanction for themselves connected the biggest stage? And wherever adjacent for immoderate of Europe's powerhouse nations?
Emily Keogh, Tom Hamilton, Beth Lindop, Julien Laurens and Sam Marsden person been connected the crushed successful Switzerland this summer, truthful present is their appraisal of events.
Sum up your Euro 2025 experience
Hamilton: Having covered England throughout, to get a operation utilized successful a occurrence lucifer backmost successful 1999: "Football, bloody hell." How England won the full thing, lone they know. They led their 3 matches successful the knockouts for a full of 4 minutes and 52 seconds, and someway hauled matches backmost from the decease to support connected progressing. A singular team, a ridiculous run, and determination volition ne'er beryllium different 1 rather similar this.
Keogh: It's been an incredibly enjoyable tourney that has kept everyone connected their toes. I wonderment however galore different tournaments person had 5 knockout games each spell to other time? And, portion it brought immoderate alternatively precocious nights owed to the 9 p.m. kickoff time, it's the quality and unpredictability of knockout football. This tourney had everything you needed: precocious drama, unthinkable crowds, large goals, idiosyncratic stories, and Switzerland truly got down the Euros. Despite seeing England get to 3 large tourney finals, I thought this 1 was uniquely special.
Lindop: From an England perspective, it has been an affectional rollercoaster. Time and clip again Sarina Wiegman's broadside battled backmost from the brink and, conscionable similar they did backmost successful 2022, they achieved thing that volition proceed to resonate backmost successful England for years to come. On a idiosyncratic note, I consciousness precise fortunate to person had the accidental to spent clip successful Switzerland this summer. It's specified a beauteous state and the mode the locals person embraced this tourney has been a joyousness to behold.
Laurens: I loved each 2nd of this tournament. So galore large stories, truthful galore twists, plots, regrets, disappointments and joys. With a Welsh wife, France vs. Wales was beauteous peculiar successful our household, and to beryllium determination successful St Gallen to spot the first-ever Welsh extremity successful a large tourney was a infinitesimal I volition ne'er hide arsenic I cognize however overmuch it meant to Wales' shot community. A tourney were Wiegman made past by winning 3 Euros back-to-back (plus 5 large finals successful a row) volition ever beryllium special, portion England's smash-and-grab knockout travel volition enactment with maine everlastingly too.
Marsden: Switzerland enactment connected a bully show. The size of the state and prime of nationalist transport made it casual for fans to travel their teams (the information everyplace you look there's a river, water oregon upland worthy of postcard was a plus, too). It helped that the Swiss broadside did well, reaching the quarterfinals. The ambiance successful Bern erstwhile they faced Spain was great. Covering Spain, determination was the quality of their shot arsenic they eased done the radical stage, the hostility successful the knockout rounds arsenic they crushed down Switzerland and Germany, and past the bittersweet punishment decision to England successful the final. It felt similar a cruel ending for a squad that didn't suffer a crippled (outside of penalties) astatine these finals.
0:58
Laurens: Wiegman showed her acquisition successful Euro 2025 final
Julien Laurens reacts to Sarina Wiegman's tactics aft England's Euro 2025 last win.
Best match
Hamilton: Nothing volition lucifer the sheer chaos of England's lucifer and punishment shootout with Sweden successful the quarterfinal. There were immoderate different large games, but that lucifer was conscionable bonkers. As Wiegman said, England could and should person mislaid it 5 times over, but someway they dragged themselves done acknowledgment to 2 precocious goals, and a chaotic punishment shootout wherever conscionable 5 of 14 penalties were scored. I won't hide Lucy Bronze strapping her ain thigh up, past ripping it disconnected moments aboriginal to slam location the winning penalty.
Keogh: I truly enjoyed the opening crippled betwixt Switzerland and Norway. While it was a clash we've seen copious times before, it was the archetypal sensation of what this tourney was going to look like. Norway came from down to triumph 2-1, but determination were swings successful momentum and either broadside could person enactment the crippled to furniture astatine immoderate point. The fans were incredible, and I felt it truly acceptable the benchmark for the ambiance moving forward. The crippled had play to spare and it acceptable the code for the remainder of the tournament.
Lindop: I'm going to spell for Switzerland's last-gasp gully with Finland to seal their spot successful the quarterfinals. Travelling from Zurich to Geneva successful the build-up to that crippled truly made wide to maine that the big federation was successful the grip of Euros fever. The ambiance wrong the stadium was unthinkable and to spot the enslaved betwixt the players and fans astatine the last whistle -- aft Switzerland reached the knockout stages for the archetypal clip successful their past -- was genuinely special.
Laurens: France vs. Germany successful the quarterfinals. You person to beryllium French to recognize what it means to play Germany astatine shot oregon immoderate different sport. The rivalry is truthful big, historically and successful truthful galore ways. And usually, they triumph much often than not. This 1 didn't disappoint successful its storylines (hello prima goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger), its scenario, its level of play and its heartbreaking quality erstwhile again for France was, for me, the champion crippled of the tournament.
Marsden: I often similar semifinals to finals, but I thought the last delivered. Spain were the amended broadside but determination were inactive momentum swings wrong the crippled and bags of hostility throughout. It was a fascinating watch. From an entertaining opening arsenic some teams went for it, to Spain's dominance, England's tactical tweaks to get backmost into the game, and past the intrigue of other clip arsenic you wondered conscionable however overmuch Spain would spell for it arsenic they pushed England back, lone to suffer connected penalties.
0:33
Bonmatí: Euros nonaccomplishment hurts a lot
Aitana Bonmatí believes Spain were amended than England successful the Euro 2025 final.
Best goal
Hamilton: Out of the ones I've seen live, Lauren James' opener against Netherlands was a truly peculiar goal. Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton's walk done the oversea of Dutch players was magnificent, Alessia Russo past pivoted disconnected the defender's enarthrosis to thrust away, past her walk to James was pinpoint. She took 1 touch, shifted the shot and powered home. A large goal. Out of the others? Cristiana Girelli's for Italy against Portugal was special.
Keogh: I'm going to accidental that match-winning extremity from Girelli against Norway to publication Italy's spot successful the semifinal. At 35, she has done truthful overmuch for the team, with small to amusement for it. Italy made past by getting to their archetypal semifinal since 1997 and it was genuinely special. No 1 deserved that infinitesimal more, arsenic she was embraced by her teammates and unit to grant what she's done for the women's game..
Lindop: Purely due to the fact that of what was astatine stake, I'm going to spell for Michelle Agyemang's extremity against Italy. England were seconds distant from going retired of the tourney and truthful for the teen to beryllium truthful composed and support her country's imagination live successful the 96th infinitesimal was genuinely remarkable.
Laurens: The crushed wherefore I chose this 1 is for the assistance that made the goal, but Spain's opening extremity against Switzerland successful the quarterfinal, scored by Athenea del Castillo but made by a infinitesimal of genius from Aitana Bonmati, is my pick. I emotion moments of genius similar this one. A infinitesimal that not galore players would person been capable to play astatine that moment. And yet, Bonmati created it with an astonishing backheel that enactment her teammates done connected goal. Just perfection astatine its best.
Marsden: For the infinitesimal and the ingenuity, Bonmatí's extremity to triumph the semifinal against Germany successful other time. A goalkeeper should not beryllium beaten astatine the adjacent post, but for the Spain midfielder to person studied Berger successful specified item and person the consciousness to spot the spread and execute aft 113 minutes was mightily impressive. Also, each clip Cláudia Pina comes wrong connected her close ft and finds the apical country -- similar against Belgium and Switzerland. There's a quality to the repetition.
1:01
Bronze connected limb fracture pain: I'll bash thing to play for England
Lucy Bronze explains however she played done a limb fracture to assistance England support their Euros crown.
Best player
Hamilton: England goalkeeper Hampton had the spotlight connected her coming into the tournament; fable Mary Earps had retired conscionable weeks earlier the tourney and the unit was on. But she delivered. Hampton -- who has an oculus information that means she has astir nary extent cognition -- was magnificent passim and was often England's savior erstwhile they needed her most. She has to beryllium the champion passer of a shot for her presumption successful satellite football, and was England's heroine successful the Sweden and Spain shootouts. She got the No. 1 spot done sheer hard enactment and determination. And she was magnificent.
Lindop: Back successful January, winger Chloe Kelly was considering giving up connected football. She'd fallen retired of favour astatine Manchester City and was relying connected a palmy indebtedness spell astatine Arsenal to springiness herself a accidental of going to the Euros. Fast guardant to contiguous time and Kelly has secured her legendary presumption for England, scoring the winning punishment successful the shootout against Spain pursuing a succession of game-changing cameos disconnected the seat successful the knockout stages. She mightiness not person played the astir minutes astatine this tourney but -- alongside Agyemang -- her interaction has been the astir profound.
Keogh: Like Beth said, it has to beryllium Kelly. From losing her England spot successful January to being the match-winning heroine connected truthful galore occasions. "Thank you to everyone who wrote maine off," she said aft the game, due to the fact that really, it's been a rollercoaster of a twelvemonth for Kelly, ending with a fairytale. The word "proper English" was thrown astir this tournament, but if anything, Kelly is an illustration of being "proper English" showing the grit, determination and perseverance to get the occupation done.
Laurens: Spain midfielder Patri Guijarro. What an unthinkable player; one-of-a-kind astatine this level astatine the moment. She has been fantastic to watch, controlling games, dictating the gait and tempo of matches, being everyplace and astir ne'er losing the ball. She is inactive lone 27 truthful determination is overmuch much to travel from her. Her stats are rather sensational for a tourney of this caliber.
Marsden: For consistency from crippled 1 done to crippled six, Guijarro. She anchored Spain's midfield brilliantly and, arsenic Juls says, led the tourney successful a scope of stats, including passes completed (470), passes into the absorption fractional (345) and recoveries (49). She was besides 3rd successful interceptions (nine), 5th successful chances created (12) and scored a important extremity successful the triumph against Italy. "Watching Patri play brings a grin to your face," teammate Vicky López said. "She's underrated."
1:37
Did Bonmatí merit to triumph subordinate of the tourney astatine Euro 2025?
Sam Marsden and Julien Laurens statement whether Aitana Bonmatí deserved to triumph subordinate of the tourney astatine Euro 2025.
Breakthrough U21 player
Hamilton: It has to beryllium Michelle Agyemang. The 19-year-old England guardant has been their savior connected 2 occasions. First she popped up with the equalizer against Sweden, and past she repeated the aforesaid feat successful the 96th infinitesimal of the lucifer against Italy. Before the tournament, Wiegman called her a "special talent," and she's announced herself connected the satellite signifier now.
Lindop: There's lone 1 reply here, isn't there? A fewer months ago, Agyemang wasn't adjacent being thought astir arsenic an enactment for England. Now, she's being talked astir arsenic 1 of European football's brightest young stars. To salvage your country's tourney hopes erstwhile is incredible. To bash it doubly is remarkable. And to bash each of that astatine conscionable 19 years old? Miraculous.
Marsden: It's hard to disagree with Agyemang, fixed her interaction connected the large matches. After the radical signifier I would person said Spain's López, who turned 19 connected the eve of the final, and a shoutout to the teenagers starring Switzerland's adjacent generation: Schertenleib (18), Iman Beney (18), Noemi Ivelj (18) and Leila Wandeler (19).
Keogh: The statement is Agyemang and I wholly agree. Wiegman took a gamble taking the 19-year-old to the tournament, but it is 1 that genuinely paid off. We've not seen the past of this youngster yet, with a agelong vocation up of her, but what a cleanable mode to denote yourself to elder planetary shot than winning Young Player of the Tournament.
Laurens: I liked Agyemang's super-sub interaction of course, but to beryllium antithetic truthful I volition spell for Switzerland's Sydney Schertenleib. She is lone 18 and yet to afloat interruption done astatine Barcelona, but she made a sanction for herself successful these Euros connected location soil. She started the contention connected the seat but is truthful bully technically arsenic good arsenic being gangly and astute that manager Pia Sundhage could not permission her retired of the squad aft her opening-game cameo. Even if she has conscionable 1 assistance successful 4 Euros games (three starts), she is simply a fantastic endowment acceptable to blossom.
1:19
Chloe Kelly 'grateful' for her doubters aft Euro 2025 win
Chloe Kelly acknowledgment her doubters aft scoring England's winning punishment successful the Euro 2025 final.
Team of the Tournament
Hamilton: Hannah Hampton; Lucy Bronze, Nathalie Björn, Cecilia Salvai; Patri Guijarro, Alexia Putellas, Géraldine Reuteler, Kosovare Asllani; Jule Brand, Chloe Kelly, Delphine Cascarino.
Keogh: Hannah Hampton; Lucy Bronze, Nathalie Bjorn, Irene Paredes, Nadine Reisen; Patri Guijarro, Géraldine Reuteler, Kosovare Asllani; Chloe Kelly, Delphine Cascarino, Jule Brand.
Lindop: Hannah Hampton; Lucy Bronze, Irene Paredes, Nathalie Björn, Selma Bacha; Patri Guijarro, Géraldine Reuteler, Aitana Bonmatí; Chloe Kelly, Jule Brand, Cristiana Girelli
Laurens: Ann-Katrin Berger; Ona Batlle, Irene Paredes, Laia Aleixandri, Nadine Riesen; Aitana Bonmatí, Patri Guijarro, Kosovare Asllani; Chloe Kelly, Jule Brand, Alessia Russo
Marsden: Ann-Katrin Berger; Lucy Bronze, Irene Paredes, Cecilia Salvai; Patri Guijarro, Aitana Bonmatí, Géraldine Reuteler, Alexia Putellas; Delphine Cascarino, Chloe Kelly, Jule Brand
1:08
Sarina Wiegman's ticker interrupts her property conference
Sarina Wiegman has her property league interrupted by her ticker offering to commencement signaling a workout for her aft England's Euros success.
What would you similar to spot astatine Euro 2029?
Hamilton: Bigger grounds. All but 2 matches sold retired here, which is simply a large effort, but you consciousness adjacent much fans could person packed themselves successful with larger stadia. We've gone connected immoderate travel since excavation signifier matches were played astatine Leigh Sports Village and Rotherham's New York Stadium astatine Euro 2022, but you consciousness this tourney tin often deed 30,000 attendances for each matches, and you could've easy sold retired the last 2 times over. It's besides astonishing we don't yet cognize who is hosting the adjacent tourney successful 2029.
Keogh: It is decidedly the past clip we spot a Euros being held successful a state this small. For however good Switzerland person done this tournament, getting fans into the crushed and boosting the atmosphere, it's felt smaller. The stadium capableness tin beryllium bigger -- we've seen a soaring request for it and the property boxes request to beryllium bigger -- property were being turned distant for each crippled due to the fact that they were oversubscribed. I anticipation things similar escaped question and the fanzones instrumentality for 2029, but UEFA needs to beryllium reasoning astir upscaling the tourney successful 4 years to lucifer the maturation of the game.
Lindop: I'm going to 2nd Tom's sentiments and accidental larger stadiums. Switzerland did specified a tremendous occupation of hosting this tourney but it does consciousness similar -- successful the knockout stages peculiarly -- we've evolved past venues beneath 40,000 capacity. A tiny happening from a journalist's position too; much screens successful the property container -- it makes our occupation an atrocious batch harder without them!
Laurens: I privation to spot much of everything: much fans, bigger stadiums, much prize money, much goals, much drama, much stars, much apical games and performances. And also, I privation to spot amended penalties, that's for sure! Simply due to the fact that radical who don't similar women's shot usage atrocious pens to enactment it down adjacent more.
Marsden: An improvement of this Spain broadside with López playing a cardinal relation and Salma Paralluelo displaying the imaginable she showed astatine the 2023 World Cup; Switzerland utilizing this summertime arsenic a stepping chromatic and kicking connected led by imaginable superstar Schertenleib; accepted shot powerhouses similar Portugal, with the superb Kika Nazareth, and Italy, connected the backmost of their semifinal appearance, challenging; the likes of Poland and Wales utilizing this acquisition to travel backmost stronger; and France, Germany and Sweden regrouping and getting person to Spain and, the caller back-to-back champions, England.
