England Clinches Women's Euro Crown in Dramatic Penalty Shootout Against Spain
England managed to retain their European Championship crown against all expectations with a thrilling 3–1 penalty shootout triumph over Spain on Sunday.
Following a 1–1 stalemate in regulation time, Chloe Kelly struck the winning penalty from the spot to conclude a tense sequence of penalties and defeat tournament favorites Spain.
In contrast to their earlier knockout phase performances, England began with energy and purpose. Leah Williamson had previously acknowledged the careful respect Spain deserved. "They are an exceptional footballing side and they excel at their style of play, and we're fully conscious of that," the Lionesses captain noted, before meaningfully stating, "We believe we're quite capable in certain aspects too."
Sarina Wiegman's team pressed their renowned opponents relentlessly, preventing any comfortable possession amid the whirlwind of red, white and blue jerseys. This aggressive pressing caught Laia Aleixandri unprepared and gave Lauren Hemp a golden opportunity from the edge of the six-yard area within the first 20 minutes. Cata Coll made an excellent save in response.
The current world champions quickly eased the mounting pressure. A group of darting red shirts gathered on the right flank of the attacking third, using both power and skill to locate Ona Batlle near the touchline. The Barcelona defender found an unmarked Mariona Caldentey who nodded home a 25th-minute breakthrough. Lucy Bronze, the England centre-back who allowed Arsenal's key player to score unopposed, buried her face in her hands in despair.
Caldentey's strike deflated England's momentum. Spain, conversely, appeared to gain composure with every precisely executed pass. Gentle chants of "olé" echoed from the stands before Lauren James suffered an injury in the 41st minute, dealing another setback to England's fading hopes.
One player with famously unshakeable self-belief was Kelly, James's substitute. Arsenal's attacking midfielder didn't delay until the final moments to deliver her trademark brilliance, instead delivering a cross perfectly onto Alessia Russo's head just before the hour mark. Coll was completely deceived by Russo's expertly placed header into the distant corner.
England's equalizer momentarily disrupted Spain's rhythm, though the dominant team undefeated in their last 10 fixtures quickly reestablished control. Even without Alexia Putellas, who was unexpectedly substituted with 20 minutes of regular time left, Tomé's squad created numerous opportunities while conceding none—England's final attempt from open play came in the 69th minute. However, these well-acquainted rivals remained level until a dramatic penalty shootout.
Beth Mead experienced a slip, score and miss sequence to start a penalty series controlled by both shot-stoppers. The England attacker lost her balance during the opening attempt, executing an accidental double contact that required a retake which Coll pushed aside.
Hannah Hampton made a strong save to thwart Caldentey and subsequently Aitana Bonmatí before Williamson's effort was stopped by Coll. Salma Paralleulo pulled her attempt painfully wide to set up Kelly for another crucial moment.