We won

Compared to 2022, when England was the host nation, there has been a distinct lack of interest in this summer’s Euros. After England beat Italy last Tuesday to qualify for the final, I texted my nearest and dearest to say I would see them on Sunday. I hoped this loosely veiled threat would pay off. Does it matter if we don’t show our support for the women competing? If you follow football but have ignored this tournament, it matters.

When the Premier League finished in May, ‘we’ had won. Liverpool were champions again, but I’d never felt so disconnected from a football season. It was a few weeks earlier, on the day Liverpool beat Tottenham 5-1, securing the top spot, that I realised how my love of the men’s game is linked closely to my sense of community. I flit between ‘we’ and ‘they’ when talking about men’s football, depending on how many games I’ve managed to see in person or how I’m feeling about men generally, but for the women’s game, and the England team especially, it is always ‘we’. We won at Wembley four years ago. That victory had nothing to do with me, but was entirely down to us.

On Saturday, more than 100,000 people took part in London Trans+ Pride 2025. In April the FA determined that trans women couldn’t play for women’s teams following the UK Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd v. The Scottish Ministers. Goal Diggers FC, an amateur club set up in 2015 in the belief that ‘football is a sport for everyone’, sent an open letter to the FA:

In 1921 the Football Association banned women from playing football. In 2025, you’ve done it again. We represent the many women, non-binary people and male allies who are horrified, disappointed and deeply disturbed by the recent decision to ban all trans women from playing football.

Another grassroots London club, Babe City FC, said that it ‘is and always will be a safe space for our trans players, siblings and the whole community’. Last Friday evening, Hells Bells FC had a ‘Trans Pride kickabout and banner-making’ session in Hackney Downs.

Spain’s route to the final rarely looked in doubt. After topping their group with three decisive victories, they defeated the hosts 2-0 in the quarter-finals. Deploying a low block, Switzerland held on till the second half, but they were clearly fatigued by the time Athenea del Castillo scored within five minutes of coming off the bench. Claudia Pina sealed the win five minutes later. At full time, Spain gave Switzerland a guard of honour. A banner in the crowd said: ‘We are with you Jenni.’ Jennifer Hermoso, who was kissed on the lips without her consent by the then president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, after Spain won the 2023 World Cup, wasn’t selected for this tournament.

Despite the best efforts of Germany’s goal keeper, Ann-Katrin Berger, who made 23 saves in five matches, Spain won their semi-final with a goal from Aitana Bonmatí in extra time. Berger has twice survived thyroid cancer. The tattoo on her neck to cover the scars says: ‘All we have is now.’ Germany had snatched their quarter-final victory over France thanks to Berger’s making two decisive saves in the penalty shoot-out.

England’s quarter-final against Sweden went to penalties too, even though Sweden had been 2-0 up for most of the game – until Lucy Bronze and then Michelle Agyemang scored in the last ten minutes. Agyemang, who is only 19, hints at serious future talent. After she equalised, I punched my open palm so hard in excitement that my hand was still throbbing in extra time. During the penalty shoot-out a few kicks went wide or over the bar, which naysayers of women’s football used as ammunition to denounce it as rubbish, but for everyone else it was incredible, culminating with Bronze blasting an unstoppable ball into the roof of the net despite an injured thigh.

Sweden were knocked out on 17 July, ‘Mamma Mia day’, for reasons best known to fans of musical theatre. One sign in the crowd claimed ‘ABBA > Beatles’. Clearly not.

The high temperatures in Switzerland meant players trying to keep to cool turned to cryotherapy, ice vests and slush puppies. It didn’t feel like summer when England played Italy. Barbara Bonansea scored for Italy in the first half. Lucy Bronze looked in pain (we later learned she played the entire tournament with a secret fractured tibia). Lauren James was taken off at the beginning of the second half with ice strapped to an injured ankle. With five minutes to go, Agyemang came on for Leah Williamson – and equalised in the sixth minute of stoppage time, cutting it even finer than she had against Sweden. As extra time ticked down and another round of penalties loomed, in the 119th minute, Chloe Kelly shot, failed, went quickly back for the ball and scored on the rebound. England were in the final against Spain.

My encouraging texts paid off and my friends and I found our place in a local pub. The game seemed to move so quickly, as Mariona Caldentey headed in Ona Batile’s cross for Spain and Alessia Russo gave us an equaliser. It was 1-1 at full-time and a goalless thirty minutes of extra time brought us to yet another penalty shoot-out. It passed in a blur. Beth Mead had to retake hers and the second time she missed. Hannah Hampton made two back-to-back saves. Williamson missed but so did Salma Paralluelo and our best had been saved till last. Kelly scored. England were once again European Champions.

I sobbed. I hugged my friends. I hugged strangers as we celebrated together. (The moment was briefly soured by a few men making jokes at the expense of women’s football, unable to see that the joke was on them.) Agyemang was awarded Young Player of the tournament. ‘Every woman has to break down barriers to get to where they want to be,’ Kelly said. We shouldn’t have to win international tournaments for women’s football to be worthy of attention but the day after there is no escaping this historic victory.