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Key events
22 min: Spain launch a counter but it’s held up by England. They switch to their patient free flowing football and it comes to Caldentey who puts it wide. That was some beautiful football.
21 min: Greenwood takes the set piece and the delivery is good but a Spanish player gets to it first.
20 min: England take it by going backwards, all the way back to Hampton, and Spain eventually win it back. Possession exchanges hands but England get in the box and there is a huge stop from Coll to stop Hemp. James presses the keeper and Hemp wins it, she wallops it but Coll sees it out for a corner. Huge save.
19 min: It’s interesting to see England really pressing Spain but only really when they enter the final third. They aren’t willing to give an inch of space in the midfield to close them off there. Speaking of the midfield, Stanway wins a free kick this time with a foul by Paredes.
17 min: Stanway is shoved to the floor but no foul is given by referee Stephanie Frappart. The midfield battle already heating up. A few phases later though Carmona checks Bronze and England win back the ball, it’s in the box and so Hampton will set off play again.
15 min: It’s end-to-end right now with both teams not showing nerves at all. England have the next chance with Stanway taking a strike but Coll claims it.
14 min: Now Spain are on the attack again with Del Castillo’s shot blocked but Putellas puts that back in with Williamson seeing it clear. Any time Spain get front foot ball it feels dangerous.
13 min: England get a bit of possession with Toone’s high press in the midfield. She passes to Hemp who finds James but she can’t quite pull the trigger. I believe she was offside anyway.
11 min: It’s Carmona again, Bronze is caught napping slightly and the new PSG player gets it to Gonzalez again but her shot it wide.
10 min: Carmona just sees space others don’t. The star, who scored the goal against England in the 2023 World Cup final, sees it in to Gonzalez who takes a shot but Hampton saved. It is out for corner but the set piece is easily defended by Stanway.
9 min: Spain keep up their pressure and Carmona sends it in but Williamson heads it clear. It come back in but this time Stanway is there to quell the danger.
8 min: Putellas is at the centre of Spain’s attack once again, the Barcelona legend sends it in but Hampton reads it well to catch.
6 min: An England throw in then is out for a Spain one and the world champions attempt to clear their lines but it ends with another English throw in. Eventually Spain get it out of the danger area. Great start from England.
5 min: Spain immediately counter but Putellas puts in a rogue ball which goes straight out of play. England right back up the other end with Bronze charging forward and wins a throw in. So much action in these early stages.
4 min: Spain retain possession, as is expected for the majority of this game, but they pop in a long range ball to try and find Gonzalez but Hampton catches. It sets up a great chance with a ball coming for Russo but her shot is saved and the rebound is just out of reach for James.
Tom Garry
Every fan in the stands has been given a pair of coloured, clapper inflatables to make noise with and it’s adding a unique effect.
2 min: Kári Tulinius has emailed:
Since 2011 the team that has played the first semifinal at a World Cup or Euros, men’s and women’s, has won the final, with just one exception. So that should augur well for England, or would if the single, solitary exception wasn’t in 2023, when Spain beat them to win the World Cup. I’m torn between the rule and the exception, but I think that if any team is exceptional in this tournament, it’s La Roja.
Thank you for this fun fact, we’ll see which side of it rings true. Early on England have had the lion share of possession.
Kick-off: England 0-0 Spain
Here we go then.
How are the nerves everyone? For the next 90 minutes and potentially more English and Spanish fans will be nervous. Neutrals settle in for a cracking game of football.
The players are out and the anthems will soon be in full flow. A few minutes away from this final, either way history will be made. The first Spanish team to win a women’s Euros or the first England team to win a second major tournament.
Simon and Jenny have emailed:
Were watching from inside a tent in Germany, hoping the other campers won’t mind when we celebrate England doing what Deutschland couldn’t and holding on for the shootout lottery.
Yes Germany came oh so close against Spain in the semi-finals but conceded late in extra time. Can England overcome them? That is the question. Spain are undefeated in their last 10 matches which included a 2-1 win over England. But the last team to beat Spain was England in February.
It is absolutely tipping it down in Basel as they start the closing ceremony. Dancers are hitting inflatable rubber sticks together as signs which say “thank you” in different languages are displayed.
If England get the job done today they will become the most successful senior England side of all-time. The men’s team won the World Cup in 1966 but have not won anything since.
Justin Kavanagh has emailed on what he is digging into pre-game:
My pre-match meal is a nice steak salad, with a Gorgonzola cheese dressing. Usually, on such a big occasion, I’d be tempted to wash it down with a nice red wine, but it’s hot and humid here in Philadelphia, and I want to stay awake for the full 120 minutes, if it goes the distance. Perhaps I’ll toast a Spanish win (on penalties) with a glass of Rioja, or an England victory (in extra-time) with a nice glass of cider.
That does sound like a delicious pre-game meal, Justin. Either way it sounds like you will have a great evening.
Here’s a great piece on how a major tournament is once again inspiring girls to take up football:
Brendan Large emailed:
Hey Sarah. I’ll be watching here in Norway and the neighbours will probably think I’m mad if this is as tense as I am expecting. In terms of the result…well if they are ‘proper England’ then surely the only way to settle this will be penalties.
If that happens I will turn the game off and come back to your blog about half an hour later.
Ah you’re the type of football fan who can’t watch penalties. I’m the type who can’t keep their eyes off but full of nerves the whole time, no matter who was playing.
No matter your opinion on England’s performances this tournament, you have to respect Sarina Wiegman. In her time as an international manager she has reached every major tournament final available to her. With the Netherlands from 2017-2021 she won the Euros and reached the 2019 World Cup final. After she took over the Lionesses in 2021 she won the Euros, reached the 2023 World Cup final and has now reached another Euros final.
Rob Brown has emailed:
I was interested to see Opta make Spain 51.5% favourites. I’d love to know how it’s such a low figure!
Apart from the eye test, which I think we can all agree has shown Spain as far superior, England have been behind for (roughly) 204 minutes out of 510 in this tournament, while Spain have been behind for 4 (!!!) minutes out of 480 played.
If they pull this off, it will have to count as one of the all-time great heists.
It does seem England have had a bit of luck on their sides but they do say winning teams know how to win, even when it’s ugly. The other side of the coin is yes, Spain are favourites and no wonder why with two back-to-back Ballon d’Or winners in their ranks in Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas.
Nick Ames
“It really makes me emotional, it’s just something we didn’t have in my time,” says Nadine Kessler as she surveys the popularity and sheer scale of a sport whose future she now helps shape. Uefa’s director of women’s football was a brilliant player before retiring nine years ago after 11 surgeries on a knee; she was world footballer of the year in 2014 and, having won the European Championship with Germany a year previously, knows what it takes to dominate a continent.
Joe Pearson has emailed:
As an aficionado of snack chat, you’ll be happy to learn that I am having an early lunch of leftover cottage pie, which I made for Friday’s dinner. And yes, it is delicious.
You know me well Joe, I do love snack chat. That’s quite a meal before a major tournament final. I feel too jittery to eat right now but popcorn feels appropriate for this match.
Tom Garry
Spain came out to warm up on the pitch around 10 minutes after England began their warm-up. The Lionesses seem composed. Rain is falling on both teams now as the pitch gets another soaking, on what has already been a wet day here in Basel, but the conditions look good.
Spain’s Esther Gonzalez is on her way to win the Golden Boot with four goals so far this tournament. Can anyone overtake her today? Have a read:
England manager Sarina Wiegman has told the BBC on the decision to start Jess Carter:
The thinking was for Italy we needed Esme [Morgan] for what we were expecting. Spain will show different things to Italy so we need Jess tonight.
With the news that Lucy Bronze starts tonight, she will break the appearance record for the Lionesses at a major tournament. Today will be her 36th appearance, all of them as a started. Absolute icon.
Peter has got back in touch to finish off his prediction:
James comes off. She’s tired.
Toone comes off. She tired.
Beever-Jones and Park come on.
Beever-Jones scores in the second half of extra time.
We win, 3-2.
We can revisit this in three to four hours time. If anyone else has some predictions you can get in touch via email.
The BBC using the ABBA song ‘the winner takes it all’ over the highlights of England’s sensational comeback against Sweden seems a bit cruel but also a bit funny.
It’s interesting that Sarina Wiegman has changed the defensive option after dropping Jess Carter for the semi-final. Esme Morgan had a good game against Italy but she is a good option from the bench. Spain’s Laia Aleixandri coming back in is no surprise but Barcelona star Claudia Pina dropping to the bench for Athenea del Castillo is. Pina has has an incredible season but Del Castillo injected pace into Spain’s attack when she came on against Germany.
The teams
The team news is in. England have made one change with Jess Carter back in with Esme Morgan named on the bench.
England: Hampton, Bronze, Williamson, Carter, Greenwood, Toone, Walsh, Stanway, James, Russo, Hemp.
Subs: Moorhouse, Charles, Mead, Le Tissier, Clinton, Morgan, Agyemang, Kelly, Beever-Jones, Park, Wubben-Moy, Keating.
Spain, meanwhile, make two changes with Athenea Del Castillo and Laia Aleixandri starting ahead of Claudia Pina and Maria Mendez.
Spain: Coll; Batlle, Paredes, Aleixandri, Carmona; Bonmati, Patri, Putellas; Caldentey, Gonzalez, Del Castillo
Subs: Sullastres, Nanclares, Fernàndez, Pina, Ouahabi, Martin-Prieto, L. García, Paralluelo, Vicky, Redondo M. Zubieta, Mendez
Peter Gartner has emailed:
How we will score.
In the first half and up to 70 mins, Hampton kicks a long one over the
top of the Spanish mid-field, to Russo, who passes to James, scores.From 70 mins, Kelly to Agyemang, scores.
Of course, Pina and Bonmati might have scored for Spain by then, once or twice.
Sounds like you’re going for a 2-2 draw there Peter. Any more predictions on how it would play out in extra time or penalties?
England’s Chloe Kelly is expected to be named on the bench once again but what a tournament it has been for the Arsenal player. To think she had struggled for minutes at the start of this season, forced a loan move to the Gunners and firmly put herself in the Lionesses Euros squad with superb form which helped Arsenal win the Champions League. In this tournament she has been one of the super subs to change games, along with her club teammate Michelle Agyemang. Big names. Big players.
A bit of team news from both sides before their starting XIs drop at around 3.45pm BST. Spain’s Laia Aleixandri is expected to return to the side after her suspension for the semi-final because of too many yellow cards in the earlier games. For England, Lauren James is a doubt after picking up her ankle injury against Italy.
An update from Basel, the rain has stopped but it is supposed to remain showery throughout the day. In case you wondered how the weather may shake out during this final.
Spain’s head coach, Montse Tomé, said:
We are a team, they are players that have been fighting, working, with energy and now they are able to focus energy on football.
I can sit here and answer questions about football – this has changed. This means a lot to me. It shows the change we are getting. Right now, for all the effort I think the squad deserves [to be] winning. In the elite football world it’s not always the case [that you win] but we’ll do everything to try, tomorrow.
Here are some pictures of what that fan walk looks like:
One of my best friends Hannah has travelled to Switzerland for the final and she has joined the fan walk to the stadium. She says Basel residents are watching them from their windows and Lionesses supporters are singing “heads, shoulders, Beever-Jones, Beever-Jones”. The only thing that isn’t gelling with the upbeat vibe is the rain, hopefully that stops before kick-off.
Suzanne Wrack
Leah Williamson says England do not want their legacy to be a “flash in the pan” as they prepare to defend their European title against Spain.
The Lionesses could make history on Sunday by becoming the first senior England side to lift two major trophies, while the captain could join an elite group of players who have tasted European success for club and country in the same year.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the Euro 2025 final where defending champions England take on world champions Spain. The game is a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final where Spain beat England 1-0.
In this tournament Spain have been dominant. So far they have scored 17 goals and conceded just three, winning all of their five matches. Last time out against Germany in the semi-final they faced their toughest opposition yet and it showed with the game sent to extra time and it took a special Aitana Bonmati goal to seal their spot in the final.
For England, meanwhile, it has been a more tumultuous competition. They opened their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to France but then blew away the Netherlands and Wales to progress to the knockout stage. It then took two sensational comebacks against Sweden and Italy in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively to give them a chance to defend their title.
So it’s a team who have had a relatively smooth ride against one who has had to fight tooth and nail to get to the final. Spain will be favourites, as they have been all tournament, but as Lionesses captain Leah Williamson says “the English are never done”. Team news will be dropping around 3.45pm BST so stay tuned.
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