The victory parade was pure joy.

‘It feels like a safe space.’

Who will swap their studs for the studio?

Two Lionesses are in the frame to be named the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year after England won Euro 2025.

Sarina Wiegman’s side beat Spain in a dramatic penalty shootout to retain their European title.

Pre-tournament favourites Spain led through Mariona Caldentey’s first-half header but Alessia Russo’s second-half equaliser took the final to extra-time and then penalties.

England missed their first spot-kick – Beth Mead’s effort saved after her first had to be retaken due to a double kick – but Spain then missed three in a row, with Hannah Hampton saving two.

Chloe Kelly, who scored the winner in the Euro 2022 final win at Wembley, struck home the decisive penalty to spark bedlam among England fans in the stadium and watching on from back home.

Moments after England lifted the trophy, Kelly was installed as the second-favourite to win the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award.

Betfair spokesperson Sam Rosbottom said: ‘Chloe Kelly is the new second-favourite to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award after scoring the winning penalty for England in the Euro 2025 final.

‘Hannan Hampton is also in the mix after saving two penalties to help England win the tournament. Kelly and Hampton are joined by fellow Lionesses Lucy Bronze and Leah Williamson who are among the outsiders to win the award.’

Despite the Lionesses’ historic success, Rory McIloy remains the favourite to win Sports Personality of the Year after he completed the career Grand Slam by winning the Masters earlier this year.

By winning at Augusta, McIlroy became just the sixth man – and first European – in history to win all four majors.

World darts champion Luke Littler and Formula One driver Lando Norris are also contenders for SPOTY following impressive rises in their respective sport.

Littler etched his name into darting history by becoming the youngest ever PDC World Championship winner at the start of the year.

The 18-year-old won the World Matchplay on the same day England retained their Euros title to complete darts’ triple crown.

‘Football is chaos’ – but England come through yet again

England’s path to Euro 2025 glory was far from straightforward but the Lionesses delivered when it mattered most to retain the trophy they first lifted in 2022.

Penalties were also required in the quarter-finals and Wiegman’s side recovered from missing four spot-kicks to beat Sweden.

The Lionesses were minutes from exiting in the semi-finals against Italy before Michelle Agyemang scored a dramatic 96th-minute equaliser and Kelly scored late in extra time.

After coming from behind yet again to beat favourites Spain in the Euro 2025 final, Wiegman said: ‘I can’t believe it!

‘We said we can win by any means and that’s what we have shown again today. I am so proud of the team and the staff. It is incredible.

‘I just can’t believe it. I have a medal around my neck and we have a trophy. It has been the most chaotic tournament on the pitch – all the challenges we had on the pitch against our opponent.

‘From the first game it was chaos. Losing your first game and becoming European Champions is incredible. Football is chaos.’

England star Ella Toone added: ‘Amazing feeling. I felt all the same emotions as I did back then [at Euro 2022].

‘We worked so hard, winning a tournament for your country – there’s no better feeling. We deserved that and we should be so proud of ourselves.

‘There were times when people thought we were down and out but we never did. We had that belief in the squad that we were going to come out and win.

‘That’s the quiet confidence we have in ourselves. Amazing feeling. We’re going to enjoy the night. I love a party, I’m a Tyldesley girl of course I love a party!’

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Spain captain Irene Paredes claims her team ‘deserved’ to win the Euro 2025 final more than ‘lucky’ England.

The Lionesses cemented their place in history by retaining their European title with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Spain.

Sarina Wiegman’s side were second best for much of the final and were forced to come from behind yet again after Mariona Caldentey’s first-half header broke the deadlock.

But England have made a habit of comebacks during a turbulent Euros campaign and equalised on the hour mark through Alessia Russo.

Pre-tournament favourites Spain pressed for a winner late on and in extra-time but England resolutely took them to penalties before winning the shootout 3-1.

Chloe Kelly, who scored the winner in the Euro 2022 final at Wembley, converted the decisive spot-kick after England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton saved two Spain penalties.

Victory represented the first time an England team has won a major trophy on foreign soil and gave Wiegman her third successive European title.

Spain captain Paredes felt her team ‘deserved it more’ after the heartbreaking defeat and accused England of being ‘lucky throughout the whole tournament’.

England also won via penalties in their quarter-final against Sweden before scoring two late goals to come from behind in the semi against Italy.

‘I don’t really know what to say,’ Paredes told Spanish TV station RTVE. ‘It’s a very hard moment.

‘We tried everything, all the different ways, and then the penalties didn’t go our way. I thought we deserved it more but in the end it is not about who deserves it.

‘It is about having that bit of luck and England had that throughout the whole tournament. We thought we could overcome that but we weren’t able to.

‘I think we had more control of the game than they did, we created more clear chances, we had more possession… But yeah, nothing else.’

Spain manager Montse Tome, meanwhile, expressed ‘pride’ in her team while bemoaning the fact they were unable to ‘close out’ the win.

Spain are the World Cup holders following their triumph in Australia in 2023 and will be one of the favourites for the 2027 tournament in Brazil.

‘It’s a final and we are sad because we weren’t able to win,’ Tome said. ‘I think the effort from all of the players was very good, they tried until the very end to try to win but then we arrived at a penalty shootout and we weren’t able to do it.

‘I thought overall we were very good on the ball. They are a team that play a lot on the second balls and they managed to hurt us a bit in these situations.

‘I think in extra time we got the momentum back, got on the ball and were able to attack, but we were not able to avoid a penalty shootout and in the end we were not able to do that better.

‘Now we have a strange feeling because we wanted to win so much. You have it so close and you are not able to do it. But I am always proud of the effort of the team and the staff that has been really positive.’

England heroes react to Euro 2025 win

While Spain felt a little aggrieved by their defeat in Basel, there were joyous scenes in the stadium and around the country as England celebrated back-to-back Euros wins.

‘The first time was so nice, we had to do it twice,’ England hero Kelly said as she strolled around the pitch with another winner’s medal around her neck.

England captain Leah Williamson added: ‘The girls put in a defensive performance for the ages. I don’t have the words.

‘This was hard fought, three years ago was a fairytale, everything went our way but this year it didn’t.’

On three-time winning Euros coach Wiegman, Williamson added: ‘I thought two [Euros titles] was good but she’s doing well with three. She’s just an amazing woman.

‘She stands by us on and off the pitch. But when she makes a decision, and it’s a sign of a good coach, I never question it.

‘If she tells me to jump, I say how high? I think that’s a sign of somebody well-respected.’

An elated Wiegman, meanwhile, said: ‘I can’t believe it! We said we can win by any means and that’s what we have shown again today.

‘I am so proud of the team and the staff. It is incredible. I just can’t believe it. I have a medal around my neck and we have a trophy.

‘It has been the most chaotic tournament on the pitch – all the challenges we had on the pitch against our opponent.

‘From the first game it was chaos. Losing your first game and becoming European Champions is incredible. Football is chaos.’

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The goal-scorer’s husband led messages of pride and support.

The goal-scorer’s husband led messages of pride and support.

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Sarina Wiegman can draw inspiration from Arsenal ahead of the Euro 2025 final (Photo: Getty)

The Lionesses can further cement their place in history when they take on Spain in the Euro 2025 final this evening.

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(Photo by Kya Banasko – The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

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Former England footballer Karen Carney (Picture: Getty)

Karen Carney slammed two England stars for their ‘unacceptable’ mistake during the Lionesses’ 2-1 defeat to France in their Euro 2025 opener.

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