July 25 – In a repeat of the 2023 Women’s World Cup final, Spain will start as favourites to defeat England in the final of Euro 2025 and win their first continental title.
How do you beat the best team in the world? It’s the simple question manager Sarina Wiegman and the reigning European champions will seek to answer against world champions Spain on Sunday at the St. Jakob Park in Basel where they can retain their European crown, won on an historic night at Wembley in 2022.
That triumphant evening in London may feel distant. The Basel showpiece is a repeat of the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Sydney, Australia, that feels a lot nearer. It was a night that changed the women’s game. After an imperious tournament, Spain’s 1-0 victory signalled the start of their domination. At the same time, the unsolicited kiss of then Spanish FA boss Luis Rubiales catapulted the team into a global spotlight.
The Spanish team took it in their stride and arguably, in the face of adversity, became better. By contrast, England were heartbroken, but after a wobbly campaign in Switzerland for a team in transition, they have found ways to win, have shown significant signs of improvement and will not make it easy by any measure for the Spanish.
England’s opening defeat against France exposed a frailty that the Lionesses have not been able to shake off entirely. Victory over Sweden ranked as the great escape, and they again needed extra time against an Italian team who parked the bus defensively but had enough to challenge higher up the field.
England were minutes away from elimination against the Scandinavians, Italy could have send the reigning champions home had Emma Severini taken the chance of a lifetime at the end of the game.
Seven of the 11 who started against Spain in the World Cup final were in England’s team for the win against Italy. Leah Williamson, Georgia Stanway and Alessia Russo are among the England stalwarts. The emergence of 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang with three goals in four appearances suggest England have at last found a no-nonsense goalscorer, but the European champions haven’t looked completely solid.
In contrast Spain’s campaign has almost been flawless. They breezed through the group stages, running up 14 goals against Italy, eventual semi-finalists, Belgium and Portugal. Each performance and goal feast was more impressive than the next. If they struggled somewhat against Switzerland in the last eight, Germany represented the first major test: the eight-time champions’ resilience and grit stymied Spain’s flow, but it was the class of Aitana Bonmati that prevailed.
That Spain, the world champions, are imperious is nothing new. They have so many outlets to play their way out of trouble. They possess class in all departments of the pitch and under manager Montse Tome, Spain have perhaps refined their game even more.
The central defenders can play the long ball but comfortable with the ball at their feet, the midfield trio of Bonmati, Putellas and Guijarro is unrivaled and up front, Esther Gonzalez’s directness is an incisive weapon. With the rise of Claudia Pina and Vicky Lopez, the next generation is already coming through.
They too, though, will feel the pressure. Spain have a unique opportunity: they can claim their maiden European title to complete a treble, following victory in the World Cup and the Nations League.
Their semi-final win against Germany however was laboured. For much of the 120 minutes in the semi-finals, Germany, neutralising Bonmati and her star-studded team, provided a blue print on how to stop Spain.
England can also take heart from their 1-0 February victory against Spain in the Nations League. At the time, England, a team that likes to be on the ball, had just 41% of possession and ceded the initiative to Spain, but it was a strategy that worked.
For Wiegman, it’s her fifth consecutive final at a major tournament, something the FA’s chief executive Mark Bullingham called “phenomenal”, saying that Wiegman is “not for sale at any price.” It’s recognition for her work and consistency, even if England’s run has often been fraught with complications and drama.
Against the team to beat, the Lionesses will have to be faultless.
As Bonmati said: “I am proud to belong to this generation of footballer who are achieving so many things. The truth is, I think we’ll be grateful in the future for having experienced so many things and achieved so many things. But, well, this isn’t over yet.”
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