Chloe Kelly Leads England to European Championship Victory Over Spain

England won the European Championship 2022, Spain the World Championship 2023 – with England as the losing finalist team. In this year's European Championship in Switzerland, when the major nations met in yet another final, England got their revenge.

But it took 120 minutes of play and penalties to secure the title.

There, England's goalkeeper Hannah Hampton saved two penalties, including one from the star player Aitana Bonmati. And Chloe Kelly got the chance to decide another European Championship final. It was also Kelly who decided this year's semifinal by scoring a penalty against Italy.

I was cool, says the striker about the feeling when she stepped up to the penalty spot. I knew I would score it.

I am so proud to be English. We did it again, it's incredible. It will be a crazy celebration.

Winding road

Spain reached the final after five clear victories and 14 goals scored. England's path was much more winding. Loss to France in the group stage, a narrow penalty win over Sweden in the quarterfinals and late decision in extra time against Italy in the semifinals.

And it was Spain that took command on the rainy pitch at St Jakob-Park in Basel. After just over half of the first half, England could no longer resist. Ona Batlle hit a cross that Mariona Caldentey headed into the goal.

Super substitute again

Towards the end of the half, England's star player Lauren James was forced to leave the pitch. She couldn't continue playing with the ankle injury she got in the semifinals. In came super substitute Chloe Kelly.

She did justice to the nickname at the beginning of the second half. Then it was she who hit the cross that Alessia Russo headed into the goal. This after England had taken over more and more of the game.

The game then ebbed back and forth, but there was never a decisive goal. Not even in extra time.

England, who were extremely close to losing the quarterfinals to Sweden, get to keep the European Championship trophy.

The team is incredible. We have shown in this tournament that we can come back when we are behind. We never give up and die, we continue and we did that today as well, says goalkeeper hero Hannah Hampton to BBC Sport.

I didn't know what the situation was when Chloe (Kelly) stepped up to the penalty spot. But when she ran away from there, I understood, "that's it, we did it".