England survives and beats Spain on penalties to win European Championship

England claimed its second straight European Championship on Sunday, defeating Spain on penalties (1-1 after extra time, 3-1) in Basel, after La Roja failed to put the game away against a resilient Leonas side that once again thrived under pressure.

In front of 34,200 fans at St. Jakob-Park, Mariona Caldentey put Spain ahead with a header in the 25th minute, but Alessia Russo leveled the score with a header of her own in the 57th.

With no goals in the next hour of play, the 14th European Championship came down to penalties, where England prevailed thanks to two saves by Hannah Hampton and a decisive final kick from their talisman, Chloe Kelly.

It was a heartbreaking finish for Spain, who fell just short despite dominating a tournament in which they trailed for only four minutes across six games — between the 10th and 14th minutes against Italy in their 3-1 win.

Keeping the Lionesses alive

For the first half hour, the match was a high-level back-and-forth. England showcased its "hybrid" qualities — as Alexia Putellas described earlier this week — able to open up and tighten play like an accordion, dangerous in both approaches.

Russo (4) and Lauren Hemp (19) had the first chances against a Spanish side that was slow to settle into the game.

For Spain, Olga Carmona and Esther González managed to link up, but the forward couldn’t finish (9th and 11th minutes). Mariona also failed to get her shot on target after combining with Alexia in the 21st.

She didn’t miss the second time. After a well-worked move on the right involving Athenea and Aitana, Ona Batlle reached the end line and delivered a perfect cross to the head of the number 8, who finished with precision.

The goal boosted Spain’s momentum and dampened England’s spirits, which took another hit just before halftime when Lauren James, dealing with ankle discomfort since the semifinals, was replaced by Chloe Kelly (41st minute).

Wearing No. 18, the hero of England’s 2022 final win over Germany and a key player in the quarterfinals and semifinals, Chloe Kelly was welcomed like a savior by the majority English crowd at St. Jakob-Park, which had already started to lose hope.

After the break, Spain had chances to seal the game, but Aitana (50), Mariona (52), and Alexia (55) couldn’t finish their promising attacking moves.

Vicky and Claudia Pina, the game changers

You can’t leave a champion hanging, and England came out of nowhere to equalize. Kelly delivered a cross from the left, and Russo—who hadn’t scored all tournament—headed it in at the perfect moment to open her account.

The match entered a tense stalemate. With nerves running high, Kelly remained sharp—a constant threat on the left—early beating Cata Coll in the 69th minute.

Less dominant after the equalizer, La Roja responded with a powerful shot from Claudia Pina (74), who had just come on for the often underrated Alexia Putellas.

Just a day after her 19th birthday, Vicky Lopez appeared in the final moments to spark the Spanish attack. Her shot was the last chance before extra time.

Unfazed by the pressure, the Barça prodigy carried the team on her back, putting England—playing their third consecutive extra time—on the back foot and shutting down any chance of another attack.

Pina kept firing without finding the target (100th and 105th minutes), while the Lionesses, running low on energy, seemed resigned to taking the tournament to penalties and hoping to win there.