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England's women's soccer team wins first ever European Championship, ending the curse

The Lionesses beat Germany 2-1 with an extra-time goal from substitute player Chloe Kelly in the final at Wembley to claim England's first continental title in soccer

By Andy Leal Cerdá

July 31, 2022 4:30pm

Updated: August 2, 2022 6:56am

Chloe Kelly scored a decisive goal in the 110th minute of extra time to help England's Lionesses rewrite history and win their first Women's European Championship at Wembley in front of the largest ever crowd for a European Championship match of any gender.

With a record attendance of 87,192, in an iconic stadium and with soccer of outstanding intensity and quality, England touched the sky for the first time by beating the Germans, who had never lost a title match before, 2-1 in the final.

Sarina Wiegman's team once again showed their ambition and commitment, held together as a cohesive group against an always dangerous Germany to take the title after winning all six games of the tournament. 

The final kicked off with England repeating their starting eleven for the sixth time in the tournament, while the Germans lost their leading scorer Alexandra Popp to injury in the warm-up.

As the minutes ticked by, Germany gained the upper hand in the match. Lina Magull, Däbritz, and Oberdorf appeared in the center of the field and the final seemed to fall on the German side against the pressure of the locals. The physical intensity and concentration in each duel were palpable, and the high level of both teams left the match goalless at halftime.

In the second half, Germany came out with extra gear and created several clear-cut chances in the early stages of the second half. This prompted Wiegman to move the bench and bring out the substitute players, Alessia Russo and Ella Toone. 

The strategy did not fail. The Manchester United striker Toone took advantage of an excellent long pass from Walsh to finish with a soft lob over the German goalkeeper Frohms. An exquisite play that will go down in history as the best goal of this Euro.

The Germans had everything to play for and pressed for a tie by bringing Wassmuth and Anyomi into the game. The German effort was answered and in a stellar appearance by Magull inside the field. The ball ended up in the net and the final went to extra time where fatigue began to show in the players of both teams.

In extra time, the Wembley crowd gave their team a final boost as substitute Chloe Kelly took advantage of a multi-rebound move to give England their first continental title to the delight of the home fans. Kelly made history with her first international goal for England at the best possible time.

England striker Beth Mead finished the tournament as the top scorer with six goals and five assists, ahead of Popp who also scored six goals but no assists. Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman is the first woman to win the title with two different national teams and the first to win it with a country other than her own.

"There's been a lot of talk, and we finally got it. It's the proudest moment of my life, so I'm going to enjoy every second of it. The legacy of this tournament and this team is a change in society, we've brought everyone together," concluded Leah Williamson, England captain.

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