England’s exploits at Euro 2022 will live long in the memory, not only for going all the way and becoming the first England side to triumph at Wembley Stadium in a major international tournament since 1966, but for transforming women’s football in the country.
Euro 2025: Fixtures, where to watch and England’s path to the final
Since England’s iconic 2-1 win over Germany on 31st July 2022, women’s football has shattered records on and off the pitch, with attendances in the WSL exploding, and coverage by mainstream broadcasters now the norm when it comes to major tournaments.
Euro 2025 is no different, with wall-to-wall coverage of the competition in Switzerland on TV and online.
Though even if the Lionesses can kick on and secure back-to-back European crowns, the glory days of 2022 will be that little more special as football literally came home following a dazzling tournament on home soil.
Here, we take a look back at the matches that made England European champions for the first time.
Group stage: England 1-0 Austria
Lionesses labour to opening night victory
England’s opening match of the tournament was welcomed by a huge fanfare and plenty of excitement in the stands. The game didn’t exactly match those levels, but as with many tournament openers, a little bit of nerves can be expected.
The hosts did eventually make the breakthrough at Old Trafford, which hosted its one and only game of the tournament.
Beth Mead’s strike crept over the line after 16 minutes to hand Sarina Wiegman’s side the lead, which they held onto as they made the ideal start. However, Norway would surely provide a sterner test of their credentials…
| England 1 | Austria 0 |
|---|---|
| Mead 16′ |
Group stage: England 8-0 Norway
England run riot in sensational rout
If England were lacklustre in their opening game, their performance in the second was anything but.
Despite the challenge of coming up against an imperious-looking Norway, who boasted the likes of Ada Hegerberg, Caroline Graham Hansen and Guro Reiten in their starting XI, the Lionesses blew them away with an astonishing display.
Georgia Stanway got the ball rolling with a penalty in the 12th minute, with Lauren Hemp needing VAR to confirm she had doubled the hosts’ lead in Brighton.
Ellen White struck to put England three up inside half an hour, and there was still time for Beth Mead to grab a brace before White scored again ahead of the first-half interval.
Alessia Russo got her first goal of the tournament after coming off the bench, while Mead completed her hat-trick to make the grandest of statements in what was meant to be their trickiest group match.
| England 8 | Norway 0 |
|---|---|
| Stanway pen 12′ | |
| Hemp 15′ | |
| White 29′ | |
| Mead 34′ | |
| Mead 38′ | |
| White 41′ | |
| Russo 66′ | |
| Mead 81′ |
Group stage: Northern Ireland 0-5 England
Five-star performance caps perfect group stage campaign
England returned to the south coast as Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium hosted their 5-0 defeat of Northern Ireland.
Despite securing qualification, Wiegman stuck with her trusted starting side, who repaid her faith with another dominating performance.
Fran Kirby expertly got things going late in the first half with an exquisite first-time finish, with Mead grabbing a customary goal just before the break to take her tournament tally to five.
Second-half substitute Russo was at it again as she notched an 8-minute double after coming on, with Kelsie Burrows’ own goal compounding their opponents’ misery.
| Northern Ireland 0 | England 5 |
|---|---|
| Kirby 40′ | |
| Mead 44′ | |
| Russo 48′ | |
| Russo 53′ | |
| Burrows og 76′ |
Quarter-final: England 2-1 Spain (aet)
Stanway rocket sends England to semi-finals
England’s quarter-final pitted two nations looking for their maiden major international crown in the women’s game.
Spain had finished second to Germany in Group B, and posed a significant threat to the Lionesses’ hopes of creating history.
And it had looked as though England were about to come up short, with Esther Gonzalez’s second-half opener appearing enough to see off a relatively toothless home performance.
But with time running out, Sarina Wiegman deployed Millie Bright as an added attacker, and the pressure finally told when Alessia Russo’s knock-down found Ella Toone to slam home an equaliser.
It didn’t take long for England to get the advantage in extra time, with Georgia Stanway firing in a rocket from 25 yards to seal a semi-final date with Sweden.
| England 2 | Spain 1 |
|---|---|
| Toone 84′ | Gonzalez 54′ |
| Stanway 96′ |
Semi-final: England 4-0 Sweden
England book place in final as Sweden emphatically beaten
England’s Euro 2022 journey took them to Sheffield’s Bramall Lane, with 90 minutes separating them from a final in front of an expectant Wembley crowd.
Following a tense opening period where Sweden looked the stronger, the Lionesses weathered the storm and turned, as ever, to Beth Mead to fire England in front after 33 minutes.
Mead turned provider in the second half, with Lucy Bronze’s header finding the bottom corner.
Super-sub Alessia Russo then bagged one of the goals of the tournament, with her audacious backheel going through goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl’s legs.
Lindahl was left humiliated once again as Fran Kirby got in on the act, as her lofted effort squirmed through her grasp to leave Sweden well and truly beaten.
| England 4 | Sweden 0 |
|---|---|
| Mead 34′ | |
| Bronze 48′ | |
| Russo 68′ | |
| Kirby 76′ |
Final: England 2-1 Germany (aet)
Lionesses make history with extra-time victory at Wembley
England became heroes in front of their home crowd as nearly 90,000 supporters saw the Lionesses create history with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Germany at Wembley.
Sarina Wiegman named the same starting XI for a sixth game running as she trusted in the winning formula that had served her side so well.
However, it was substitute Ella Toone who opened the scoring just after the hour mark, lofting the ball over Merle Frohms to send home supporters into ecstasy.
But Germany’s threat grew and were finally level 11 minutes from time when Lina Magull equalised to set up the extra period.
As the prospect of a penalty shootout loomed, a corner was eventually bundled home by Chloe Kelly, who wheeled away in celebration to leave England 10 minutes away from glory.
The Lionesses held on, and the rest, as they say, was history.
| England 2 | Germany 1 |
|---|---|
| Toone 62′ | Magull 79′ |
| Kelly 110′ |
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