The stage is set in Basel, Switzerland, at St. Jakob-Park this Sunday. Two of football’s titans, Spain and England, are ready for a monumental clash. They will battle for the women’s European title. This match carries heavy stakes for both sides.
For Spain, this final is a chance to make history. They aim to add the continental trophy to their 2023 World Cup win. That World Cup final was also against England, making this match a highly anticipated rematch of their last major showdown. Spain showed its strength early in this tournament, beating Portugal 5-0 in the group stage. The team believes they have grown a lot since then. Aitana Bonmatí, voted the world’s best player in 2023 and 2024, is a key figure for Spain. She shared her team’s mindset: “In this Euro, we’ve shown our best version. The team has changed a lot. It’s more mature and has more experience. They know how to compete on the field. We have a golden generation. We are experiencing unique things. I am grateful to be part of it.”
England also has a chance to write its own chapter in the record books. The Lionesses are looking for revenge after that World Cup defeat. They also want to become two-time European champions. In 2022, playing on home soil, England beat Germany in extra time to win the Euro title. This year, their path to the final has been tough. They lost their first game to France. Then, they had to fight hard, beating Sweden in a penalty shootout and Italy after extra time.
Their Dutch coach, Sarina Wiegman, has a strong record in major tournaments. She led England to the 2022 European title. Before that, she won the 2017 Euro with her home country, the Netherlands. Wiegman also guided her teams to the final in the last two World Cups, though they finished as runners-up both times. She spoke about her team’s grit: “This team has always shown a lot of resilience, I see that in abundance. They are absolutely the most resilient people. They truly want to work hard and are very committed.” This Sunday, all that hard work will be put to the ultimate test.
