When you think about it, there really should be little surprise that it will be England and Spain who meet in the final of Euro 2025 on Sunday. It was almost inevitable that they would face each other once again. Two nations whose journeys seem intrinsically linked at this point; two nations whose rise has changed and disrupted the historic order of the women’s game.
While England’s recent achievements may have come a few years earlier than Spain’s, the comparisons between the two are clear. While the Lionesses have more historic success – they reached the European Championship final in 1984 and 2009 and have been among the final four in their last six tournaments – their feats in the full-time era of the game are mirrored. They lifted their first major trophies within 12 months of each other – England in 2022, Spain in 2023 – and over the last three years, both have proved they have the squad and resources that could maintain this success for years to come, despite growth in the sport elsewhere.
