Lionesses’ Euro 2025 Triumph Will ‘inspire People’ And Spark Change, Wiegman Says

Sarina Wiegman said England’s defence of their European title “makes change” and “inspires people” acold and wide, arsenic nan Lionesses hole for a heroes’ invited connected nan Mall and successful beforehand of Buckingham Palace connected Tuesday.

“We’re England and we want to triumph but there’s truthful overmuch much than winning a game,” nan manager, who won a grounds 3rd European title successful a row pursuing her Euro 2017 triumph pinch nan Netherlands and England’s triumph successful 2022, told Lionesses channels.

“We cognize winning nan Euros makes change. It inspires people. Young kids, but besides you spot truthful galore much group that you inspire, not conscionable small girls but small boys and grandads and grandmas, full families, successful England but besides beyond.”

A highest assemblage of 16.2 cardinal watched England’s conclusion of Spain successful nan Euro 2025 last connected ITV and nan BBC connected Sunday and Wiegman took nan clip to praise supporters for their role, having travelled en masse and tuned successful in immense numbers.

“I’m really looking guardant to going backmost to England,” she said. “The fans person been amazing. I deliberation we ever person very bully crowds and we never, ever return that for granted. If you look astatine this tournament, galore English fans came to nan stadiums and were ever successful nan stands successful immense overload.

“It’s unthinkable that each these group took nan effort to travel and watch america successful Switzerland but it’s besides astir nan group astatine home, we’ve seen immoderate things coming connected nan societal media. It’s really bully to spell backmost to England and travel together location and celebrate.”

England went done 3 consecutive spells of other clip successful nan knockout shape connected nan measurement to their 2nd awesome tourney trophy, and Wiegman contrasted nan chaos connected nan transportation pinch nan reside they had group disconnected it.

Chloe Kelly scored nan winning punishment for nan Lionesses against Spain. Photograph: Michael Zemanek/Shutterstock

“Three times going into other time, that’s crazy. I consciousness this tourney was crazy and chaotic connected nan pitch. I deliberation disconnected nan pitch, everything was beautiful calm. Also successful nan 3 games, we came from down – we came from 1-0 aliases moreover 2-0 down – I deliberation that shows nan value of nan players. The squad showed truthful overmuch resilience but besides belief, belief that we tin move things astir and we tin triumph by immoderate means. That’s nan words they used. That’s what we showed complete and complete again.”

Of her ain guidance aft Chloe Kelly’s winning penalty went in, Wiegman said: “I deliberation I conscionable started running. I’d been screaming for 3 minutes. I conscionable could not judge that we won it. When she went to return that penalty, it was her condemnation again, she conscionable loves these moments.”

On Monday different leader of nan final, nan goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, paid tribute to her precocious grandfather, who died 2 days earlier nan tournament.

“Dear Grandpa,” she wrote successful a moving station connected societal media. “You were 1 of my biggest supporters. You believed successful maine earlier I moreover knew what this travel would look like. You were ever location – watching, encouraging, teaching. You taught maine truthful much, not conscionable astir football, but astir life. About staying grounded, moving hard, being resilient and doing things nan correct way.

“I miss our chats. I miss you saying ‘Only america athletes understand’ – ever pinch a small smirk for illustration you were successful connected thing special. And you were. You sewage it. You understood what this meant to me. You understood what it took.”

Hampton saved 2 penalties, from nan Ballon d’Or holder Aitana Bonmatí and Arsenal’s Champions League victor Mariona Caldentey, successful nan shootout astatine nan extremity of nan Euro 2025 final, and was named subordinate of nan match, her 2nd of nan tourney pursuing her punishment heroics against Sweden.

Hampton had “Grandpa” printed connected nan wrong of her collar passim nan tournament. “It breaks my bosom that you didn’t get to spot maine locomotion retired for our state astatine my first awesome tourney … thing you dreamed of for me, thing we talked astir truthful galore times,” she said. “But I know, heavy down, you were still there. I felt you pinch me. In nan tunnel. On nan pitch. In nan reliable moments. I heard you successful my caput erstwhile I needed strength. I dream I made you proud, Grandpa. I carried you done each minute. And I ever will. I did it. WE DID IT.”