Aitana Bonmati Accepts Responsibility For Spain's Euro 2025 Final Loss To England After Penalty Miss

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Spain's Aitana Bonmati took responsibility for her team's loss to England in the Euro 2025 final after missing a crucial penalty. Despite being named Player of the Tournament, Bonmati was one of three Spanish players who failed to score in the shootout, alongside Mariona Caldentey and Salma Paralluelo. Spain initially led through Caldentey's goal, but Alessia Russo equalised with a header, leading to a penalty shootout.

England's goalkeeper, Hannah Hampton, played a pivotal role by saving key penalties. Chloe Kelly then secured England's victory by scoring the decisive spot-kick. This win marked England as only the second team to retain the Women's Euros title after Germany's previous successes. The match was just the second Women's Euro final to be decided by penalties.

Bonmati expressed her disappointment, stating, "I don't have much emotion left to be honest. I have emptied myself of emotion. We are all exhausted. We have spent many days here." She acknowledged her missed penalty and congratulated England on their win. Despite Spain's dominance in possession and chances, Bonmati felt it wasn't enough.

Spain ended with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.35 from 22 shots compared to England's 1.04 from eight attempts. Spain's coach Montse Tome echoed Bonmati's sentiments, believing her team deserved more given their performance and 64.9% possession. "I think this team deserved more," Tome said during her post-match press conference.

Tome praised England for their resilience throughout the tournament, noting that they had faced challenging moments but always managed to overcome them. "England have been playing to the limit for quite a few games," she added. Despite Spain regaining control in extra time, they couldn't capitalise on their opportunities.

England's Journey Through the Tournament

Under Sarina Wiegman, England navigated a tough path to victory, including extra-time wins against Sweden and Italy after losing their opening game to France. Remarkably, they led for only four minutes and 52 seconds during knockout stages, including stoppage time.

Tome refrained from discussing her future with Spain as her contract is set to expire at August's end. Since taking charge in 2023, she has led Spain to a Women's Nations League title but remains focused on current responsibilities rather than future plans.

The match highlighted both teams' strengths and challenges throughout the tournament. While Spain showcased skill and control, England demonstrated resilience and determination under pressure.