England Players Display Fighting Spirit Ahead Of Euro 2025 Final Against Spain

Add as a preferred source on Google

Ella Toone believes that the England team possesses a strong fighting spirit and understands what it takes to win as they gear up to face Spain in the Euro 2025 final. England has reached their third consecutive major tournament final, having previously won Euro 2022 against Germany and narrowly lost the 2023 World Cup final to Spain.

England's journey to the final has been challenging, requiring resilience in the knockout stages. They scored two late goals against Sweden to force extra time before winning on penalties in the quarter-final. In the semi-final, they secured a dramatic 119th-minute winner over Italy after equalising deep into stoppage time.

Toone expressed pride in England's determination and expects the same intensity when facing Spain in Basel on Sunday. "It's mad, I've not thought about that [reaching a third straight major final]. It's amazing to make three consecutive finals is something we can be so proud of; the whole country can be proud," she said.

The Lionesses have effectively used substitutes throughout Euro 2025. Beth Mead and Aggie Beever-Jones scored against Wales, while Michelle Agyemang netted against Sweden. Agyemang and Chloe Kelly found the net against Italy. With five substitute goals overall, only Germany in 2009 (eight) and England in 2022 (seven) have scored more at a single Euros tournament.

Nineteen-year-old Agyemang has scored in her last two matches at Euro 2025. She could become the youngest player to score in three consecutive major tournament games at 19 years and 174 days, surpassing Vivianne Miedema's record of 21 years and 22 days.

Sarina Wiegman is leading her fifth consecutive major tournament final, having won the last two Euros with different teams (2017 with the Netherlands, 2022 with England). Only Gero Bisanz and Tina Theune have won three tournaments each. Toone joked about Wiegman's stress during this year's competition: "I think we've almost killed her twice this tournament, she's said we have aged her!"

Inspiring Future Generations

Toone highlighted how England's players inspire young boys and girls starting their football journeys. "When we came into the tournament, we wanted to make the nation proud, and we have done that already," she stated. The team aims to continue fighting hard without feeling pressured by expectations.

Reflecting on their success with substitutes, Toone noted it's not new for England. At Euro 2022, she and Alessia Russo were tasked with making an impact off the bench. "It's nice [that players are 'super subs']! Nice for anyone to get on the pitch and make a positive impact," she said.

The Lionesses are determined to give their all for England, their teammates, staff, and fans watching from home as they prepare for another intense battle against Spain.