Spain vs. England Clash in Euro 2025 Women’s Final/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Spain and England will meet in the Euro 2025 Women’s Championship final after wildly contrasting journeys. Spain brings technical mastery while England has powered through adversity and late-game drama. Sunday’s match in Basel promises a high-stakes clash between Europe’s two top women’s football powers.
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — Europe’s two women’s football titans, World Cup champions Spain and defending Euro champions Englandwill clash Sunday in what promises to be a spectacular Euro 2025 final. Their paths to the championship game, however, couldn’t have been more different.
Spain has dominated much of the tournament with commanding performances and tactical brilliance, led by their star midfield pairing: Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatíboth two-time Ballon d’Or winners. England, by contrast, has clawed its way into the final through grit, late goals, and resilienceovercoming multiple deficits along the way.
Spain’s campaign has been methodical and precise. They trailed only once—briefly—during a group-stage match against Italy when some starters were rested. Their only scare came in a tense semifinal against Germany, which they narrowly survived.
England’s journey has been far more dramatic. After opening with a 2-1 loss to France, they were nearly eliminated in both knockout rounds. Against Sweden in the quarterfinals and Italy in the semifinals, Super-Sub Michelle AGYEMANG came off the bench to equalize, once in the 81st minute and again deep into stoppage time. Chloe Kelly also played a pivotal role off the bench.
Spain and England are becoming familiar foes in big moments. England eliminated Spain in Euro 2022coming from behind to win 2-1 in extra time. A year later, Spain returned the favorwinning the 2023 World Cup final 1-0 in Sydney.
This year, the two nations split results in UEFA Nations League play: England edged Spain 1-0 at Wembley in February, while Spain rallied with two goals from Clàudia Pina to win 2-1 in June.
Spain has now won 13 of their last 14 matcheswith only the Wembley loss interrupting a near-perfect run.
Spain enters the final with arguably the most skillful midfield in world football. Putellas and Bonmatí dictate the temporetaining possession and slicing through defenses with surgical precision. “We’re ready for anything,” Putellas said, exuding confidence in her team’s playstyle.
England relies on a never-say-die attitudemaking clutch adjustments and showing mental toughness in the face of adversity.
For the eighth consecutive Euro, the championship will be claimed by a team led by a female head coach.
Only seven of the 16 Euro 2025 coaches were women, and now the final stage is once again a celebration of their leadership.
The Women’s Euros have seen only one title match decided by penalty shootout: the very first final in 1984, when Sweden beat England after a 1-1 draw over two legs.
England’s only other shootout in Euros history came just last week, again against Sweden. In a chaotic quarterfinal, both teams missed multiple penalties, but Sweden failed to convert two chances to win, allowing England to escape.
Spain’s sole shootout experience at the Euros came in 2017, where they lost to Austria in the quarterfinals.
| Spain | England |
|---|---|
| Possession-focused, technical style | Physical, resilient, late-game fighters |
| 13 wins in last 14 matches | Regular comeback victories |
| Midfield Stars: Putellas, Bonmatí | Bench strength: Agyemang, Kelly |
| 1 Euro final appearance (first ever) | 3rd Euro final appearance (1 title) |
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