An extra-time goal from striker Chloe Kelly gave England a 2-1 win over Germany in the final of the Women’s European Championship to claim their first major title in front of a record home crowd.
Substitute Kelly reacted quicker to a loose corner kick in the second period of extra time on Sunday to give her side the win and avenge their loss to Germany in the Euro 2009 final in Helsinki , Finland.
England manager Sarina Wiegman became the first manager to win the Euros with two different nations, having led her native Netherlands to the title in 2017.
“I can’t stop crying. We talk and talk and talk and finally we’ve done it. You know what, the kids are fine. This is the proudest moment of my life,” England captain Leah Williamson said on the sidelines .
“Listen, the legacy of this tournament is the change of society. The legacy of this team is winning and that is the way. I love each and every one of you, I am very proud to be English. I’m trying really hard not to swear.”
England players celebrate winning the Women’s Euro 2022 final after the match [Molly Darlington/Reuters]
After the final whistle, the England players danced and the crowd sang their anthem, Sweet Caroline.
The good-humored atmosphere at the stadium on Sunday contrasted with the violent scenes when England’s men’s team lost the Euro final to Italy at the same stadium a year ago.
“I always thought I would be here, but to be here and score the winner, wow. These girls are amazing,” said Kelly, who returned from a serious knee injury in April. “This is amazing, I just want to celebrate now.”
It was a historic night for England, who opened the scoring in the 62nd minute through striker Ella Toone in front of a sell-out crowd at Wembley Stadium.
The 87,192 attendance was a record for a Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) tournament, men’s or women’s, underlining the growth of women’s football in Europe since England and Germany last played for a continental title 13 years ago.
England fans celebrate in Trafalgar Square, London after watching their team win the Women’s Euro 2022 final [Frank Augstein/AP Photo]
Substitute Lina Magull brought Germany back into the game to send them into extra time, but Kelly popped up at the right time to get it for England and give the home fans a run for their money.
Germany suffered a blow in the warm-up when striker Alexandra Popp, who had scored six goals in five games on her Euro debut, suffered a muscle injury and was forced to withdraw from the line-up and was substituted by Lea Schuller.
Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s side missed Popp’s presence in the box, but it was a very physical game that produced a scoreless first half.
Toone opened the scoring shortly after the hour mark with a lovely chipped finish moments after coming on as a substitute.
However, he was canceled out by Magull, who equalized from close range 17 minutes later after the home side had been denied by their rivals.
The match finished 1-1 after 90 minutes heading into extra time, when the atmosphere died down a bit as the idea of Germany winning a record-extending ninth European Championship for English football began to set in. .
That was until the 110th minute when Kelly, who moments earlier had urged the crowd to raise their voices and cheer the team on, reacted quicker to nail the winner and inflict Germany’s first defeat in a major final.
England’s Millie Bright and Ellen White celebrate after winning Women’s Euro 2022 [John Sibley/Reuters]
Al Jazeera’s Nadim Baba, reporting from outside the stadium in London, said there were record attendances at stadiums across the country during the tournament, with more than 500,000 people attending matches.
“The hope is that, beyond the elite, it can lead to greater investment in grassroots sport with girls of primary school age and beyond, not only having access to but being able to train at clubs elite,” said Baba.
“Sometimes it’s not free for them in academies linked to top clubs when it’s for boys,” he said. “A little equality, a little more respect and economic stability for professional players to dedicate themselves to the sport. If there’s any question about the quality they deliver, I think this tournament has really dispelled those questions.”