King Charles III led the tributes to England's history-making Lionesses after they won the Women's Euro 2025 title in a dramatic final against Spain on Sunday.
Sarina Wiegman's side held their nerve to survive a tense penalty shoot-out as Chloe Kelly scored the decisive spot-kick in Basel after two crucial saves from goalkeeper Hannah Hampton.
Alessia Russo's second-half equaliser had revived England's bid to retain the Euro title after Mariona Caldentey's 25th minute opener for Spain.
Kelly's winning kick sparked celebrations across England, while the Prince of Wales and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined the party in the stands at St Jakob-Park.
Prince William celebrated with his daughter Princess Charlotte before congratulating England's players on the pitch.
“What a game! Lionesses, you are the champions of Europe and we couldn't be prouder of the whole team. Enjoy this moment England,” William and Charlotte said in a joint statement on X.
England's 3-1 shoot-out victory avenged their 2023 Women's World Cup final loss against Spain in Australia.
King Charles saluted Wiegman's team for their cathartic win, and immediately set their next target as he urged them to win the World Cup in 2027.
“This brings you, your manager and all your support team my most heartfelt congratulations on winning the Euros 2025,” the King wrote on social media.
“For more years than I care to remember, England fans have sung that famous chant 'football's coming home'.
“As you return home with the trophy you won at Wembley three years ago, it is a source of great pride that, through sporting skill and awesome teamwork, the Lionesses have made those words ring true. For this, you have my whole family's warmest appreciation and admiration.
“Well done, Lionesses. The next task is to bring home the World Cup in 2027 if you possibly can!”
Kelly is clutch for Lionesses
Kelly was England's hero again, setting up the equaliser in the final before coolly firing home the winning spot kick in the shoot-out.
The 27-year-old is establishing herself as a player for the big occasions.
“I just came on to the pitch and wanted to make something happen,” Kelly said. “I actually missed three penalties in training yesterday. I’m really proud to be English right now.”
It was back-to-back European trophies for England and yet another final that Kelly had a huge impact on after coming on as a substitute during the Euro 2022 trophy match and scoring the winner against Germany in extra time to clinch a 2-1 victory.
Kelly has also been one of England’s super subs at Euro 2025.
Against Sweden in the quarter-finals, she was brought on in the 78th minute with England trailing 2-0 and had an immediate impact, whipping in two pinpoint crosses for Lucy Bronze and Michelle Agyemang to score and take the match to extra time – with England winning on penalties.
Then came Italy in the semi-finals and another Kelly-inspired England fightback. She scored the decisive goal in the 119th minute, shooting home the rebound after Italy goalkeeper Laura Giuliani saved her penalty kick.
“I was adamant I was not missing two on the bounce,” Kelly said on Sunday.
Wiegman praises 'chaotic' triumph
England coach Wiegman said she was proud of her team's “incredible” achievement.
Defending champions England made an inauspicious start to Euro 2025 in Switzerland when they lost to France, but bounced back to avenge their 2023 World Cup final defeat to Spain.
“I just can't believe it. I have a medal around my neck and we have a trophy,” Wiegman told the BBC. “It has been the most chaotic tournament on the pitch – all the challenges we had on the pitch against our opponent.
“From the first game it was chaos. Losing your first game and becoming European champions is incredible. Football is chaos.
“We said we can win by any means and that's what we have shown again today. I am so proud of the team and the staff. It is incredible."
Remarkably, England's Dutch coach has reached the final of all five major tournaments she has managed at, and has now won three Euros in a row, doing so with the Netherlands in 2017 and then with the Lionesses in 2022 and 2025.
Sandwiched in between those successes were World Cup final defeats to the USA, with the Netherlands in 2019, and against Spain with England two years ago.
No Shame
Lily Allen
(Parlophone)
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Miss Granny
Director: Joyce Bernal
Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa
3/5
(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)
Fighting with My Family
Director: Stephen Merchant
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Florence Pugh, Thomas Whilley, Tori Ellen Ross, Jack Lowden, Olivia Bernstone, Elroy Powell
Four stars
Results:
5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1.400m | Winner: AF Mouthirah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Saab, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Majd Al Gharbia, Saif Al Balushi, Ridha ben Attia
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed Dh 180,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Money To Burn, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh 70,000 2,200m | Winner: AF Kafu, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 2,400m | Winner: Brass Ring, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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'Falling%20for%20Christmas'
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Meydan card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (PA) Group 1 US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) Group 2 $350,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn
4/5 stars
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
