Against longtime rivals and eight-time winners Germany in the thrilling Euro 2022 final at Wembley, England made history by winning their first major women’s tournament.
Substitute With 10 minutes of added time left, Chloe Kelly tapped home a loose ball from a corner to whip the boisterous record crowd of 87,192 into a frenzy.
In a moment of sheer happiness, she waited for confirmation of the goal before removing her shirt and waving it over her head as she was being carried by her teammates.
Sarina Wiegman’s team demonstrated that they could handle everything a powerful and tough German team threw at them on a significant day in English football history.
Prior to Germany’s Lina Magull’s 79th-minute equalizer, Ella Toone had previously scored the game’s first goal off the bench to give the match an early lead.
As the significance of their accomplishment set in at full-time, there were scenes of celebration in the spectators and an outburst of emotion from the players on the field.
The final was billed as a showdown between the two top teams in the championship, and for the most part, that was true. Nevertheless, the largest audience to see a men’s or women’s Euros final got their money’s worth.
Before Toone was introduced to break the tie, England’s Leah Williamson had to scramble a corner off the line after Germany’s Magull had wasted a couple opportunities in the first half. Lucy Bronze was also denied with a header.
Kelly, who just made her football comeback in April after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, had already given England supporters the winning taste before Magull startled the home crowd.
The emotion was wonderful as England accomplished a first by defeating Germany, a perennial champion, in the European Women’s Championship final.