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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Sarah Rendell (now), John Ashdown and Mike Hytner (earlier)

England win Women’s Euro 2022 final: players and fans celebrate in London – as it happened

England Euro Euro 2022 Lionesses

Well thank you so much for joining me for the reaction to the Lionesses historic win. And thank you for coming along this Euro 2022 ride with us throughout the tournament. 56 years of hurt are over for England and boy does it feel good. I’ll leave you with some articles to sink your teeth into:

And here are the final highlights:

Player of the Tournament and Golden Boot winner Beth Mead is among the favourites to pick up BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year. I’m going to guess it will be one of the Lionesses who picks up the gong this year, probably Mead or captain Leah Williamson.

Some more insight into the celebration last night from Lucy Bronze via freelance journalist Rich Laverty: “Crazy, dancing, cake, drinks, dancing again. The last message I sent on my phone was at four o’clock in the morning. It didn’t make much sense. And then we all had to get up at half past eight to have a meeting and then come here. [Trafalgar Square].”

Each England player wrote themselves into history last night but who performed the best throughout the tournament? Louise Taylor rated each player’s performance in the ground-breaking event, have a read here:

The celebrations are iconic and our very own Barry Glendenning has written about them: “This morning, England’s jubilant players emerged blinking into the sunlight, with several looking commendably the worse for wear. Dark glasses were employed by many to hide the ravages of what one presumes was a raucous night of well-earned celebration, while Lucy Bronze appeared to have gone “full Flintoff” and pitched up at a packed Trafalgar Square looking heartwarmingly refreshed and wearing what looked suspiciously like ski goggles.” Read the full piece:

Millie Bright has been a massive part of the England team this summer, being an absolute wall in defence, and she struggled to articulate the win to her club Chelsea’s website. “I can’t even put it into words right now,” she said. “A summer to remember, so proud of everyone; the team, the staff, the players, the fans have been incredible. I hope everyone is proud of what this nation has achieved, not just us winning, but the crowds we have rallied up game after game, not only for ourselves but for every team, it’s been incredible.”

Millie Bright and Rachel Daly dance

Fay White: I was England captain when women’s football struggled for attention: how far we’ve come

If you read anything today make sure it is this column by former England captain Faye White. Here’s a snippet: “I watched history made at Wembley on Sunday, with my two young sons beside me. I couldn’t sleep that night. I just kept scrolling through social media to see all the joy and celebration, and then I watched the match all over again on TV – I didn’t want to miss one moment of this magnificent occasion. I’m tired, but I’m sure I’m not as tired as the Lionesses, who I know will have had a huge celebration – as we would have done when I was England captain between 2002 and 2012.”

Updated

How have you, the fans, been reacting to this historic win? Have a read below of how England supporters are celebrating:

So what do you once you have won a Euros? Target a World Cup of course! Winning scorer Chloe Kelly said: “One is not enough – we want more.” And she added: “Looking at this medal makes you so much hungrier for more. The World Cup is around the corner. I want to win trophies. As a young girl you grow up seeing people win trophies and we’re here doing that.” Read the full piece:

Ella Toone’s opener in the final yesterday was the 500th goal scored in the women’s Euros. A lovely stat to add to a glittering career.

It wasn’t just England who received a celebration today, the German team also had a welcome return. Have a look at this video from goalkeeper Merle Frohms’ Instagram story:

Reports are coming in the Football Association are looking to extend Sarina Wiegman’s deal after her historic Euros win. The manager’s current deal runs until 2025 but bosses want to nail her in for a longer contract. Thoughts?

Sarina Wiegman with the Euros trophy

There have been so many standout moments of this Euros but one of the sweetest has to be eight-year-old Tess dancing to Sweet Caroline. She received final tickets and even got to hold the trophy!

Impact of this Euros already taking shape:

Cameron has got in touch and said: “So I see that the England women’s team will soon face the ultimate test: not the United States, but a wet Tuesday night in Stoke (against Luxembourg)“ After winning the Euros there isn’t anything they can’t face!

Brighton are all over the signings today as they announce midfielder Yeeun Park has joined the club on a two-year deal. The WSL side have also announced Elisabeth Terland as a new signing today.

Itching to watch England again? Well they will be back playing on home soil in September, the tickets for the game are already on sale:

Just when Manchester United fans couldn’t think there could be more good news after Toone, Russo and Earps win the Euros, Lucy Staniforth has extended for the club. The star’s new deal runs until the end of the upcoming season and she said: “I’m really grateful to be given this opportunity and want to make sure I hit the ground running this season and contribute as much as I can. I feel great in myself and I’m really looking forward to the new campaign.”

Lucy Staniforth training for England

This tournament has seen so many stars shine. Cascarino, Bonmati, Popp and Mead to name a few but this Euros was also one for the keepers. Van Domselaar saved around 25 shots and Thalmann, Earps, Frohms and so many other shot stoppers impressed. This is surely the save of the tournament though for Van Domselaar:

These pictures will bring you a lot of joy on this sunny Monday:

It’s worth giving a nod to Ellen White for her tournament, maybe not as many goals scored as expected but she has closed in on Wayne Rooney’s all-time England goal record. She now has 52 to her name behind Rooney’s 53 and the Lionesses play again in September so she could have the record soon.

Ellen White celebrating

More handball chat anyone? Christopher has emailed and said: “I don’t think the replays were particularly conclusive though. It didn’t seem obvious from what I saw that the ball hit the arm rather than the shoulder / t-shirt area that IFAB currently use to define the offence. It was one those where VAR wouldn’t have overturned either decision from the onfield ref and both decisions are defensible. So yes, we can count ourselves a bit lucky in the “you’ve seen them given” sort of way, but it’s no great scandal IMO.”

Manchester United’s Ella Toone scored the opener yesterday but she was a bit “gutted”, saying: “I got them done and they fell out, now I’m at the final with no lashes - it’s a nightmare. I’m actually really gutted. I’m off to Ibiza tomorrow - get home, get my lashes done.”

A lot of football fans may have looked at Chloe Kelly’s celebration last night and thought of the US’ Brandi Chastain’s celebration from the 1999 World Cup. The star herself thought it too and tweeted: “I see you @Chloe_Kelly98 well done. Enjoy the free rounds of pints and dinners for the rest of your life from all of England. Cheers!”

Here’s Kelly’s celebration:

Chloe Kelly celebrates

Here’s Chastain’s:

Brandi Chastain celebrates

Amid the Euros there have been a lot of transfers in the summer window. The latest sees Elisabeth Terland, who competed for Norway this summer, move to Brighton from Brann. Check out all the rest of the moves here:

German chancellor Olaf Scholz was at Wembley to cheer on his national side in the final yesterday but Prime Minister Boris Johnson wasn’t present.

“Asked why Johnson did not do the same, despite sporting an England top as he watched from the crowd when Gareth Southgate’s side took second place in the delayed Euro 2020 tournament, his spokesperson said: “The prime minister did watch the game at home along with, I think, 17.4 million other people.””

I know all you England fans reading this wanted to be in Trafalgar Square this afternoon for the celebrations. Well here’s a video to make you feel as though you were there, which you were in spirit!

Captain Leah Williamson described manager Sarina Wiegman as the ‘secret ingredient’ England have been missing and I can’t help but agree. Under the boss England have conceded just five goals in 20 matches and they haven’t lost a single game.

Williamson and Wiegman together

Here are some pieces you should read and listen to about that historic final last night:

Updated

The discussion of if Williamson’s handball was a penalty rumbles on. Nigel has got in touch and said: “It is (only) an offence if a player touches the ball with their hand/arm when the position of their hand/arm is NOT a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation.” It’s a close one to call but I think England were a touch lucky VAR didn’t get the referee to look at it.

Williamson handball

Chloe Kelly said of her winning goal: “I was here on crutches that day watching Bobby Zamora score that winner and I said to my family this morning: ‘There’s going to be a Bobby Zamora moment today’, and there was! Unbelievable. You ‘Rs!”

Now Bobby Zamora has heard about it and tweeted:

The friendship between Rachel Daly and Millie Bright is so tight and their dancing together are Trafalgar Square earlier was iconic. I know I’m using the word icon a lot but it’s the only work to describe this team.

Our very own Jonathan Liew was at Wembley yesterday and he wrote about the legacy the final could have. “Tomorrow arrived with a referee’s whistle,” he writes. “And as England celebrated, the tableau that greeted us at Wembley would have been unthinkable even a few years ago. Women commentating on television. Women tapping away in the press box. Women officiating, women coaching on the touchline, women bellowing in the stands. Over the last few weeks these sights have become normalised because they are, in fact, normal. The crowds will disperse. The wall of noise will dissolve. But this legacy will remain: a nation slowly being rewired to expect different, to expect better.”

Jill Scott is putting 16 years of being in this England team into her celebrations and it’s amazing. Have a look at this:

Lucy Bronze reveals those glasses were necessary after the big celebrations last night. I can’t get over how iconic she is, if she wins the World Cup with England next year she would have won everything there is to win in English football. WSL, Conti Cup, FA Cup, Champions League and the Euros already in the pocket. Alongside those French domestic titles and FIFA Best awards.

The amount of sunglasses worn on stage is reflective of the hangovers from well deserved celebrations, have a look at this:

Also Rachel Daly was on the karaoke:

What a journey for Manchester City’s Chloe Kelly, also how iconic is this photo:

Would you like a compilation of Beth Mead’s six goals? Of course you would! I think my favourite Mead was her first against Austria. But if I had to pick a favourite England goal of the tournament I have to narrow it down to three. Stanway’s against Spain, Russo’s against Sweden and Toone’s against Germany. What has been your favourite England strike or favourite of the tournament?

Lionesses and manager Wiegman awarded Freedom of London

The Lionesses and manager Sarina Wiegman have been awarded the Freedom of London award and they’ll pick up the honour later this year. Other people who have had the award include Florence Nightingale and Winston Churchill. Leah Williamson is also to have the Freedom of Milton Keynes.

Updated

Here is the crowd in London, the players are in the mixed press zone now before heading off for some more partying:

Guardian columnist and former England star Anita Asante has said of the Lionesses’ win:

Georgia Stanway has spoken at the London celebrations and she is looking to build on what the Lionesses have started: “Life’s changed for the future generation. We’ve definitely inspired a nation here today. We want people to jump on the bandwagon, we want people to fill them stadiums. We want people to stay with us because this is only the start.”

Oliver has emailed and he too is looking to be the Lionesses’ beat mate: “I’m still on cloud 9 after living the best life at Wembley yesterday! As someone who similarly wants to be best friends with this England squad, any tips you receive would be greatly appreciated. Whilst you’re with them, can you also ask how to get hold of one of those “Home” t-shirts? They’re great!” I think Nike could be selling the shirts, that is who has provided them for the players.

We have a confirmed legend and icon in Jill Scott, the earlier reports are correct she has pulled an all nighter. She said: “It’s worth it. I don’t want to miss a moment and sleeping would be missing it wouldn’t it?”

Jill Scott celebrating

Adrian has got in touch and said: “Among so many great moments was @Chloe_Kelly98 excellent tactical work in the top right hand corner of the field for most of the last 5 mins of extra time keeping possession at all costs.” Completely agree, her game management was excellent yesterday as well as her winning goal.

From one great manager to another, Chelsea’s Emma Hayes has spoken about Sarina Wiegman. “She is an amazing manager. It’s the same sport, she just manages women rather than men at an extremely high level,” Hayes told PA. “I think some of the opinions in and around whether women could do that job are absolute nonsense. Of course she could do the job.

“I think it is time for a lot of things to be on more of an equal footing. Whether it is my niece only being able to play one football session in school, whereas the boys play three, or girls who are playing at the same level as the men on a fraction of their pay.

“For me, there has to be an increase in investment across the game, and when it comes to coaching into the men’s game it has to be a pre-requisite for successful teams. I think it is time for those changes to happen. You’ve got to invest in not only free access for the kids, but also coaching, because seeing Sarina on the touchline last night I think is immense for any young girl who aspires to grow up being a coach. We need to invest in female coaches as well.

“I am super proud of Sarina. She is an an immense human being who carries the pressure so well and delivers in so many different ways. I’m sure for her winning the title with her home nation was immense, but she realised last night how massive football is in this country. She is so humble, she is knowledgeable, she is wise and she is experienced, and most importantly, she is a fantastic person.”

Piccadilly Circus

Updated

The players are leaving the stage now for what I’m guessing is another day (or week) of celebrating.

So here is a lovely fun fact for you. Sarina Wiegman is the first manager to lead two different nations to Euros glory. She has done so in style, not losing a single match.

How can I become best friends with the entire England squad? Is that something that can be arranged? Also BBC 5 Live are reporting Jill Scott has pulled an all nighter, what an icon. The BBC coverage is over but Sky are still showing it, these players aren’t leaving the stage any time soon.

What a mood Lucy Bronze is in Trafalgar Square:

Lucy Bronze
Lucy Bronze and Jill Scott

The momentum for women’s football is huge, clear to see with 7,000 in Trafalgar Square to celebrate, so how does the sport capitalise on it?

The broadcast is over but that celebration is going on into the afternoon! Alex Scott finished with a perfect sentiment, saying: “#whocares, millions care. Millions. Like our captain Leah Williamson said, the tournament may be over but the journey has just begun.” And I’m crying again.

The players and backroom staff have formed a line and are kicking their legs out. The arms are going in the air, their jumping and the whole Trafalgar Square are singing the iconic song. Lucy Bronze is loving this and Chloe Kelly is out for a solo dance. Millie Bright is on the mic signing along.

Every player is now taking the opportunity to lift it, Wiegman lifts it to the biggest cheer. England fans definitely love their manager.

Williamson is back on the mic: “Dreams turn into reality. Hopefully there is a generation that is being inspired by us.” Sweet Caroline is blaring on the speakers, here we go!

The trophy is out on stage and the team are going to lift it in front of these supporters. Leah Williamson is doing the honours, the confetti canons go and the fans are raucous.

Beth Mead, Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament winner, said: “I am so proud of being in this team. Sometimes football sucks, I worked hard and I feel so lucky to be part of this team. I am so happy to be here.”

Bronze, in skiing googles, tells BBC: “I’m feeling on top of the world, on top of Europe. Another trophy but the best one by far. There is still one more we can get our hands on next year.

Jill Scott adds: “It’s been fantastic, to be part of this team. I’m training with the best players in the world and it’s so tough keeping up with them. I am so honoured to play any part in this team.

“Everyone who has put the shirt on, everyone who believed in women’s football. We just wnated to be football, hopefully that is how it is perceived now around the world.

Ella Toone, goalscorer in the final, said: “It took about ten minutes to go in the back of the net. It was the best feeling of the world, buzzing. I taught him [Harry Kane] that.

Chloe Kelly, the winning goalscorer, added: “So special to share this moment with an amazing bunch of girls. I’m proud to wear this badge but I’m even more proud to share the pitch with these players. I haven’t stopped dancing, my feet just keep going.

Wiegman tells the BBC: “I’m going back to my family, say hi to them. Have a little rest and then try to qualify for the World Cup.”

And Williamson added: “The legacy of the tournament was already made before the final. What we have done for women and young girls who can aspire to be us. England have hosted an incredible tournament and we have changed football across the country and the world.”

Wiegman adds: “It is so special. It is incredible. Everyone in the grey shirts [backroom staff] have done a really good job.”

Lucy Bronze is such a mood in skiing googles.

Williamson has spoken on her boss, she told the BBC: “I think this is the missing ingredient England were looking for. She has brought us together. She is a special perosn, she puts us first as human beings.

“I think we have partied more than we have played football in the last 24 hours. It’s incredible and to be able to share it with the people at the game and the country. I don’t actually know what we have done, what have we done girls?! We were all pretty tired at full-time, we like to work hard but we like to party harder.”

Wiegman and Williamson have led the team out, they are in bucket hats with flags. I am a mess, the tears I have shed it over the last few days!

Wiegman said: “I feel pretty good. Nice that you are all here. Thank you for coming. First of all they are very good football players, they are very good people. The willingness, the commitment, the resilience, The behaviour towards each other, the support has been incredible.”

Bronze said of her boss: “She’s got some good moves.”

England players out at Trafalgar Square

7,000 cheer and roar as the Lionesses emerge. What a moment for these players. Household names. Record breakers. Icons.

Lucy Bronze has started a live story on Instagram, the players are preparing to come out to thousands of fans!

I hope you are all prepared for me to get VERY emotional as these celebrations get underway in London. A few minutes away from the players celebrating with their fans.

Absolutely love this:

Coverage from Trafalgar Square begins at 12.35pm and I’ll be taking you through it all. London mayor Sadiq Khan has already spoken in front of hundreds of fans: “Records have been broken. History has been made. This is a game changing moment.”

I am crying again after reading this quote from It’s Coming Home singer and comedian David Baddiel: “We talk about football, we just assume you mean men’s football. Football is not default owned by men – that is something I think is only made clear very recently.

“It’s the same game, played by women or played by men. What’s totally brilliant in the last few weeks is a sense that the country can get behind it in entirely the same way,. We’ve won, not the women have won. We’ve won.”

Chris has emailed about that potential handball and said: “What sour grapes from the Germans who were lucky to have more than 9 players on the pitch at half time (Rauch + Oberdorf both committing multiple yellow card worthy fouls, mostly missed by a referee having a bad day at the office).”

This has absolutely cracked me up:

Can we speak about the tactical move of switching the taker of the corner yesterday. Chloe Kelly had stepped up to take the corner but Lauren Hemp came over and they switched. Hemp thundered it into the box and Kelly scored the winning goal. Masterclass.

One player who I was heartbroken for yesterday was Alexandra Popp. She starred in her first Euros after injury prevented her from competing in 2013 and 2017 and she broke goal scoring records this year. She had to withdraw from the final after pulling a muscle in the warm-up, such a gutting way for her tournament to end.

Alexandra Popp with her medal

Mary Earps, the keeper who conceded the least amount of goals in the tournament, everyone:

Ella Toone, who scored important goals against Spain and Germany, has said: “I think a lot of people have fallen in love with women’s football this summer. That’s what we set out to do. So hopefully the crowds that we’ve had this summer we can get into our grounds at club level and some more fans at the stadium to be on the journey with us.”

Tony has got in touch, referencing the Frank Lampard ghost goal, and said: “Because England are always so lucky when they play Germany, right?”

So was it a handball? From these pictures it definitely was.

Leah Williamson handball

Updated

Our reporter Kate Connolly in Berlin has some insight into the German heartbreak:

As the German football team licks its wounds following its defeat at Wembley, at least some of the disappointment is being channelled into speculation as to whether the team was fairly treated, even maybe defrauded of victory. In particular there is discussion over whether the referees overlooked what is being referred to as a “clear case of handball” in the 25th minute of the match. Fury spills out of the tabloid Bild. Under the headline: ‘Anger over the Scandal Referees’ the paper writes, it was “clear to see that the England player, Leah Williamson played the ball at shoulder height, with her hand”.

It accuses the referee Kateryna Monzul, of failing to view it as a handball, whilst the video referees Paolo Valeri and Pol van Bockel, came to the joint conclusion that it was not a punishable move, “So they did not even check the scene!” Bild declares.

The tabloid confronted Monzul about her decision after the match, with the question: “What happened in the 25th minute with England’s handball?” Monzul, it said, “shrugged her shoulders and stretched her arms out wide in an apologetic way and left. No explanation.”

The tabloid then proceeded to confront Valeri after the end of the match in the Mixed Zone. His response, it said: “Non posso dire niente, mi dispiace” - or “I can’t say anything, I’m sorry”. Bild interprets this more bluntly in German as: “Sorry, I’ve been muzzled”.

It accuses British press of refusing to even discuss the issue.

Later in a widely broadcast media interview, Germany’s trainer Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, was also critical of the decision: “At this level in a final of the European Championships something like this should not happen,” she said. “I would like for there to be a discussion about this. But what I don’t want is that it is overlooked.”

In a separate commentary, Bild goes so far as to compare what it calls the “fraudulent” outcome, with the Wembley defeat of Germany’s men to England at the 1966 World Cup.

Germany is crying with our football women, and is annoyed about this new Wembley fraud! With this 1:2 defeat after an extension, we have been defrauded again almost 56 years after the scandal around the Wembley goal,” it writes.

Spiegel referred to the “commotion which reigned in connection with a hand ball” which it said might have turned the game in Germany’s favour. It quoted Voss-Tecklenburg as graciously saying that whilst Germany should have been granted a penalty kick, in her opinion, England was a worthy victor after the 120 minute match. “They played themselves into the hearts of many people,” she said.

Die Zeit said it was clear that the match “could have ended differently, had the referee, Kateryna Monsul, recognised Leah Williamson’s handball in the 25th minute. According to the rulebook it should have led to a penalty kick, maybe even a red card. But neither the referee who is anyway normally rather overwhelmed, nor her video assistants wanted to admit they had seen anything. Which led to quite a discussion afterwards.”

Meanwhile, Germany is unsurprisingly already looking to next year’s World Cup to get its revenge.

Updated

Our very own Suzy Wrack is at Trafalgar Square for the celebrations of the Lionesses winning! The event will be live on BBC One at 12.35pm and there are a lot of people gathered already:

Is there a more iconic pair than these two:

17.4m people watched the Euro final in the UK and 17.897m in Germany

17.4 million watched in the UK last night and it has now been reported 17.897 million watched in Germany. I’d love to chat to someone who says no one cares about women’s football ...

Updated

Magnus has reached out and he agrees with the German coach about the handball, he said: “Popp out, wrong decision in the 25th min, should gave been a German penalty, VAR in this Euro was terrible. Lucky England, but you have to do it anyway.”

Germany manager Martina Voss-Tecklenburg says it “hurts” the referee didn’t check the potential handball in the first half, she is convinced it was a penalty. “First half, possession was better for England so they put more pressure on us, we got a few free-kicks that sometimes lacked courage, but we managed to have some attacks,” she said. “There was a situation at 0-0 where there was a clear handball in the penalty area. The VAR looked but didn’t award it. In such a game it’s difficult to cope with that. Why didn’t the referee look? That hurts a bit.”

Martina Voss-Tecklenburg clapping

Tony has been in touch and suggested the Lionesses have a new celebration song: “After the remarkable Williamson interview on the pitch after the game (well done Natalie Perks for just about holding it together, by the way) can England adopt the Who song “The Kids Are Alright”?” It’s a great suggestion, I’d love to see it.

Have you seen anyone cooler than Rachel Daly?

The Lightning Seeds, David Baddiel and singer-songwriter-footballer Chelcee Grimes did a special concert on Saturday with former Lionesses including Anta Asante and Faye White. They performed the famous ‘It’s Coming Home’ with new lyrics including England players names. Have a read of the lyrics below and a look at the performance. I really hope they release this as a separate song.

Cameron has got in touch and asked: “Is there a ‘curtain-raiser’ match between the WSL champions and the Women’s FA Cup winners?” Chelsea won both competitions but I don’t think there will be a one-off match between the Blues and another club ahead of the season start.

There has been a lot of discussion around how the FA’s investment in the women’s game has helped to produce the result last night. Sweden’s goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl agrees, tweeting “shows that when you invest properly, the results come quick”.

Isn’t captain Leah Williamson all of us right now?

Thank you John! Well did anyone get any sleep last night? I spent a good few hours sharing reels, stories and singing ‘It’s Coming Home’, though there should be a new version with ‘It Came Home’ now. What a night and what a moment for English football. Get in touch with me via Twitter, @rendellx, or email to tell me all about your celebrations.

Sarah Rendell will be your guide from this point. I’ll leave you with this video of the joyous post-match scenes on Sunday:

Thoughts inevitably will turn pretty quickly to the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next year (the opening game kicks off in less than 12 months). Here’s Lucy Bronze, speaking post-match on Sunday

Winning a Champions League and FA Cups and stuff has always been amazing but a goal of mine has always been to win with England. And I would’ve traded all those trophies previously for a night like tonight. So yeah, I’m so proud of the fact we finally got our hands on a trophy but now we want to get our hands on a World Cup next year.

England will certainly go into that tournament with momentum (though strictly speaking they haven’t actually qualified yet). Usually the European champions have two years for the euphoria of victory to wear off but Wiegman’s team have just one WSL season standing between them and the World Cup. And the double has been done before: Germany followed their European crowns in 2001 and 2005 with victory on the world stage in 2003 and 2007, while, more recently, the Netherlands reached the final in 2019 on the back of their 2017 European win.

The viewing figures for Sunday’s final were pretty extraordinary:

That really does illustrate the progress made over the past decade or so – it’s not that long ago that the BBC were scheduling an England Women’s World Cup quarter-final on their red button service, initially preferring repeats of Porridge and Flog It! on their main channels.

David Baddiel, one of the men to blame thank for Three Lions (Football’s Coming Home), said hearing the song sung at Wembley on Sunday was beautiful:

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It’s beautiful, it’s fantastic. It was beautiful to hear it sung out at Wembley yesterday as we finally clinched a final - I really did think that would never happen.

“It was so amazing to actually think: ‘Oh, we won’ – this doesn’t happen. It’s actually happened, and then the team all coming into the press conference and anarchically breaking [it] up by singing the song … it was just so brilliant, and so in the spirit of the Lionesses, which is kind of joyful and unbridled and brilliant, the way they play. So yes, I was very happy about it.”

The FA’s appointment of Sarina Wiegman really does have to go down as a masterstroke. Hope Powell’s departure in 2013 after 15 years at the helm was always going to create something of a vacuum and after a couple of missteps they have finally got it right. There’s an authoritative calmness about Wiegman’s managerial style that complements the raw heart-on-sleeve energy of the squad and she found the right words after every match in the tournament.

It feels like there were umpteen iconic images to come out of Sunday’s final. Here are just a few of them:

England’s 23-woman squad and head coach Sarina Wiegman have been awarded the Freedom of the City of London. Like failing to queue for buses and leaving your umbrella on the tube, it’s one of the city’s ancient traditions, going all the way back to 1237. Leah Williamson and co join such luminaries as Morgan Freeman, former England cricket captain Sir Alastair Cook, Annie Lennox, Helmut Kohl, Woodrow Wilson, Henry Winkler and Ed Sheeran in receiving the honour.

The Football Association’s chief executive, Mark Bullingham, told the BBC on Monday morning that England’s victory is a chance to “turbo charge” the development of the women’s game:

“The last few years have been incredible. We have invested really heavily and the Lionesses have taken their opportunity and they have produced something incredible. It’s been an amazing month and an amazing day yesterday. I think it will really turbo charge everything we have been doing in the women’s game. There is no reason why we shouldn’t have the same number of girls playing as boys and it will inspire a whole new generation of players.”

Here’s Peter Lansley on England’s match-winner Chloe Kelly:

Hello all. And welcome to a world where an England football team are champions of Europe.

Before I sign off and hand you over to my colleague John Ashdown, and as talk turns to the future of women’s football, here’s a reminder, if one were needed, of the long road that has been trodden towards Sunday’s seismic moment at Wembley. Bye for now.

“So it wasn’t a dream” seems to be a recurring theme as people begin to wake up and feel the need to pinch themselves.

Join us as we delve deeper into the wonderful world of women’s football through our weekly newsletter. It’s informative, entertaining and global. It is also critical – when needed – and passionate. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts, the Guardian’s weekly women’s football newsletter, to keep reading about the game.

Let’s take a moment to savour a few snaps from a momentous night at Wembley.

Amid all this English back-slapping, what of the poor Germany team? Their night was probably best summed up by an unfortunate incident even before a ball had been kicked at Wembley, when striker Alexandra Popp suffered a muscle injury in the warmup. Perhaps the writing was on the wall?

And, as with most high-stakes football matches that must involve a winner and a loser, a sense of injustice pervades from the fallen, in this case over an incident in the 25th minute that I didn’t see, honest. Marcus Hildebrandt has emailed in to remind me about it, anyway. “Have a very close look at the 25th minute. Someone’s hand is preventing a goal [for Germany], and it isn’t the goalkeeper’s!” Marcus writes. “Nevertheless, congratulations!”

German tabloid Bild was less magnanimous, declaring: “We are cheated again.” More reaction from Germany here:

Updated

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has issued his congratulations to the Lionesses.

I couldn’t be more proud of the team today – they’ve displayed extraordinary talent and determination throughout the tournament, they’ve broken records, and now they’ve made history. The atmosphere at Wembley and across the country throughout the tournament has been a fantastic advert for women’s football. Nearly 600,000 tickets were sold for the matches and more than nine million people tuned in to watch England play.

The Women’s Euro 22 will have inspired a new generation of women footballers and I hope this paves the way for better access to football for girls in school, more investment in grassroots girls and women’s football and much more support for girls and women in all sports.

I would like to thank Sarina Wiegman and the Lionesses for treating us to an amazing summer of football. I can’t wait to see them lift the trophy again as they celebrate with the fans on Trafalgar Square on Monday.

Rob Collins has emailed in. “Hi Mike.” Hi Rob. “A stunning result that rewarded all those who believed. As a thank you, I would love to see the Lionesses do an open top bus parade in every town that hosted a game.” Nice idea. Sheffield, Brighton, Southampton and Manchester stand by.

Opportunity abounds and, writes Jonathan Liew, the future is bright:

England won. In the end, perhaps that was the only thing that mattered...But of course it had to mean more than this. And as captain Leah Williamson hoisted the trophy aloft in her rainbow armband, in front of a record crowd and a television audience likely to be the highest ever for a game of women’s football in Britain, it felt simultaneously like the end of one journey and the beginning of another. The first, an undying struggle for resources and respect, for parity and a platform, is finally complete. The second is a journey with no maps, no driver and no end in sight.

More here:

So how to capitalise on this incredible moment? Guardian football contributors Suzanne Wrack, Faye Carruthers, Louise Taylor, Sophie Downey and Jen Offord were asked for their thoughts. From launching a World Cup bid to a bold marketing plan, here they are:

Sunday’s final attracted a record 87,192 fans to Wembley - the highest attendance of any European Championship final, men’s or women’s - to round off a record-breaking tournament in terms of in-person attendance. Interest in the women’s game has never been higher and there seems to have been a shift in perception over the past couple of weeks.

As Carrie Dunn writes:

For the first time, plenty of this summer’s coverage has been about technique and tactics, not just the players and their personal lives. Both male and female pundits have been analysing the games, and the mainstream media have been chatting about the results – which is also what’s happened in workplaces around the country. It’s everyday watercooler talk, the same as you’d expect from any major men’s tournament.

Read Carrie’s full article here:

The Queen said England’s victory was “a significant achievement”, before adding that the England squad “set an example that will be an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations”.

Meanwhile, English football royalty Sarina Wiegman stated six clear words after her side’s win. “Most of all, we changed society,” the Dutch coach said. “I think what we’ve done is really incredible. I’m so proud of the team. I think I need a couple of days to realise what we’ve done.”

More from Wiegman and her players here:

We can expect more scenes like this today, then.

Of all the celebrations already seen though, this is quite possibly the best - the moment when the England players storm an unsuspecting Wiegman’s post-match presser, singing and dancing to the tune of Baddiel and Skinner’s anthemic Three Lions. Just glorious.

Updated

Public celebrations can continue on Monday with a daytime event scheduled at Trafalgar Square, where fans will be able to join a Q and A session with the victorious players and their manager, my colleague Gemma McSherry reports. Fans will be able to turn up and gain admission on a first-come, first served basis from 11am and the event will be broadcast on live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 12.40pm.

England’s “history makers” obviously make both the front and back pages of this morning’s UK papers, with plenty of predictable references in headlines to “coming home”, “years of hurt” and so on. Read them all here:

Where to start? How about with the views of the Women’s Football Weekly podcast crew? Faye Carruthers, Suzanne Wrack, Ceylon Andi Hickman and Jonathan Liew got together in a Premier Inn room to digest the enormity of what they witnessed at Wembley - and what the future holds for the women’s game. Take a listen here:

Preamble

It’s the sentence many thought they might never read again, but here we are: England have won a major football trophy. It’s been a long 56 years since the nation’s last title-winning side beat Germany in extra time at Wembley. This time around – against the same old foes, at the same north London venue and again after extra time – it was the women’s team who made history and united the country in celebration.

Understandably since the full-time whistle blew, reaction has been rather delirious. People danced the the Trafalgar Square fountains at full-time, there were wild celebrations in Manchester’s fan zone, the players themselves gatecrashed a press conference and even the Queen got involved, offering her (slightly less unhinged) congratulations to Sarina Wiegman’s team. The calls for an extra bank holiday to be granted are sure to be amplified today.

I’ll be here to take you through the early hours of the morning as the nation wakes up, a large proportion of which is quite possibly harbouring a sizeable hangover. Please do get in touch on mike.hytner@theguardian.com or on Twitter @mike_hytner, with any thoughts on the game, the newly-crowned European champions or the future of women’s football.

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