England's Lionesses could end 56 years of hurt today by doing what the men’s team have failed to achieve and winning a major international football tournament for the first time since 1966.
And just like the famous day when Sir Geoff Hurst and his 66 heroes lifted the Jules Rimet trophy, it is the Germans who stand between England and glory.
Stars, including top scorer Beth Mead, captain Leah Williamson and supersub Alessia Russo, will today step out in front of a capacity crowd of 87,200 at Wembley - the biggest attendance ever for a men’s or women’s Euro final.
Up to 20million TV viewers are also set to watch the 5pm kick-off inside homes, pubs, and fan-zones, creating an estimated £138million boost to the economy.
In a show of support for the team, Downing Street was yesterday decked out in large St George’s flags and bunting.
The Queen’s beefeaters performed fan anthem Sweet Caroline during the changing of the guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace.
And Boris Johnson sent a rousing message to England’s football heroines ahead of tonight’s Euros final against Germany, urging them to “bring it home”.
Posting a photo of the decorations outside Number 10, the Prime Minister’s Twitter account yesterday posted: “We’re flying the flag for the @Lionesses. Come on England, bring it home.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer, who was in the crowd for the Lionesses’ 4-0 semi-final win over Sweden, also wrote a letter to the team.
He said: “It’s coming home!
“Your success throughout this tournament has captured the country’s imagination.
“It hasn’t just been about the results you have achieved – fantastic though they have been – but the way in which you have gone about them.”
He added: “As a parent, I know how vital it is to see strong, successful role models in sport.
“What you and your team have accomplished this summer will not just be celebrated as a great moment for English football but as one that encouraged and inspired young women like my own daughter.
“For that, I want to pass on my heartfelt thanks.”
Analysis has predicted up to £46.1 million could be spent in pubs, bars and restaurants, with fans downing over eight million pints before the game, which will kick-off after performances by pop stars Becky Hill, Stefflon Don and Ultra Naté.
An estimated £92 million more will be spent on snacks, drinks, football merchandise and TVs.
And Tesco has said it expects to sell nearly 25 million cans and bottles of beer, one million bottles of sparkling wine and 2.4 million frozen pizzas.
Meanwhile, police and stewards will mount a major security operation around the stadium following carnage at last year’s men’s Euro final, which had a limited capacity of just over 67,000 fans due to Covid rules.
On that occasion, thousands of ticketless yobs smashed their way into Wembley ahead of the match, which Italy won following a penalty shootout.
In response, officials have banned street drinking on Olympic Way and the surrounding area ahead of tonight’s match and fans are also being ordered not to travel to the stadium unless they have a ticket.
Every turnstile will have an “enhanced security presence” to stop anyone without a ticket getting in.
Tickets for the match - which will be attended by Prince William, who is president of the FA - were last night being offered for thousands of pounds on the black market.
And even members of England’s men’s team have been forced to miss out despite begging their female colleagues, including midfielder Georgia Stanway, for spares.
The Bayern Munich star said: “Quite a lot of the England men have been in touch, just wishing us well and asking if they can have a ticket.
“Sorry lads, we’re all sold out!’.
Georgia, 23, added: “They’ve been at us, just giving us all the information they can.
“They reached this point last year and we’re just trying to make sure we can do one better.
"We’ve had so much support, whether it be footballers, people around the hotel and it’s mad how many people actually recognise us.”
The previous record attendance for a European Championship final was set at the men’s final in 1964 between Spain and the Soviet Union, with 79,115 packed inside Real Madrid’s Bernabéu stadium.
Sarina Wiegman’s women have become the nation’s darlings after scoring an incredible 20 goals, with just one conceded, during a brilliant run to the final.
They are trying to win England’s first major football tournament since Bobby Moore lifted the World Cup by beating Germany 4-2 at Wembley in 1966.
Sir Geoff Hurst, who famously scored a hat-trick that day, yesterday hailed the Lionesses for reaching the final.
He said: "It’s been absolutely fantastic.
“I think the mere fact of the lionesses, how they’ve played and the support they’ve been given, and getting into the final, it’s the furthest they’ve got. It’s fantastic.”
He added: “It’s a great inspiration to all the young females now and already we’re seeing young girls starting to think about playing football as a kid.”
