The final of the European Championship 2022 has been decided. The record European champions from Germany could have won the title for the ninth time. For England, the 2-1 win after extra time means their first triumph at an international tournament. Follow all developments here in the live ticker.
Captain Leah Williamson lifts the trophy to cheers from her teammates. "I just can't get enough," sings Dave Gahan into the ears of the celebrating players and fans. Sure, the country doesn't want to remain without a title for another 56 years.
The German players, coaching staff and supervisors receive their medals as vice European champions. Alexandra Popp, who was unable to attend, was the last to enter the podium. Given the strong performances throughout the tournament, despite all the disappointment, thoughts should quickly turn to the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The medal ceremony is being prepared, the English players are already dancing in a trellis. Prince William carries the trophy onto the podium. The Englishwoman Beth Mead was honored as the best player of the tournament.
The disappointed Germans congratulate their opponents, the respect can be felt on both sides. The classics roar from the speakers. "Football is coming home" follows "Sweet Caroline". Wembley cries and dances.
England are European champions. The association wins its first title since the men's World Cup victory in 1966.
There are now spaces for the English women. The German goalkeeper faces Russo but manages to deflect her shot in a one-on-one for a corner.
After a corner, Lohmann comes to the header. Earps, however, catches the goal attempt and then remains on the lawn. The Germans only have six minutes left.
Kelly takes out a corner ball against two German players at the corner flag and animates the audience. The German team can't clarify the standard, so Kelly maneuvers the rebound over the line to make it 2-1. She received a yellow card for cheering without a jersey, with the goal she could have made herself immortal.
A quarter of an hour remains to prevent the penalty shoot-out. So far, the German team has made the better, more determined impression in extra time.
This endgame leaves further traces. Hegering leaves the field battered. Doorsoun comes in for the defense chief. Shortly before, Russo had seen a yellow card for a foul on Oberdorf.
Huth follows up on two English women in the penalty area. The commitment of the German captain is worth it. There is a corner kick for the German team. The however is clarified by head.
Let's go to the extra time. Anyone who knows the English and German record on penalties knows who the clock is ticking against... However, the outstanding Lina Magull is no longer on the field. Dalmann replaces the worker bee and creative force.
It goes into extra time, which becomes a question of strength after 90 entertaining minutes. The English have already changed five times, the German team only three times.
Opponents make two substitutions: Scott and Greenwood for Stanway and Daly They know they have just four minutes of added time and 30 minutes in overtime. What comes next seems to be settled...
Goal for Germany! Substitutes Lohmann and Waßmuth initiate the decisive attack. Lohmann drags the ball over the right side, moves to the center and returns to the outside, where Waßmuth passes flat into the middle, Magull puts her foot off and scores the deserved 1:1.
Voss-Tecklenburg tries the next impulse and brings Lohmann for the strong Däbritz. The Englishwomen now like every interruption. The clock is ticking for the team of successful Dutch coach Sarina Wiegman.
Almost equal. Magull flicks the ball against the post. Schüller cannot use the rebound. It is Schüller's last action. Anyomi comes for her. And England has changed too. Mead had to leave the field injured. Kelly plays for them.
A long pass into the interface of the German defense ends up with Joker Toone, who escapes Hegering and Hendrich and runs towards Frohms. With a lob worth seeing over the German goalkeeper, she made it 1-0 for England. The majority of the 87,192 spectators dream of the first title.
Now the English are changing too. Kirby is replaced by Toone, with crowd favorite Russo replacing White in attack. For the German women there are two yellow cards within 60 seconds. Oberdorf lets his leg stand, Schüller is too impulsive in the duel against Earps and hits the goalkeeper on the knee.
The DFB-Elf comes out of the break with vigor and has the next chance to score straight away. Now it's Magull who has the chance to make it 1-0, but shoots just wide of the left with the pike. It's the best phase of the game for the Germans. Leadership is in the air.
Waßmuths can get a golden debut. After the English team lost the ball, she breaks through on the left, shakes off all opponents and moves into the penalty area. However, your shot is too misplaced. Earps catches the ball. There was a lot more to it.
It continues at Wembley. The teams have returned to the field. National coach Voss-Tecklenburg makes a change. Tabea Waßmuth replaces Jule Brand on the left wing.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz remains confident at the break. "This is a first for me here at Wembley," he said during the half-time break of his first women's football game. "I watched the games during my holiday. It is very exciting. The performance of the German team is particularly great,” said the Chancellor on the ARD microphone. He has an appointment with Oliver Bierhoff, the director of national teams at the DFB, in Frankfurt. He wants to campaign for more equality in pay. First of all, however, he is hoping for his ninth European title: “That was very close and exciting. I believe that in the end it will work out with a win for the German team. I even think in regular time.”
The final delivered a gripping, physical duel in its first 45 minutes. The German team coped well with the bad news from Alexandra Popp's short-term absence and held up well against the English, who were enthusiastically cheered on at Wembley. A mistake, a set piece can decide the final in the second half (or later). In view of the high stakes and the temperatures, physique will certainly also play a role.
Now the German team has its first warning. Rauch probably accepted that with her body check on the left flank against Mead.
England made a dangerous move down the right flank and gave White the best scoring chance of the game with a quick run from the back. The Englishwoman's shot from 18 meters goes just over the German goal.
An hour has been played. The game has intensity and speed. It is not yet clear who will prevail in this duel and lift this trophy in the air at the end:
In any case, the German team is not impressed by the scenery. Possibly the physique decides in the end.
Goalkeeper Earps cannot hold the ball after a corner kick. In the hustle and bustle of the five-meter-area, the game device flips back and forth uncontrollably between six English and two German players before the situation is under control. After a quick check to see if Germany should be awarded a penalty after a handball, the game continues. It is now becoming increasingly hectic and heated.
Stanway is warned after a tactical foul in the center circle at the agile Däbritz. And the first yellow card is immediately followed by the second. White's foul is sanctioned according to the rules. A small advantage for Germany.
Financially, for German women, it is about doubling their bonus. From the 30,000 euros per player for reaching the final, they can make 60,000 euros with a win. The English women receive a little more from their association with the equivalent of 65,500 euros. However, the Lionesses cannot match the men's premiums either. Hansi Flick's DFB players would have received 400,000 euros each if they won the European Championship last year, and the English would have received 550,000 euros.
Popp sees from the substitutes' bench how Däbritz comes to an end after another fast attack by the Germans. Her brilliant shot is blocked in dire need by an Englishwoman in the penalty area. A first good chance to lead for the Voss-Tecklenburg-Elf.
Both teams are strong in tackles and are consistently looking for a way forward, to the delight of the audible majority of female fans in the stadium. The English women had the best chance. White gets too much space on the header. However, Frohms catches the ball safely.
The national anthems have been sung, pennants have been exchanged, and photos have been taken. That's ball on the field. The final kicked off on time.
Bad news for the German team. Alexandra Popp has to pass at short notice. The German striker, the best attacker of the tournament with six goals, complains of muscular problems. Lea Schüller will appear for them.
Martina Voss-Tecklenburg is in great anticipation. Not only because her husband promised the national coach a finca in Mallorca if she won the title. "That's not what it is about. But I will invite every player to take a free vacation in the house for life." Being in the final is a privilege, "and we will fight to the last second."
DFB President Bernd Neuendorf is in the stadium and is giving a TV interview on the sidelines: "You've got the whole country in a frenzy," he praises the German team and expects positive consequences: "We hope this little frenzy will continue. We have to translate that into women's football. We have very good prerequisites. The World Cup is coming up next year. The names are then known, the tribe of the team will be preserved. Then we have another eye-catcher.”
Again with Jule Brand as substitute for left winger Klara Bühl, the German soccer players go into the final. The future Wolfsburg woman storms alongside the captain and six-time European Championship goalscorer Alexandra Popp. Bühl was allowed to leave her corona quarantine on Sunday after a negative test. However, it was no longer enough for the squad because Uefa required medical examinations after the free test.
National coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg trusts the same starting eleven as in the 2-1 win over France in the semifinals. Her colleague Sarina Wiegman also relied on the same starting formation for the English team in the sixth tournament game – a first in the history of the European Championship. Six-time goalscorer Beth Mead plays for example, as does future Bayern player Georgia Stanway.
For Ann-Katrin Berger (31), the final will be particularly special: The German substitute goalkeeper Berger has been playing at Chelsea since 2019, should actually play for England at this European Championship and loves one of the opponent's players. The Swabian has been with the English defender Jessica Carter (24) for several years. The pair play together at the London club. They won two championships and the FA Cup together with Chelsea.
Previously, the former Potsdamer was under contract in Birmingham for three years. Because she has lived in England for a long time, she could have been naturalised. At least that was the plan of the football association and ex-national coach Phil Neville. After all, Berger has been the best goalkeeper in the English league for years.
But after discussions with both associations, Berger chose Germany. At the tournament, she and Almuth Schult are substitutes behind regular keeper Merle Frohms.
National striker Klara Bühl is allowed to leave the corona quarantine and at least experience the final in Wembley as a spectator. Martina Voss-Tecklenburg had already explained on Saturday that the 21-year-old from FC Bayern Munich would definitely not be part of the German squad. “She is currently symptom-free. If she tests negative, she can also go to the stadium," said the national coach, but pointed out that it was no longer possible to return to the team even after a negative test for the corona virus on the day of the game.
The news of Bühl's return to the stadium caused great joy in the German delegation. The left wing was seeded with the record European champions until their positive test and had scored the important 1-0 win against Spain in the preliminary round.
The team bus with the German players is on the way to Wembley Stadium. The team hotel "The Grove" in Watford is around 20 kilometers from the legendary venue.
By the way, the final statistics speak clearly for the DFB team. In total, the German women's national team was in a European Championship final eight times before the current tournament. The haul: All eight finals were won: 1989, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013.
Tens of thousands of English fans are already out and about in London and in front of Wembley Stadium, celebrating in jerseys and with flags. The England classic "Football's Coming Home" is sung. The DFB only got 3000 tickets for the final in front of 90,000 fans.
"My tip: Our women win the Wembley title. But it won't be easy against the strong English team. Draw after 90 minutes. In extra time, both teams score one goal each. Penalties shoot. And that's where our women win because they are physically and mentally better."
"The role of favorites lies a little more with the English women," says ex-soccer national player Marie-Louise Eta before the European Championship final in London. Nevertheless, she believes in a victory for German women. The anticipation is huge, the German team will really enjoy the game.
Source: WORLD / Lena Moselle
Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin has announced further investments in women's football. "We have to develop women's football in exactly the same way as men's football," said Ceferin on Sunday before the European Championship final: "We have to develop it on a technical level and we have to invest. Maybe some people should start thinking that women's football is worth investing in."
Before the final, Uefa had counted a total of 487,683 spectators at the European Championship games - more than twice as many as the previous record in 2017 in the Netherlands (240,055). "I'm not very surprised, I knew about the quality," said Ceferin: "The numbers are outstanding, but the biggest surprise for me are those who are surprised that women's football is at such a high level."
With England and Germany, the clear best teams of the tournament are in the final. Both won all five games and conceded only one goal each. But the hostesses were even more dangerous. 13 Germans face 20 English goals. This and the home advantage in front of 90,000 spectators probably determine the betting odds. When it comes to bookmakers, England is slightly ahead. The odds at “bwin”, for example, are 24:10 for an England win and 28:10 for a German win.
A few hours before the final, Lea Schüller (24) was named Germany's footballer of the year. The striker from FC Bayern came in ahead of Alexandra Popp and Almuth Schult in the journalists' choice conducted by the "Kicker".
Bundesliga top scorer Schüller (24) said she "didn't expect the award at all. This is a total surprise! It's outstanding! That's a super great award." In a very successful year, she "planned more," added Schüller, who had to sit out a corona quarantine at EM after the first game. “I scored 16 goals in the Bundesliga – as many as in recent years. I actually wanted to do more this time. I intend to do that for next season.”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (64), Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (52) and men's national coach Hansi Flick (57) travel from Germany to London to follow the game in the stadium. After reaching the semifinals, Scholz wrote on Twitter: "I'm looking forward to going to London and supporting the team in the dream final against the hosts from England at Wembley Stadium."
Queen's grandson Prince William and his daughter Princess Charlotte (7) cheer on the English women in a clip. "We both wish the Lionesses the best of luck for tonight," said William, who intends to follow the game at the stadium as FA President. "You played great in the tournament and we always cheered you on." Charlotte added: "Good luck! I hope you win!”
England's Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote a letter to captain Leah Williamson's team. The team clearly showed women and girls across the country "that football isn't just for boys." "Your passion for the game, your tenacity in difficult situations and most importantly, your amazing talent on the pitch has already given millions of us a summer of fantastic memories," Johnson wrote. He is sure that the "Lionesses", "who hunt ruthlessly as a team", will also win against Germany.
The British Air Force honors the English footballers before the final of the European Championship against Germany with a formation flight with an all-female crew. A C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and two Typhoon jets take part in the flyover over Wembley Stadium. The maneuver is scheduled right after the national anthems.
"I have flown missions with the RAF around the world but this will be the most memorable," said the Hercules pilot, whose name has been given as Flight Lieutenant Lauren. The performances of the "Lionesses" were inspiring. Lauren has been in the Royal Air Force (RAF) for 12 years and in the past has trained the first Afghan women pilots, among other things. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace spoke of a "pioneering day for English football and women's sport".
The German men's national team encouraged the DFB soccer players for the final. "You still have to take one last, big step and we are sure you will take it," said a letter published by the DFB to the team of national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg and captain Alexandra Popp. In it, “your boys from the other team” express their pride in making it to the final and their performances at the European Championship so far.
"That's why you are role models," it said: "It's just fun to see you as a team and your games. Sunday is the day. You can be sure that we are rooting for you," wrote the selection of national coach Hansi Flick and wished: "We want to see you dance again."
Flick will travel to London for the final. On Saturday evening, on the sidelines of the Supercup game between RB Leipzig and FC Bayern Munich, he said he was "totally enthusiastic" about the performances of his colleague Voss-Tecklenburg's team so far.
While the European title will be awarded in the evening, the decision in South America has already been made. Brazil has won the Copa for the eighth time. The Brazilians defeated hosts Colombia 1-0 (1-0) in the final at the Alfonso López Stadium in Bucaramanga. The fouled attacker Debinha scored the winning goal in the 39th minute with a penalty.
It was Brazil's eighth Copa América title in nine finals, Argentina winning the South American Cup once. Argentina won the third-place match against Paraguay 3-1 on Friday, qualifying for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Before the final, DFB director Oliver Bierhoff spoke enthusiastically about the German footballers. "Everyone who comes to the women's national team is immediately enchanted by the atmosphere," he told "Bild am Sonntag". He has already observed this in international matches outside of the tournament: "The atmosphere is very informal, very honest, sporty."
Bierhoff also praised the behavior of the players at the European Championship. "The pictures at the tournament speak for it: There are tough duels, fouls, yes - but dealing with them is more relaxed," he said: "The times women spend lying on the ground are certainly less."
