England’s Lionesses champions were celebrated by thousands of overjoyed fans in London on Tuesday in an open-top bus victory parade after their dramatic Euro 2025 win. Sarina Wiegman’s side defended their European title by defeating world champions Spain on penalties in the Swiss city of Basel on Sunday, sending a wave of national euphoria through the land. They returned home on Monday and were taken straight to 10 Downing Street, the official home of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, for a reception.
Fans Rejoice in Emotional Victory Parade
It was Tuesday before fans got a chance to rejoice at the incredible achievement of the Lionesses, who again and again defied expectations throughout their path to glory in Switzerland.
Two buses with the slogan “European Champions” rolled out of the foot of The Mall, the street that leads to Buckingham Palace, under dismal skies around midday.
Euro 2025 trophy was held aloft by Captain Leah Williamson and fans reacted with cheers and waves of flags.
The decibel level rose as the bus moved along the road, flanked by Union flags and the St George’s Cross, preceded by a military band.
London Marches to Celebrate the Queens of Europe
The masses then marched down the road towards Buckingham Palace to celebrate with the team, as two giant screens displayed tournament highlights.
A tearful Williamson was the first to address a stage outside Buckingham Palace, stating she had cried all the way down The Mall.
“There’s lots of ways to win a football match, and we repeatedly did it the hard way,” she said. “But I think that you can see how much we care about playing for England, how much we love it.
“(Victory in) 2022 was a fairytale, but this feels really hard-earned, and we’re very proud of ourselves.”
The skipper said the team had overcome adversity, including defeat to France in their opening match: “Nasty things to deal with, and still we rise.”
She added: “Everything we do, obviously we do it for us and our team, but we do it for the country, and we do it for the young girls.
“This job never existed 30 or 40 years ago, and we’re making history every single step. Thank you so much, thank you so much for being with us. Stay with us, this story’s not done yet.”
Coach Wiegman Hails Team’s Belief and Resilience
Wiegman told the cheering crowds that her players “showed up” when they had to before dancing on stage with Nigerian singer Burna Boy.
“I had hoped for a little less chaos but they didn’t keep their promise to finish things quicker,” she said.
“But as we always have a plan, and we try to execute that, and the players on the pitch, and we just kept having hope all the time, and belief, and they just showed up when it was really necessary and urgent.”
Victory in Switzerland was sweet revenge for Wiegman’s team, who suffered bitter defeat against Spain in the World Cup final two years ago.
Political Reception and National Pride
The Lionesses were welcomed at number 10 on Monday by Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock and Deputy Prime minister Angela Rayner as Starmer was in Scotland to meet US President Donald Trump.
Rayner hailed the players as a “shining example of talent and excitement for women’s football”.
