England secured a historic triumph in Basel last night, defeating Spain 3-1 on penalties to successfully defend their European Championship crown.
The victory at St Jakob-Park marked a momentous achievement for Sarina Wiegman's squad, who became the first England team to claim a major tournament on foreign soil.
The match had finished 1-1 after extra time, with Mariona Caldentey giving Spain the lead in the first half before Alessia Russo's brilliant header restored parity.
The dramatic penalty shootout that followed saw England hold their nerve despite early setbacks.
Beth Mead hit the ball twice after slipping during the penalty shootout, forcing VAR to intervene
|Reuters
This represents Wiegman's third consecutive European title, having previously won with the Netherlands in 2017 and England in 2022.
The shootout began with extraordinary drama when Beth Mead stepped up as England's first penalty taker.
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The Arsenal forward, who had come on as a second-half substitute, initially found the net by striking the ball down the middle.
However, her boot had slipped on the turf, causing her to make contact with the ball twice - first with her kicking foot, then against her standing leg. Referee Stephanie Frappart immediately consulted VAR, which confirmed the double touch.
Under newly implemented regulations, Mead was granted a retake rather than having the goal disallowed outright.
Spain goalkeeper Catalina Coll capitalised on this second opportunity, diving to her right to parry away Mead's effort, handing Spain an early advantage in the shootout.
The controversial moment stemmed from a rule modification introduced in June by IFAB, football's law-making body.
This change followed outrage over Julian Alvarez's disallowed penalty during Atletico Madrid's Champions League last-16 shootout defeat to Real Madrid in March.
The Argentinian striker had slipped whilst taking his kick, inadvertently making slight contact with his standing leg before striking the ball properly.
Under previous regulations, such infractions resulted in immediate disqualification of the attempt.
England might have missed the first penalty but went on to beat Spain
|Reuters
UEFA had requested a review of these rare occurrences, prompting IFAB to issue a clarification to Law 14.
The revised guidance acknowledges that completely ignoring double touches would disadvantage goalkeepers, who face altered ball trajectories.
Consequently, unintentional double touches now warrant a retake if the initial attempt results in a goal.
Despite the setback of Mead's saved retake, England demonstrated remarkable composure to secure victory.
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Beth Mead saw her second effort saved by the Spain goalkeeper
|Reuters
Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton emerged as the hero, making two crucial saves during the shootout to keep her side's hopes alive.
The decisive moment arrived when Spain's Salma Paralluelo sent her penalty wide of the target, leaving Chloe Kelly with the opportunity to seal England's triumph.
Kelly, who had been introduced as a substitute for the injured Lauren James and provided the assist for Russo's equaliser, held her nerve to convert the winning penalty.
The victory ensured England retained their European crown three years after their memorable Wembley triumph against Germany.