Substitute Kelly reacted quicker to a loose corner kick in the second period of extra time on Sunday to give her side the win and avenge their loss to Germany in the Euro 2009 final in Helsinki, Finland. England manager Sarina Wiegman became the first manager to win the Euros with two different countries, having guided the Netherlands to the title in 2017. “I can not stop crying. We talk and talk and talk and finally we did it. You know what, the kids are fine. This is the proudest moment of my life,” England captain Leah Williamson said on the pitch. “Listen, the legacy of this tournament is change in society. The legacy of this team is the winners and that is the journey. I love each and every one of you, I’m so proud to be English. I’m trying so hard not to swear.” England players celebrate winning the Euro 2022 women’s final after the match [Molly Darlington/Reuters] After the final whistle, the England players danced and the crowd sang their anthem, Sweet Caroline. The good-natured atmosphere inside the stadium on Sunday contrasted with the violent scenes when the England men’s team lost the European Championship final to Italy at the same stadium a year ago. “I always thought I would be here, but to be here and score the winner, wow. These girls are amazing,” said Kelly, who returned from a serious knee injury in April. “This is amazing, I just want to celebrate now.” It was a historic night for England, who opened the scoring in the 62nd minute through striker Ella Toone in front of a sold out crowd at Wembley Stadium. The 87,192 crowd was a record for a Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) tournament, men’s or women’s, underlining the growth of women’s football in Europe since England and Germany last played for a continental title 13 years ago. England fans celebrate in London’s Trafalgar Square after watching their team win the Women’s Euro 2022 final [Frank Augstein/AP Photo] Substitute Lina Magule brought Germany back into the game to send them into extra time, but Kelly popped up at the right time to bring England on and rile up the home fans. Germany suffered a blow in the warm-up as striker Alexandra Popp, who had scored six goals in five games on her Euro debut, suffered a muscle injury and was forced to withdraw from the squad and was replaced by Lea Schuller. Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s side missed Popp’s presence in the box, but it was a tough physical encounter that led to a goalless first half. Toone opened the scoring shortly after the hour mark with a beautiful chip finish moments after coming on as a substitute. However, this was canceled out by Magull, who fired home an equalizer from close range 17 minutes later after the home side had been pushed back by their opponents. The match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes to go into extra time when the atmosphere dropped a bit as the thought of Germany winning a record ninth European crown at the home of English football began to seep through. That was until the 110th minute when Kelly, who had moments to urge the crowd to raise their voices and cheer the side on, reacted quicker to stab home the winner and inflict Germany’s first defeat in a major final. England’s Millie Bright and Ellen White celebrate after winning the Women’s Euro 2022 [John Sibley/Reuters] Al Jazeera’s Nadim Baba, who was reporting from outside the stadium in London, said there were record attendances at stadiums across the country during the tournament: more than 500,000 people watched matches. “The hope is that, beyond the elite, it can lead to greater investment in grassroots sports with girls of primary age and beyond not just having access but being able to afford to train at the elite clubs,” Baba said. “Sometimes it’s not free for them in academies linked to premiership clubs when it’s for boys,” he said. “A little equality, a little more respect and financial stability for professional players so they can commit to the sport. If there are any questions about the quality that they offer, I think this tournament has really gotten rid of those questions.”
