Watched by a record crowd of 87,192 at Wembley Stadium, England took the lead through substitute Ella Toone before Germany’s Lina Magull equalised. – Three points: Wiegman’s super men lead England to historic title – ESPN+ Viewers Guide: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, FA Cup, more But Kelly produced the perfect finish for England after coming on as a substitute, scoring in the 110th minute to give Lyon their first major tournament triumph and England’s first for men or women since the 1966 World Cup. His corner Lauren Hemp fell to the Manchester City striker, who slotted past Frohms at the second attempt. After a brief moment of confusion, Kelly tore off her shirt and celebrated wildly. England captain Leah Williamson called the title the “proudest moment of my life” in emotional scenes after the match at Wembley. “I can’t stop crying,” Williamson said. “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. “Listen, the legacy of this tournament is change in society. The legacy of this team is the winners and that’s 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.” Consistency has been key for England in their run to the final, so it was no surprise when coach Sarina Wiegman named the same starting XI for a sixth consecutive match — the first team to do so in men’s or women’s Euro history. Germany were rocked when top scorer Alexandra Popp was withdrawn from the starting line-up before kicking a ball after suffering muscle problems in the warm-up. He was replaced by Lea Schuller. That spurred England on, and they almost got off to the perfect start early on when Fran Kirby crossed for Ellen White and the Lyon goalscorer headed straight at Germany keeper Merle Fromms. Chloe Kelly gave England their first major tournament win. Getty Images Germany almost took the lead in the 25th minute after a corner from Mugul. Germany defender Marina Hegering threatened from close range before England goalkeeper Mary Earps claimed to clear the danger. Wiegman’s side were relieved when a VAR handball review went wrong. England finished a torrid first half strongly and could have gone in front in the 38th minute when Beth Meade found White with a cross in the area, but the striker fired over with a left-footed shot as he stretched to make contact. With the momentum shifting towards the hosts, Germany coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg made an early change at half-time, bringing on Tabea Wassmuth for Jule Brand. That change gave Germany renewed purpose and they fired a warning shot when Magoul flashed a good chance wide of Earps’ right-hand post in the 50th minute after a clever turn in the box. Wiegman sensed the danger and duly dispatched her two super substitutes, Toone and Alessia Russo. And it was Toone who fired England ahead in style in the 62nd minute, running onto a fine ball from Keira Walsh before finishing past Frohms to send Wembley into a frenzy. Germany rose to the challenge and almost equalized when Magoul darted into the box in the 66th minute. Her right-footed shot bounced off the crossbar before Schuller failed to turn in the rebound. Magull was Germany’s most lively player and finally made the difference in the 79th minute. Wassmuth sent a low cross into the area and Magull side-footed it to the near post to temporarily silence the England fans. Frohms saved Toone’s shot from close range in stoppage time before Kelly sent England back to dreamland with her winner. “It doesn’t seem real,” Toone said. “I’m shaking my head. Honestly the best moment of my career, the best moment of my life. I’m so proud to be a part of this team.” Their victory, over a country that has previously beaten so many England teams — men’s and women’s — also earned a message of congratulations from Queen Elizabeth. “Your success goes far beyond the trophy you so deservedly won. You have all set an example that will be an inspiration to girls and women today and for generations to come,” the Queen wrote. “I hope you are as proud of the impact you had on your sport as you are of the result today.” Information from Reuters contributed to this report.
