In an emotionally charged moment, Leah Williamson declared, “this story is not done yet,” amid celebrations in central London following England’s victory in the Euro 2025. The scene unfolded on Tuesday during an open-top bus parade that commenced shortly after midday, drawing thousands of supporters along the Mall, culminating in a formal ceremony at the Queen Victoria Memorial outside Buckingham Palace.
Williamson, notably moved with tears welling in her eyes, expressed her gratitude less than 48 hours after the Lionesses defended their European Championship title against Spain in a dramatic penalty shootout. “I’m holding back tears. I’ve been crying all the way down the Mall. This is unbelievable and it’s one of the best things we’ve ever been a part of so thanks for coming out,” she shared with the crowd.
Her message resonated deeply as she emphasized their commitment: “Everything we do, we do it for us and our team but we do it for the country and young girls. This job never existed 30 or 40 years ago and we’re making history every single step. Stay with us, this story is not done yet.”
Throughout the tournament, England displayed remarkable resilience, overcoming an initial loss to France and exhibiting grit in the knockout phases. They rallied from 2-0 down against Sweden in the quarter-finals and from 1-0 down to Italy in the semi-finals, ultimately battling back from behind in the final against Spain to secure victory yet again.
Williamson told the supporters, “There’s lots of ways to win a football match, and we repeatedly did it the hard way. But you can see how much we care about playing for England and how much we love it – 2022 was a fairy tale but this feels really hard-earned and we’re very proud of ourselves so thank you and we hope you are, too.”
Reflecting on the challenging moments, she added, “The first game maybe rocked us a little bit but I just think we’re special people and we love each other, we’ve got each others’ back on and off the pitch. We had tough moments, nasty things to deal with, and still we rise.”
This championship victory marks a third consecutive European Championship triumph for England’s manager, Sarina Wiegman, who previously led the Netherlands to victory in 2017. She noted the chaos of the tournament and remarked, “I hoped a little less chaos but they didn’t keep their promise to finish things quicker! We just kept having hope and belief and they just showed up when it was really necessary and urgent. There is a huge talent pool in this team. In 2022 we had great bonding but I think that made the absolute difference now: everyone was ready to step up and support each other. It was amazing to be a part of.”
Goalkeeper Hannah Hampton was instrumental in securing the draw against Spain before leading the team through a decisive 3-1 win in the penalty shootout. When asked about her mindset during the shootout, she said, “Just do whatever I can for the team – they ran around for 120 minutes and I’ve got it easy just standing still in my own 18-yard box.” Hampton advised those pursuing their dreams: “Don’t let people tell you what you can and can’t do. If you’ve got a dream and you really believe it, go out and do it. I did it. I got told many times that I’m not good enough and I shouldn’t be playing football from the start. Keep doing it and if it makes you happy, go follow that smile.”
Teenager Michelle Agyemang, who played a pivotal role with her key equalizers, was named the tournament’s best young player. The 19-year-old expressed her disbelief at her recognition: “I don’t know what to say. It’s surreal, it doesn’t seem real seeing people down there. It’s crazy to see what we’ve done and be here today.”
Lucy Bronze, a key figure in the squad, shared her excitement, stating, “This moment is unbelievable. We did it three years ago but to do it again and to come back to this is just incredible.” On comparisons to the previous celebrations, she humorously admitted, “I don’t remember.”
