With a memorable UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 now over, it is time to reflect on 11 of the stand-out stars in this XI.
From emotional wringers to 106 goals plus six red cards within 31 matches, this tournament certainly delivered plenty of drama and emotion imaginable as penalties ultimately determined a historic first overseas title for England in a nervy final.
This tournament also saw plenty of stars showcase their talent which made selecting a XI very tough to call, so here is my UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 XI.
Goalkeeper
As far as goalkeeping goes, this tournament has seen plenty of exceptional heroics from Germany’s Ann-Katrin Berger to Spain’s Cata Coll to name just two of the stand-out goalkeepers.
England’s Hannah Hampton however stood out from the pack with eight saves from 11 penalties that she faced across two shootouts in the knockout stages, whilst her consistency was impressive for a player who suffers from an eye condition, Strabismus which affects depth perception.
Her saves against Sweden in particular showcased her resilience in goal amidst a flailing defence as she denied Fridolina Rolfo, Stina Blackstenius and Madelen Janogy with unbelievable blocks, which underlined why Sarina Wiegman gambled on her over Mary Earps as the Lionesses’ number one.
Given that England found themselves involved in two penalty shootouts which were her first at a major international tournament, Hampton could of easily wilted yet she rose to the challenge especially in the final to deny Spain a historic maiden title with two superb saves.
Defence
At right-back there is simply no alternative to England’s Lucy Bronze because to play an entire tournament with a fractured tibia and still make an impact both defensively and on the attack is crazy, although there were marking errors on occasion which perhaps comes naturally with age at 33-years-old.
Bronze however had that ‘never say die’ grit and athletic ability on the attack to trouble oppositional defences, which certainly showed in the comeback against Sweden as she found space unmarked to spark England’s fightback in that adrenaline-pumping Quarter-Final tie.
In central defence, nobody has quietly stood out more than England’s Leah Williamson and Spain’s Irene Paredes who were the defensive rock of their teams, especially in terms of ball recoveries with 92 such recoveries combined whilst managing to show composed leadership throughout.
At left-back, it is easy to select England’s Alex Greenwood such has been her consistency since moving to that position after the opening defeat, yet Germany’s Franziska Kett stood out more purely because she only played twice yet her stats were as good as defenders who played more games like Greenwood.
| Alex Greenwood | Player | Franziska Kett |
| 40 | Balls Recovered | 18 |
| 6 | Tackles | 7 |
| 17 | Clearances Attempted | 10 |
| 6 | Matches | 2 |
Kett also was Germany’s top defender in terms of total tackles and interceptions combined which really showed just how much impact she had in her two appearances alone, especially within her team which speaks volumes about the performances of her fellow defenders.
It is therefore difficult to not acknowledge Kett’s achievements because to manage more tackles in just two appearances than most defenders who had played most of the tournament is incredible, whilst her attempted clearances arguably would of been closer to Greenwood’s number if she had played more.
Midfield
This tournament saw plenty of outstanding midfield performances from players like France’s Grace Geyoro and Germany’s Sjoeke Nusken to name just two stars, but Sweden’s Kosovare Asllani proved to be a class act with her passing and crossing ability in the Swedes’ run to the Quarter-Finals.
Asllani also brought pace and intensity to Sweden’s attacking play with two goals and three assists especially in the Quarter-Final against England, where she and Stina Blackstenius produced impressive link-up play for the Swedes’ two goals and her performances shouldn’t go unnoticed.
Spain’s Alexia Putellas is another highlight because after she missed the 2022 edition with an ACL injury, she showed the world what they missed with three goals and four assists amidst a series of energetic displays – complete with fantastic leadership, passes, movement and technical footwork.
Rounding out the midfield is Spain’s Mariona Caldentey because although she was deployed as a right or left winger throughout the tournament, she was one of Spain’s best players in my opinion when it came to presence within attacks with her between-the-lines positioning and movement to trouble defenders.
Whilst Putellas will get all the applaudits, Caldentey deserves serious praise because throughout every match, she has been a constant menance with her attacking press and varied passing play as she built on her club form at Arsenal of last season throughout the tournament.
Forward
Super substitute, Chloe Kelly is instantly the first name that springs to mind in terms of forward selection because her impact off the bench has been consistently impressive, especially given how quickly she changed the Quarter-Final tie from 2-0 down with her crosses.
We also shouldn’t forget her match winners against Italy then Spain in the semi-final and final respectively, which both underlined her coolness under immense pressure – particularly in the final when she brought stability to England’s attack as an earlier sub than planned.
Alessia Russo also sprung to mind because no forward was involved in more goals than the England striker, who might not of lit the stage alight but quietly played her part with three lovely assists in their 4-0 win over Netherlands, plus a goal against Wales then that crucial equaliser in the final.
Spain’s Esther Gonzalez was the top goalscorer but aside from her four goals, she didn’t really justify the final pick for me in terms of overall contribution, compared to say Italy’s Cristiana Girelli or Sofia Cantore for example on the defensive side of being a forward player.
I however am going for an English front three because Michelle Agyemang in her first tournament only played 142 minutes in four appearances as a sub, yet she at 19 years-old in her first major tournament just three months after her debut delivered two game-changing equalising goals.
Although her equaliser against Italy was perhaps more lucky than her maiden Euro goal against Sweden which were both her only two shots on target, Agyemang looked right at home with confidence and energy when the Lionesses needed it most against the clock and can only get better with time.
Manager
Absolutely zero debate is even needed as to manager of the tournament because England’s Sarina Wiegman undoubtedly is the queen of the Women’s Euro, having won every edition that she has managed in (2017 – Netherlands, 22 & 25 – England), which is no mean feat.
Her third title though was by far her hardest because she had to deal with a team in transition from one generation to the next, during which Mary Earps, Rachel Daly and Fran Kirby retired in the past 18 months whilst defender – Millie Bright withdrew for personal reasons.
Wiegman consequently found herself in a position of having to blend youth and experience whilst fortunate to retain much of her core players even if some had only recovered from serious injuries in recent months, which only strengthened the squad’s unity as the tournament wore on.
Although it is easy to say that Wiegman was stubborn in making very little changes to her starting line-ups except for tactical reasons, her substitution moves were superbly timed to maximise impact as demonstrated by Kelly and Agyemang even when their back was against the wall.
Wiegman also is the first manager to achieve five major consecutive final appearances across continental and worldwide tournaments, which underlined how exceptional her team management has been to overcome expectations after a tough opening defeat to France.
Further underlining Wiegman’s success is the fact that this was England’s first major title won on foreign soil, which is an exceptional achievement such the pressure that home fans have of the national team.
Now with friendlies to come throughout the autumn, Wiegman has a chance to further consolidate the squad whilst building the next generation for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where they will be amongst the favourites.
