Where do you want your statue, Sarina Wiegman? Winners and losers as Lionesses boss confirms her GOAT status with historic Euros defence thanks to more Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton heroics

The last time a head coach not named Sarina Wiegman won the European Championship title was way back in 2013. That is incredible. On Sunday, as she watched her England team get over the line in truly dramatic fashion, the Dutchwoman sealed her third-successive continental title, and only cemented her status as the best manager in the international women's game.

Wiegman has come in for criticism at this tournament - and justifiably so. She has played with fire when it has come to substitutions and team selection, something that didn't stop in the final. Her decision to start Lauren James, who clearly was not fit after picking up an ankle injury in the semi-finals, could have been costly, while the withdrawal of Russo midway through the second half was also scrutinised by fans and pundits alike.

But there are a lot of things Wiegman got absolutely spot on in this tournament which were incredibly influential in the final outcome. She chose Hannah Hampton over Mary Earps as her No.1 goalkeeper, and the Chelsea star grabbed the opportunity with both hands, standing out as the best player in her position at Euro 2025. She took a bit of a risk in bringing along the inexperienced Agyemang, who had only one cap to her name, and the 19-year-old emerged as a super-sub so impactful that she was named the Young Player of the Tournament. On Sunday, there were eyebrows raised when she restored Jess Carter to the XI after some shaky displays, and the defender stood tall as one of England's best players on the night.

What underpins all of this is the remarkable environment and team spirit Wiegman has created within the squad. It is something that was questioned in the build-up to the Euros, as Earps announced her shock retirement and Millie Bright withdrew from selection for her own physical and mental well-being. But anyone questioning Wiegman's management style and the togetherness in her team was hushed emphatically as the Lionesses repeatedly dug deep, showed incredible resilience and came up with clutch moment after clutch moment on their way to another Euros triumph. In Sarina England trust - and this is why.

For many, Alexia Putellas was at least one of the players of the tournament at Euro 2025, if not the player of the tournament. When Montse Tome opted to bring the two-time Ballon d'Or winner off with 20 minutes of the 90 left to play and the score 1-1, then, it certainly raised a few eyebrows.

Putellas wasn't the star of the show on Sunday, no, but she has been the star of this past season. The level she has been playing at is incredible, arguably surpassing that which won her the Ballon d'Or in 2021 and again in 2022. She always has it in her to produce game-changing moments of magic, the kind which Spain needed in Basel. Plus, she wasn't having a bad day out by any means, with some nice movement and passes often central to La Roja's better moves.

Perhaps that was what was going through Putellas' own head as she left the pitch, for she didn't look impressed. And who could blame her? To be taken off at that point would frustrate any player, especially one who believes she can make the difference, having done so with regularity at the top level. Instead, the 31-year-old had to watch from the sidelines as Spain failed to get over the line, unable to complete the unfinished business she has with a competition that she tore her ACL on the eve of in 2022.

Adding insult to injury is the fact that it could well dent her hopes for the 2025 Ballon d'Or, for which she was the front-runner before the Euros began.

It's been told over and over again now, but Kelly's redemption story is worth repeating. Six months ago, she was desperately searching for a route out of Manchester City, having fallen so far out of favour that she couldn't even make the matchday squad at times, never mind get on the pitch. On Sunday, she lifted the European Championship title, having lifted the Champions League trophy only two months ago.

And Kelly hasn't just been part of the England squad this past month. She's been the woman of the moment, providing the two assists that helped the Lionesses fight back from 2-0 down in the quarter-finals against Sweden, scoring the winner in extra-time as they saw off Italy in the last four, before assisting the equaliser in Sunday's final and scoring the decisive spot-kick in the shootout.

There was a world in which Kelly was not even at Euro 2025, where her lack of game time at club level would see her fall out of the England picture and not make the cut for Wiegman's final squad. Everyone associated with the Lionesses will be glad they don't live in that world.

It was a surprise to see James named to the England XI on Sunday, just five days after she limped off at half-time in the Lionesses' win over Italy due to an ankle problem. Having played a heck of a lot of football at Euro 2025, especially after having spent almost three months on the sidelines before the tournament began, it looked like it had just taken its toll, with the Chelsea star even looking a little leggy in the quarter-final against Sweden. But Wiegman took a gamble and decided to start England's most talented player in the final, even if she wasn't fully fit.

It didn't pay off. James had some moments, most notably when she pressured Spain goalkeeper Cata Coll into a mistake that presented Lauren Hemp a huge chance, one which should've ended with the Manchester City winger squaring the ball to James for a tap-in, really. However, she also failed to keep her eye on the ball for another opening that could've broken the deadlock, then didn't track effectively enough in the build-up to Caldentey's goal.

None of that was James' fault. Wiegman knew she wasn't going to be at her best but decided to take the risk, and it was one that almost came back to bite her. Fortunately, both she and James ended the day as European champions, but it was a shame that the latter couldn't make her mark on this game, for reasons out of her control. Hopefully her injury is only a minor one.

There was a lot of pressure on Hampton coming into this tournament. Earps shone as England's No.1 as they won Euro 2022 and again when they reached the final of the 2023 Women's World Cup, but she was usurped by Hampton for Euro 2025. For some, it was always the right call. For others, it was not. Either way, the 24-year-old had some big shoes to fill in her first major tournament as a starter, at which she was hoping to ensure there was no drop in level in between the sticks. It's fair to say she succeeded.

Hampton provided so many memorable moments at this tournament. She was one of the heroes from England's penalty shootout win over Sweden, making two big stops as the Lionesses progressed; she made a massive double-save right towards the end of the 90 minutes against Italy, denying the Azzurre the chance to go 2-0 up just before Agyemang equalised; and she came up big once again on Sunday, stopping two more penalties as England emerged victorious in another shootout.

It's not just been about those headline-grabbing incidents, though. Hampton's distribution has been excellent, her confidence in commanding her area has grown wonderfully and her ability to step up when the pressure is really on only highlights what a top goalkeeper she has become. She is world-class - this tournament only confirmed as much.

Rewind two years and Salma Paralluelo was one of the breakout stars of the 2023 Women's World Cup. Having enjoyed a promising first season at Barcelona, the sprinter-turned-winger was Spain's super-sub as they became champions of the world, scoring the extra-time winner over the Netherlands in the quarter-finals before breaking the deadlock in victory over Sweden in the next round. The young forward subsequently finished third in the voting for the Ballon d'Or and took the momentum into the 2023-24 season, scoring 34 goals in 36 games for Barcelona in all competitions.

This past year, however, Paralluelo has struggled to find that golden touch. That happens with young players. After all, she's still only 21 years old. But it was tough to watch her low confidence cameo against England on Sunday. Paralluelo had several big chances and good openings fall her way after coming on in the 89th minute, only to waste them all before missing the target entirely with her penalty in the shootout.

This was the performance of a player out of form, yes, but it also served to remind that Tome has struggled to get the best out of Paralluelo since taking the reins with Spain, something that also stood out at last year's Olympics.

Russo is a player who can divide opinion. Strikers are judged on goals and the England star isn't as prolific as some of her contemporaries in Europe, even if she has improved plenty in that area in the past year in particular. However, you don't end the season as starting centre-forward for a club that won the Champions League and a national team that won the European Championship by chance. You have to be a brilliant player - and Russo is.

Having come in for some criticism at this Euros too, with only one goal to her name before kick-off on Sunday, her superb headed equaliser in the final was timely. Russo's coaches and team-mates know full well how valuable her all-round play is to the overall success of a side, but to get a goal in such a big game will have silenced doubters, even if that's not her aim when she steps out on that pitch. The way England struggled in attack once she was subbed off, too, was a strong nod to some of the more under-appreciated work she does.

That is two tournaments Spain have gone into as heavy favourites under Montse Tome now, and two tournaments that Spain have not won. La Roja were the front-runners for the Olympic gold medal last summer, but had their flaws exposed for all to see, while Tome made some questionable decisions with team selection and substitutions that couldn't be justified with a fourth-placed finish.

Euro 2025 has been a similar story, really, with those same defensive issues in transition regularly on show in Switzerland while many were left scratching their heads at Putellas' withdrawal in Sunday's final.

There were a few important caveats last year. For starters, no team has ever won the Women's World Cup and then backed it up with Olympic gold the following summer, so Spain's inability to make history was no shame. There was the fact that Patri Guijarro only made herself available for national team duty again right before the Games, so that prompted a late shake-up in midfield, while Claudia Pina - a real difference-maker since her return in November - was still not back. It was also Tome's first major tournament in charge.

For Euro 2025, though, it's hard to find as many excuses. Yes, Tome is still relatively inexperienced in the role, and there was the unsettling situation of Aitana Bonmati contracting viral meningitis two days before Spain flew out to Switzerland. But the Barcelona midfielder came into her own by the time the knockout stages came around, completing a midfield that included a better-than-ever Putellas and perhaps even a better-than-ever Guijarro. Esther Gonzalez was in flying form up front, Pina just won the Champions League Golden Boot - there were so many reasons to pick Spain to win this thing.

But the inability to address a slow and exposed defence, the lack of a Plan B and some questionable personnel decisions all contributed to La Roja falling short - and Tome moving even further under the microscope.

It's not been easy for Carter at this tournament. She started it out of position, with France exposing her as a makeshift left-back in the opening group game, prompting Wiegman to move her central. Having played well in wins over the Netherlands and Wales, Sweden were able to get at her again in the quarter-final, a game after which Carter received vile and unacceptable racist abuse. Wiegman wisely took her out of the firing line against Italy, a decision that surely factored in more than just football, and when Esme Morgan played well in her place, many expected her to continue in the XI on Sunday.

For Wiegman to turn to Carter again, then, said a lot about how much trust she has in the 27-year-old - and the performance the defender produced in response said a heck of a lot about her character.

"I'm more disappointed in myself over previous performances than anyone else," she said after the game, speaking to ITV. "I was super scared to play today, which is the first time in my life. Then when I woke up this morning and saw my team and the support that I had from my team-mates, my family and my manager, I knew I had to come out today and give it my all. That's all you can do."

Carter's comments were a nod to the environment again, while her individual display showed how magnificent she is as a footballer, both talent-wise and in terms of her mentally. She was colossal at the back, making eight clearances, two interceptions, two blocks and winning both of her aerial duels to help England get over the line in a big way.

"Everyone has doubted us and doubted me personally," she told the BBC. "But I think we just proved to you what we're capable of."