England beat Spain on penalties to retain their European title, and it is no surprise that those two are the best best-represented nations in our XI
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This summer's European Championship was certainly a memorable one, with more goals scored than ever before, extra-time and penalties deciding games at an historic rate and the tournament's attendance records tumbling in a month that ended with England retaining their European title, thanks to a dramatic shootout win over Spain in Basel on Sunday.
It was a tournament that saw such a variety of players soak up the spotlight along the way. There were young players who announced themselves on the big stage for the first time, world-class talents who performed as brilliantly as many expected and breakout stars in their mid-to-late twenties who took the chance to make a name for themselves.
All types feature in GOAL's Team of the Tournament, which has plenty of representation from the two finalists…
Getty ImagesGK: Hannah Hampton (England)
Hannah Hampton had huge shoes to fill at this tournament, following in the footsteps of Mary Earps after the England icon had been the best goalkeeper on show at Euro 2022 and the 2023 Women's World Cup. In Switzerland, though, Hampton proved why Sarina Wiegman made her the Lionesses' new No.1 with some outstanding performances on the way to the title, fully justifying the manager's decision to make such a headline-grabbing change.
Only Livia Peng, the talented Switzerland shot-stopper who is actually a new team-mate of Hampton's at Chelsea, had a more positive differential between her expected goals against statistic and the amount she actually conceded, with the numbers showing that Hampton prevented 2.69 goals over the course of Euro 2025.
And then there were the penalty heroics, with the 24-year-old making two huge stops in both the shootout wins over Sweden and Spain, plus the crucial double-save before England's late equaliser against Italy in the semi-finals. When the pressure was at its greatest, Hampton stood up tall and delivered, marking herself out as the best goalkeeper at a tournament that had plenty of top performers.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesCB: Lucy Bronze (England)
While Euro 2025 was a tournament for goalkeepers, in part due to the record-breaking amount of penalty shootout drama it served up, it wasn't quite one for defenders. More goals were scored than ever before at this European Championship, making it no surprise that it's not easy to come up with too many contenders for the backline of GOAL's XI. As such, a rogue formation is required, as is the need for Lucy Bronze to occupy a centre-back role she's not entirely unfamiliar with.
The England full-back was by no means flawless in Switzerland, with lapses in concentration particularly costly in the opener against France and the final, but no defender was. What sets Bronze apart is how she made up for those errors. Her all-round contributions at the back made for a rather steady level of performance away from those moments, with no one winning more aerial duels at the tournament than the 33-year-old, who also ranked in the top five for possession won and clearances made, and in the top 10 for tackles won and interceptions made.
Then there was performance against Sweden in the quarter-finals, which saw Bronze play a huge role in the most miraculous of England's many escape acts. The Lionesses were staring elimination in the face until the defender headed home the first goal of their late comeback from 2-0 down, and it was her thumping penalty in the shootout that swung the momentum in England's favour again. Throw in that she played the whole tournament with a fractured tibia and it only adds to how extraordinary Bronze's summer was.
Getty ImagesCB: Rebecca Knaak (Germany)
It's been quite a year for Rebecca Knaak. Aged 28, she got the first big move of her career in January when she joined Manchester City and, amid an injury crisis that placed real emphasis on her hitting the ground running, her performances in England were so impressive that she earned her first Germany cap in February. It was a timely entry into the national team picture, coming just before a European Championship that she would not only go on to be selected for, but regularly catch the eye in.
Germany had some serious defensive issues this summer. Star full-back Giulia Gwinn saw her tournament ended by injury in the first match, her replacement Carlotta Wamser picked up a red card in the final group-stage game, centre-back Kathrin Hendrich was sent off in the quarter-finals, Wamser's successor Sarai Linder got injured in that same match and then Sophia Kleinherne limped off in the semi-final defeat to Spain.
While all that chaos was unfolding around her, Knaak stood impressively tall. Again, she was by no means perfect in Switzerland, but she was a big reason why Germany were able to reach the last four of this tournament – and only lose that game in extra-time – while having such a patchwork defence.
Getty ImagesCB: Cecilia Salvai (Italy)
This was a monumental tournament for an Italy team that has underwhelmed plenty since reaching the quarter-finals of the 2019 Women's World Cup, with them only two minutes away from an unprecedented final in Switzerland. Michelle Agyemang's 96th-minute equaliser, and the subsequent heartbreak in extra-time, was a cruel way for the Azzurre's campaign to end, but they should certainly hold their heads high after the way they played.
Contrary to stereotypes, it was often Italy's attack which caught the eye, but the defence certainly played its part in this incredible run too, with Cecilia Salvai the star back there. No one made more clearances at Euro 2025 than the 31-year-old, who also led her team in interceptions and blocks. That her best performance of the month came in the semi-final, in what was the biggest game of her career, said a lot too, even if the result didn't go Italy's way.
