Lionesses let their hair down in Euros celebrations

It was a 24-hour after-party that showed no signs of stopping by the time the triumphant Lionesses arrived at Downing Street for their heroes’ welcome home.

Chloe Kelly and Co had partied into the early hours as they celebrated their dramatic European Championship final victory, their second such achievement in the space of three years.

After Kelly’s championship-clinching penalty – which secured the Lionesses’ place as the first England team to win a major tournament on foreign soil – the party started at St Jakob-Park with beers and pizza delivered to begin on-pitch celebrations.

The jubilant England players run over to their fans in the stadium... - AP/Alessandra Tarantino

...before pizza and beer gets the party started on the pitch - Getty Images/Eddie Keogh

The players continued the festivities in the changing rooms where they were heard singing relentlessly as they soaked up victory with several magnums of champagne, before returning to their team hotel, the picturesque Dolder Grand in Zurich, to really kick-start the party.

Arriving in specially made “Champions 25” jerseys, Leah Williamson’s team joined their family and friends who cheered their arrival as they were granted a triumphant reception, many with prosecco in hand and donning sunglasses.

With them was their unofficial mascot, Reggie the Cavapoo, pet of the owner of Cheals on Wheels, a mobile barista company that has been with the Lionesses for the duration of their Euros campaign.

Hannah Hampton celebrates with Reggie the Cavapoo - TikTok@england

Midfielder Ella Toone did not hold back, with her boyfriend Joe Bunney posting several videos of her and the team dancing away to Freed From Desire by Gala on his Instagram account before the karaoke got under way – Toone dedicating her song of choice to retired Lioness Rachel Daly.

Credit: Instagram/@joebunney

There was also a repeat of the cake ceremony from their 2022 triumph which saw head coach Sarina Wiegman and captain Williamson share cutting duties before they got back to partying into the night with Bunney revealing the team were still going at 4:10am on Monday morning.

England manager Sarina Wiegman and captain Leah Williamson cut a celebratory cake

Ella Toone and her boyfriend Joe Bunney were in the thick of the party well into Monday morning

The fun stopped abruptly for Bunney as he left to catch his flight home, posting an image from a busy Zurich airport at 8:47am along with three feeling sick emojis.

But players did not have to worry as their chartered flight back to the UK on a specially branded ‘HOME’ private jet – with kit sponsors Nike swapping the ‘H’ out for ‘II’ to signal their two European crowns – was not scheduled to depart until mid-afternoon.

Players eventually emerged to leave their hotel, with Lauren Hemp carrying a Lego model based on the castle in Disney film Beauty and the Beast – the Manchester City winger is known to be a Lego enthusiast.

Lauren Hemp leaves England’s team hotel in Zurich with a lego castle - PA/Nick Potts

It was left to Williamson to carry the European Championship trophy on to the team bus, posing for pictures as she beamed with pride on her way. “Taking it home, taking it back to London for four more years,” said the England captain.

In a sign of a late night, defender Esme Morgan hid her face beneath a pillow as she boarded the bus, doing her best to avoid the rainfall as well as the prying cameras nearby. But the players still found time to sign autographs and pose for selfies with those who had come to bid them farewell.

Leah Williamson takes the precious silverware onto the bus... - PA/Peter Byrne

...as Esme Morgan shields beneath a pillow - PA/Peter Byrne

Any suggestions of heading to bed were dismissed by Beth Mead, the hero of the 2022 campaign, when she admitted that most of the players did not sleep a wink before their departure.

Kelly showed off the special edition, Euro 2025-themed boarding passes that the squad had been given to treasure before boarding flight ZT731 bound for London Southend, complete with a seat reserved especially for the trophy.

However, the party was put on ice when bad weather and other delays resulted in an additional wait of more than two hours before eventually taking off. That failed to put off the hundreds of fans who were eagerly awaiting their arrival outside the terminal in Southend, and who cheered their eventual return at 3:39pm on Monday afternoon, complete with water cannon ceremony.

England fans wait for the Lionesses at Southend Airport - AFP/Carlos Jasso

Wiegman and Williamson led the squad off the plane as they joked with each other down the stairs, before posing for a team photograph next to their chariot. The players headed straight for the terminal where security checks meant Alex Greenwood had to put the trophy through the X-ray scanner – just to be safe – before freshening up at the private terminal’s facilities and changing into their exclusive M&S-provided outfits.

Having changed into their smarter gear the Lionesses headed out to huge celebrations as Williamson paraded the trophy for all those gathered outside to see.

England pose in front of their specially branded plane after landing at Southend Airport - Getty Images/Richard Pelham

Next the squad boarded another bus destined for Downing Street, albeit a good two hours later than planned.

With Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, Stephanie Peacock, the sports minister, kept waiting at No 10, the red carpet was rolled out and steps repeatedly swept in eagerness of the European champions’ arrival. St George’s Cross flags were put up in each window with similar bunting draping the front gates.

Shortly after 6:45pm the two buses finally pulled up on Whitehall with the players disembarking and making their way onto Downing Street, posing for pictures outside, Wiegman and Williamson front and centre with the trophy, before heading inside to meet Rayner and Peacock closely followed by staff from the Football Association.

The England squad outside No 10 Downing Street ahead of their reception - AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth

The victorious players chatting to Angela Rayner in the garden of No 10 - Times Media Ltd/ Richard Pohle

But the fun will not stop there. The team will have an open-top bus parade in central London on Tuesday to continue the celebrations, with a celebration planned at the Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace after a short route along the Mall for fans to join the euphoria.

Oliver Brown

Lionesses embody English spirit and uncomplicated patriotism

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