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Victorious players greeted by chants, cheers and tears as they ride open-top bus and then lift the trophy on stage

They came in their tens of thousands, a sea of red and white pouring through Green Park to the Mall. Teenage boys with England flags painted on their faces, little girls in their Saturday morning club kits, veteran fans of the women’s game, new fans who just wanted to savour the moment.

A total of 65,000 jubilant England fans lined the Mall in central London on Tuesday to welcome home the victorious Lionesses after their Euro 2025 victory on Sunday.

• Lionesses captain visibly moved during Mall address

• 65,000 supporters attend central London celebrations

Leah Williamson promised England supporters the “story is not done yet” as 65,000 fans packed on to the Mall to celebrate the Lionesses’ successful defence of their European crown.

The England captain and her teammates partied with stars including the soul singer Heather Small and Burna Boy – who danced on stage with the head coach Sarina Wiegman – two days after they beat Spain in Basel to become the first senior England football team to win a major trophy on foreign soil.

The bonding of players through highly personal stories, and access to home comforts, helped power them to Euro 2025 glory

The gold confetti may have been swept away but it will take some time for the dust to settle on the most remarkable of tournaments. England are European champions. Again. Writing a new chapter in the history book of English football. Leah Williamson, the first England captain to lift two major trophies. Michelle Agyemang, the 19-year-old wonderkid. Jess Carter and her remarkable performance amid the most difficult of times. Hannah Hampton, defying the odds to become England’s saviour on penalties, twice. Chloe Kelly almost quitting football in January and becoming a European champion for club and country by the end of July. Lucy Bronze playing with a leg fracture.

Each one of the 23 has a tale to tell. The people are remarkable and their stories are remarkable.

Host country provided a record attendance and a summer spectacle despite a relatively modest football infrastructure

Twelve hours before Euro 2025 reached its crescendo the Uefa executive director of football, Giorgio Marchetti, addressed a hall of delegates in Basel. The morning coffees were still taking hold as officials from clubs, federations and other stakeholders settled down for a forum designed partly to debrief the previous month. There was no mistaking the congratulatory mood and Marchetti was determined to see it last. The tournament would not be “like a butterfly, over in 24 hours”, he said; instead its reverberations would be felt far into a burgeoning sport’s future.

There was certainly little sign of any effects dulling as afterparties swung long into the night following England’s heist against Spain. The overwhelming sense was of euphoria, sprinkled with relief, that host and governing body had pulled off what some viewed as a high‑wire act. Switzerland’s relatively modest football infrastructure, not to mention its muted appreciation of the women’s game, had raised eyebrows but it staged an event that delivered to the last.

Our cartoonist looks at how the Lionesses retained their crown as European champions

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Back in the 1880s, when Sheffield Wednesday were known simply as The Wednesday, the staunchly amateur club had a little problem. Having just won the FA Cup for the first time in 1896, the club then forgot to apply for the following season’s competition, missing the deadline entirely, which meant that most of their cup-winning side were rather cheesed off, threatened to leave and start their own professional club, Sheffield Rovers, where players would be paid for their performances. The next few months for Wednesday were something of a shambles and in scenes that will be familiar to anyone that has played Sunday League, the club struggled to find enough players to put out a proper side, culminating in a 16-0 defeat to Bolton-based Halliwell FC in January 1887, a match in which Wednesday could only field 10 players. A few months later, an emergency meeting was held between players and president John Holmes, after which the club turned professional. The players were paid and The Wednesday were saved.

I was intrigued by Lucy Bronze’s quote in yesterday’s Football Daily – ‘I’ve been through a lot of pain, but that’s what it takes to play for England.’ Does this mean that all us fans who have watched the England men’s team play in a tournament are therefore eligible to be capped?” – John Kyle.

I was interested to hear that Morgan Gibbs-White’s contract extension ‘underlines the ambition of Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, whose vision for European success and sustained Premier League progress continues to shape the club’s future’ (yesterday’s Football Daily, full email edition). Presumably this is a different Evangelos Marinakis from the one who gave up a controlling interest in Nottingham Forest?” – Guy Stephenson.

I agree with Mick Beeby: no more drums in football grounds (yesterday’s Football Daily letters). Do something useful at tea-time, start a petition” – Arthur McAra.

The best response to the infuriating drummer is contempt. Brentford fans’ immediate reaction to an opposition drummer is to chant: ‘We don’t need a drum. We don’t need a drum. We’re Brentford FC, we don’t need a drum’” – Russell Wallman.

This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

• Hato, 19, can play at left-back or centre-back

• Dutch forward Simons could cost up to €70m

Chelsea are closing in on the signing of Jorrel Hato from Ajax and have opened talks with RB Leipzig over a move for his Netherlands teammate Xavi Simons.

It is understood that personal terms have been agreed with Hato, a defender who has made more than 100 appearances for Ajax’s first team despite only turning 19 in March. Negotiations with the Dutch side over a fee of around €40m (£35m) are believed to be in the final stages, with Enzo Maresca hoping to add to his options at left-back and in central defence.

• Winger Traoré, 29, played under Nuno at Wolves

• Everton sign teenage left-back from Bayern Munich

Nottingham Forest are interested in signing the Fulham winger Adama Traoré. If a deal can be done for the 29-year-old it would see him reunite with Nuno Espírito Santo, who he worked under at Wolves.

After selling Anthony Elanga and Ramón Sosa, Forest have been eager to recruit new wingers. A club-record deal was agreed for Bologna’s Dan Ndoye on Monday, with the Switzerland international to join this week after a medical is completed. Personal terms are not thought to be an issue for Ndoye, who turned down the chance of moving to Serie A champions Napoli in favour of the Premier League.

Labour figures also have concerns about appointing David Dinsmore as permanent secretary for communications

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Some Hillsborough survivors and families of those killed in the disaster have urged Keir Starmer to reconsider appointing a former Sun editor to one of the government’s most senior communications jobs.

David Dinsmore, who edited the tabloid from 2013 to 2015 and has since become chief operating officer of its parent company, News UK, is due to become permanent secretary for communications. The role was created after the prime minister voiced concerns about the government’s communications last year.

Super Falcons were two goals down to Morocco in the final but comeback repaid Justine Madugu’s faith in his team

Eyebrows were raised when Justine Madugu was appointed as the new Nigeria coach in September last year, having had no head coach experience in international football before taking on the role.

On Saturday the “gamble” – if you call it that – paid off when the Super Falcons came from 2-0 down to beat hosts Morocco 3-2 in the final at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat to win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Playing an entire tournament with a fractured tibia is the type of undiluted commitment and individual sacrifice which carried team to glory

For some reason, as Chloe Kelly’s penalty hits the net and the England players explode across the pitch like streaks of white light, as Sarina Wiegman and Arjan Veurink embrace on the touchline, as England fans clutch each other in the stands, the eye is drawn to Khiara Keating of Manchester City.

Keating has not played a minute for England at this tournament. In fact, she has never played a minute for England at all. In fact, there was not the remotest possibility that she would play a minute for England at this tournament, and she knew this all along. Her entire Euros has consisted of training, travel and watching football from a hard bench. And yet at the moment of victory, nobody celebrates harder than England’s third goalkeeper.

• Heroes’ welcome in London to take place on Tuesday

• Goalkeeper Hampton pays tribute to late grandfather

Sarina Wiegman has said England’s defence of their European title “makes change” and “inspires people” far and wide, as the Lionesses prepare for a heroes’ welcome in an open-top bus parade along the Mall and in front of Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

“We’re England and we want to win but there’s so much more than winning a game,” the head coach, who won a record third European title in a row following her Euro 2017 victory with the Netherlands and England’s triumph in 2022, told Lionesses channels.

• England heroes will feature in new year honours list

• Final was biggest TV event of year with 16 million viewers

Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton are expected to be awarded MBEs with England’s Lionesses set to be lavished with nominations in the new year honours list following their historic European Championship victory.

Sarina Wiegman’s squad were widely honoured after winning the European title for the first time three years ago, with the captain Leah Williamson named as an OBE and Lucy Bronze, Beth Mead and Ellen White receiving MBEs. The stand-in captain Millie Bright was awarded an OBE while Mary Earps and Lauren Hemp got MBEs after England reached the World Cup final 12 months later.

• Families and friends join champions for late-night party

• Ella Toone performed River Deep, Mountain High

England’s history-making players celebrated their Euro 2025 triumph alongside family, friends and a cavapoo called Reggie long into the early hours of Monday morning.

Songs by Natasha Bedingfield, Heather Small and Gala all featured on a night of singalongs, dancing and drinking as the team, the staff and their loved ones soaked in the moment after their victory against the world champions Spain in a penalty shootout in Basel.

All the latest Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A deals and a club-by-club guide

• Women’s transfers summer 2025: all the moves

Every deal in the NWSL, WSL, Liga F, Frauen-Bundesliga, Première Ligue and Serie A Femminile as well as a club-by-club guide

• Men’s transfers summer 2025: all the moves

• Owner fails to provide league with financial reassurances

• MP expresses concerns over ‘real risk’ to club’s existence

Morecambe have been suspended from the National League with immediate effect as concern mounts regarding the future of the 105-year-old club.

Jason Whittingham, Morecambe’s controversial owner, had been given until noon on Monday to outline how the club would meet their financial obligations for the 2025-26 season after talks with the National League last week.

• Argentine giants enduring worst-ever run of form

• Miljevic appeared with USMNT in January friendlies

Boca Juniors endured their worst-ever run of form as they extended their winless streak to 11 games across all competitions after a 1-0 loss at Huracan on Sunday, courtesy of Matko Miljevic’s second-half goal.

Miljevic, who played for the US in January’s friendlies, struck brilliantly from outside the box to doom Boca, one of the giants of Argentine soccer.

• Colombian keen on move before flying out for medical

• Arne Slot not looking to replace defender Jarell Quansah

Liverpool have agreed to sell Luis Díaz to Bayern Munich in a deal worth up to €75m (£65.5m). The Colombian, 28, is poised to fly from Liverpool’s training camp in Tokyo, having been given permission to travel for a medical with the German champions.

Bayern had made Díaz a long-term target and were forced to pay what the English champions demanded as fair market value. Díaz was keen for the move, having first indicated in the summer of 2024 he was open to a transfer. Liverpool reluctantly decided to sell the popular player as part of a summer reboot of their forward line, having twice offered a new contract to a player who arrived from Porto in January 2022.

• Director Gurinder Chadha OBE has plan to revive story

• Emma Hayes to work as a collaborator on the film

More than two decades after the release of Bend It Like Beckham, writer and director Gurinder Chadha OBE has announced she is planning to revive the hugely popular story.

On the eve of the final of the 2025 Euros, where the Lionesses will try to defend their crown against Spain in Basel on Sunday, Chadha has spoken of plans for a follow up to the film that starred Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. What format it takes, whether a sequel to the feature film, series or alternative, will be decided in due course.

• Morocco 2-3 Nigeria

• Echegini scores winner as Nigeria hit back from two down

Nigeria staged a remarkable fightback from two goals down to beat hosts Morocco 3-2 and win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday.

It was a record-extending 10th triumph for Nigeria, confirming their status as the most successful women’s team in Africa. Esther Okoronkwo and Folashade Ijamilusi led the fightback at Rabat’s Stade Olympique before the substitute Jennifer Echegini swept home an 88th-minute winner.

After years spent in striker-less formations, the Premier League’s top teams are seemingly all set to rely on a big body (or two) up top

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It’s only been a decade since it seemed the center-forward was being refined out of existence. Spain had won Euro 2012 with Cesc Fàbregas as a false nine, and Germany, who largely took Spain as a model, were less than convinced they needed one at the 2014 World Cup. They fielded Thomas Müller as a false-ish nine until the quarter-final, when Jögi Löw finally went back to basics and turned to Miroslav Klose. That he was 36 only seemed to confirm that the old-fashioned No 9 was an old-fashioned phenomenon – a dying breed. Yet this summer, the main interest in the transfer market has been the carousel of strikers.

Of course, strikers never entirely disappeared. The four leading scorers in the Premier League in 2014–15 were Sergio Agüero, Harry Kane, Diego Costa and Charlie Austin. Mauri Icardi and Luca Toni topped the charts in Italy, while Cristiano Ronaldo, his conversion to A No 9 complete, was top scorer in Spain (although that he was followed by Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, and Neymar suggested a greater variety of goalscorer there).

Opponents from the striker’s time in Portugal on how they attempted to contain Arsenal’s new signing

Stopping Viktor Gyökeres was arguably the greatest challenge in Portuguese football over the past two seasons. Every time the new Arsenal striker stepped on to the pitch, defenders, goalkeepers and managers braced for 90 relentless minutes. Across his two years at Sporting, he scored 68 goals in 66 league appearances – and added another 29 in other competitions. But what is it really like to face the Swedish forward? And how can Premier League teams hope to contain him?

For Kewin Silva, the name stirs up difficult memories. In April, the then Moreirense goalkeeper was forced to fish the ball out of his net three times during one of Gyökeres’s standout performances for Sporting. Earlier in the season, the modest northern club had stunned the Lisbon giants with a 2–1 home win. Gyökeres did score from the penalty spot that day, but Moreirense’s defence managed to keep him quiet otherwise. In the return fixture, however, with the title race intensifying, nothing could stop him.

Uefa’s director of women’s football says 16-team Euro 2025 has been a success even without making a profit

“It really makes me emotional, it’s just something we didn’t have in my time,” says Nadine Kessler as she surveys the popularity and sheer scale of a sport whose future she now helps shape. Uefa’s director of women’s football was a brilliant player before retiring nine years ago after 11 surgeries on a knee; she was world footballer of the year in 2014 and, having won the European Championship with Germany a year previously, knows what it takes to dominate a continent.

Staging an entire tournament is a different matter, although one she has become accustomed to since joining the governing body in 2017. “I need to throw my to-do list out of the window,” she says before sitting down at Uefa’s designated hotel in Basel to survey the reverberations of a record-breaking Euro 2025 before the final. “It’s like my craziest match-day,” she says. “But it’s incredible.”

It is not just Germany these days … countries like Italy, Switzerland and Poland are finding their feet in women’s game

A documentary is currently being broadcast on German TV. In it, former players talk about how they were prevented from playing football – by the association, their parents and society. Listening to the pioneers of our sport made me realise even more how privileged I had been. I received support from all sides throughout my career.

Women have been playing football for generations but, because it was made difficult or even forbidden in many countries, the level of performance struggled to evolve for a long time. That has changed, as the Euros in Switzerland has shown once again. It offers great sport and exciting entertainment.

With a fresh influx of talent joining the Premier League from the German top flight this summer, we examine the fortunes of those who made the switch

Liverpool have paid Eintracht Frankfurt an initial £69m to make Hugo Ekitiké their third summer buy from the Bundesliga, after the club record signing Florian Wirtz and right-back Jeremie Frimpong joined from Bayer Leverkusen. Leeds have also brought in three players from Germany’s top flight – Anton Stach, Sebastiaan Bornauw and Lukas Nmecha – and Jamie Gittens, who has moved to Chelsea, is among others who have made that journey in this transfer window. Here we look at 10 notable Premier League signings from the Bundesliga and how they fared.

United have lacked bite in the centre of the pitch for years and Ruben Amorim must prioritise this area to revive the side

The way we discuss football has changed a lot in recent times, tactics and data to the fore. Nevertheless, there remain some simple, simplifying truths that, when delivered by someone with elite-level experience, must be taken seriously. So, when Graeme Souness reminds us that “the team that gets to the ball first wins”, we should pay just as much attention as when hearing about hybrid pressing, on-ball value and chance-creating actions.

The players most obliged to reach that ball first are, like Souness, central midfielders. And, though there are operative off-pitch factors, the longstanding absence of players able to do that is a significant reason why Manchester United have been so poor for so long.

South Korea match will revive bitter memories of 2022 exit as Australia seek to find the right blend before next March

As Tameka Yallop unfurled the purple scroll revealing the Matildas’ final group-stage opponent for next year’s Asian Cup, whispers rustled across the Sydney Town Hall crowd.

South Korea. The same team that had knocked them out of the quarter-final of this tournament almost four years ago. The game that plunged Australian football fans and media into despair.

Tournament hosts Australia will avoid AFC heavyweights Japan and North Korea in the group stage but other tricky opponents await

Australia have begun a new era under head coach Joe Montemurro but are about to find out that life comes at you fast with the much-celebrated 2023 Women’s World Cup a distant memory and the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup now just seven months away. The continental tournament will be the second football showpiece on home soil in less than three years with the Matildas under pressure to build on the glorious heights of their semi-final run two years ago.

Montemurro has a short runway to prepare for the tournament after taking the reins of the national side in June and immediately casting an eye toward the longer-term as much as the near future. But the focus will turn firmly back on the Asian Cup with the draw to decide the group stage and match-ups taking place on Tuesday evening.

• Messi, Alba miss All-Star Game without league OK

• MLS suspends both for Inter Miami’s next match

• Garber says policy review may come after decision

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami teammate Jordi Alba have been suspended from their next club match after missing Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game against Mexico’s Liga MX.

Messi’s club coach Javier Mascherano told reporters on Friday the Argentinian World Cup winner had sat out the showpiece due to fatigue, while Alba is believed to have sustained a knock in their previous MLS fixture.

A summary of the report obtained by the Guardian found no specific issue with how the club handled a report of abuse but improvements could have been made

An investigation commissioned by the National Women’s Soccer League found that the San Diego Wave front office “could have done more” to address a sexual assault allegation from a member of the club’s staff, but ultimately found no specific issue with how the claim was handled because the alleged victim did not use the term “sexual” when describing her experience.

The finding is contained in a report summarizing the investigation, which had not previously been made public but was obtained by the Guardian US.

Even now, some want to downplay last night’s historic win, but the facts are plain. We yearn to be the best: palpably, our women are doing that

It felt like deja vu when Chloe Kelly smashed the ball into the back of the net, winning the game for the Lionesses and signalling the end of the Women’s Euro 2025 final. England beat Spain after a tense penalty shootout. The word of the tournament was “resilience”, declared presenter Gabby Logan after the game. It is hard to argue with that.

It was as though the team had written a list of milestones they were ticking off as the tournament progressed. They are the first English senior team to defend their title, and the first to win a major tournament on foreign soil. Their coach, Sarina Wiegman, simply said: “A team is what we really are. We can win by any means.”

Ava Vidal is a standup comedian based in London and patron of the charity Show Racism the Red Card

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Few noticed the Lionesses taking a stand when they didn’t kneel. Tackling racism is much bigger than just football, but there are plenty of active steps fans and clubs can take

Searching for ways to wield power when you ultimately have none is hard. The decision of the Lionesses to use their most powerful tool, their collective profile and voice, which is amplified during a major tournament, to support Jess Carter after her decision to speak out about the racist abuse she has received during the Women’s Euro 2025 was a brave one.

They should be applauded because in their statement and collective action there is an attempt to go beyond condemnation of racism to demanding real change and grappling with what that looks like and how you do it – all while trying to win a second major tournament trophy.

It appears a radical departure by FSG to build so ambitiously from a position of strength, while sending an ominous warning to their rivals

Almost £300m worth of talent added to a squad that cruised to the Premier League title last season and Liverpool may not be spent yet. Whatever they’re smoking in Boston is having an unusual effect on a global fanbase.

Big-spending Liverpool, blowing competitors from Bayern Munich to Newcastle out of the water with their pulling and spending power, may be a strange reality for supporters who not so long ago sang: “The Reds have got no money, but we’ll still win the league.” The chant can be retired now that the first part is demonstrably untrue. It always was.

Jess Carter’s decision to step away from her social media accounts highlighted the vulnerability female footballers face – we must have zero tolerance for these abuses

When the England defender Jess Carter revealed she had been subjected to a barrage of racist abuse on social media during the Uefa European Women’s Championship, it exposed a stark reality: the women’s game is thriving on the pitch but remains deeply vulnerable to discrimination and online abuse off it.

Carter’s decision to step away from her social media accounts highlighted her vulnerability and she received support from England’s head coach, Sarina Wiegman, her teammates and the Football Association. Within hours of her statement, the FA had engaged UK police and begun collaboration with social media companies to trace those responsible – demonstrating an impressively swift and decisive response. In October 2023, the Online Safety Act became law, ensuring social media platforms have a duty to protect users from content such as racist abuse. Platforms have a responsibility to identify and remove harmful content including all forms of hate speech, with Ofcom responsible for enforcing the legislation.

In this month’s limited-time print drop, we’re showcasing work by David Squires, whose cartoons offer a unique take on the world of football – including a brand new coloured cartoon created exclusively for this release. This limited numbered edition is available until 5 August

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David Squires is an Australia-based cartoonist and illustrator best known for his weekly football cartoons in The Guardian in the UK and Australia. David has also had four books published and provides regular cartoons for L’Équipe magazine in France and 11Freunde in Germany. David is uncomfortable about referring to himself in the third person, but will make an exception for the purposes of this format.

Arsenal’s new signing arrives with a reputation for goals but also mystery around his iconic celebration

Every goalscorer needs a trademark celebration and the one Viktor Gyökeres has shown off over the past few years has certainly increased its reach of late – fingers interlocked, thumbs pushed up, a mask formed across his mouth and nose.

As Gyökeres’s transfer from Sporting to Arsenal has edged along, fans of the London club became increasingly desperate for clues. They were convinced they spotted one when the defender Riccardo Calafiori was pictured at their kit launch with the shirt pulled up towards his eyes; mask‑style. And then there was Myles Lewis‑Skelly, another of their defenders, looking at a Gyökeres-to-Arsenal story on his phone and copying the gesture.

The 10-year contract is worth £1bn but it has also opened the door to increase the club’s global profile with other lucrative partnerships

Manchester City had a billion reasons to celebrate the new kit deal with Puma announced last week, yet beyond the bottom line the value of the contract may prove priceless.

The Guardian has learned that the 10-year deal, worth £1bn, contains clauses giving the German sportswear manufacturer options to extend the partnership way beyond that, but most significant to City may be what Puma’s endorsement and huge financial commitment say to independent brands and the Premier League about the club’s value.

Early moves in the market are revealing about the state of the Premier League title contenders and their priorities

The transfer window at this stage is essentially fan fiction. What if Dr Frankenstein had turned up at Pemberley and conducted a waspish romance with Elizabeth Bennet? What if Akela was not just a wolf but a werewolf? What if famous and attractive Tennis Player X were having a fling with famous and attractive Tennis Player Y? And what if Arsenal actually signed a centre-forward?

There hasn’t yet been time for reality to intervene. It’s like the day after the World Cup draw when everything exists in a realm of pure perfection and you can imagine the platonic ideal of each country facing off, unsullied by form, injury or disputes over bonuses.

Pre-season trips to Asia may not be new for English clubs, but they remain a huge global engagement opportunity

Fifty years ago, Arsenal lost 2-0 to Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, with jet-lagged players struggling to deal with frogs bouncing around the Merdeka Stadium pitch as well as the legendary local striker Mokhtar Dahari.

Since then, however, many aspects of Asian tours by English clubs have changed. They have become, mostly, slick affairs. This summer, Arsenal will visit neighbouring Singapore for games against Newcastle and Milan. Then to Hong Kong for an unusual north London derby against a Tottenham team that will also travel to South Korea to face Newcastle. Liverpool visit Japan and Hong Kong just weeks after Manchester United were in action there on a post-season tour, which they finished in Malaysia.

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Given the number of rakes they’d trodden on, Sideshow Bob-style, without sustaining a fatal handle blow to the face, Football Daily fully expected Sunday’s final against Spain to be the match in which an almost supernatural reservoir of good fortune enjoyed by the Lionesses at Euro 2025 finally dried up. Pummelled in their opener against France before stumbling and lurching through the knockout rounds like the world’s most tea-timely football email pinballing its way home off a series of lampposts and trees after a lock-in down our local drinker, England surely couldn’t pull off another smash-and-grab against a team of world champions who can play football to such an ethereal level it often resembles a completely different sport. And while it looked like our prophecy would come to pass after Mariona Caldentey had put the red-hot favourites in front with a bullet header before the break, it was Spain who got the Basel brush-off and Leah Williamson who hoisted the trophy skywards after spot-kicks to prompt a post-match team pogo that reverberated around England before continuing, accompanied by celebratory champagne, cake and karaoke, long into the Swiss night.

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“Winning the transfer window” is common parlance these days, despite its entire premise lacking anything like common sense. Some players come good/go bad quicker/slower than others. But such is the binary nature of football’s unrelenting push towards being a mercantile, rather than sporting pursuit, that Football Daily is all too happy to throw itself into such nonsense. It’s what we’re here for, in all honesty.

I don’t know about Ashley Young running legendary north London boozer the Faltering Fullback (yesterday’s Football Daily). But he could probably get a game. The Fullback will be making its debut in a London vets league this season and players need to be 40 years old/young. Enquire within, Ashley. Training’s in Finsbury Park most some weeks” – Dan Ashley.

I hate to be that person, but I want to avoid the erasure of Grimsby Town’s link with footballing history. Tony Ford didn’t spend the majority of his career in Lancashire (yesterday’s Football Daily), he spent the majority on the banks of the River Humber where the salty air from the mudflats no doubt prolonged his career, allowing him to finish it at Rochdale. Some 444 games in total with two spells at the Mariners, with time spent in Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire and the West Midlands in between” – Mark Gill.

Is everyone still arguing about the north and south of England (Football Daily letters passim)? Thankfully I live in New Zealand, where the north and south are conveniently divided into different islands. If you followed the example of New Zealand, the Solent would be the dividing line, and residents of the Isle of Wight would refer to it as the mainland” – Tim Scanlan.

This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

Two recent shootouts in the women’s Euros show why the dramatic tiebreaker remains a fascinating fixture of soccer

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England’s victory over Sweden at the women’s Euros came after one of the worst penalty shootouts in history (or at least, worst in terms of how many penalties were missed; in terms of drama, it was arguably one of the greatest ever). Of the 14 penalties taken, only five were scored. That led, predictably, to the usual tedious criticism of the women’s game and suggestions that the penalty spot should be moved closer to the goal.

Which is, of course, nonsense. Four of the five penalties that were scored were excellent, hit firmly into the corners, and the other, the kick that turned out to be the winner, was smashed sensibly and without fuss, straight down the middle by Lucy Bronze as the goalkeeper Jennifer Falk dived out of the way. Two nights later, as Germany beat France in a shootout, 12 of the 14 penalties were scored. In the Women’s Super League last season, 90.32% of penalties were converted. Nobody has used those examples to suggest moving the penalty spot further away to give goalkeepers more of a chance.

Having to warm up in cramped rooms with opponents, along with no VAR at the group stage, shows just how much needs to be done before the 2027 World Cup in Brazil

In Europe the summer has been marked by record attendances, a smooth operation and some outstanding performances at Euro 2025. But the picture from the 2025 Copa América Feminina, played in the South American winter, is less rosy with criticism from players, coaches, fans and media regarding the poor organisation, low attendances and questionable refereeing.

With the fiasco of the Copa Libertadores Feminina last October, another tournament blighted by organisational problems, fresh in memory the hope was that Conmebol would raise their game for this year’s Copa América in Ecuador. However, the tournament feels years behind its European rival and that is worrying in the extreme as the continent prepares to host its first Women’s World Cup, in Brazil in 2027.

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Today’s rumours are upside down

Gianluigi Donnarumma would be most people’s pick as the best goalkeeper in the world, playing for the best team in the world (not now, Chelsea fans), the Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain. So while the French club’s decision to sign a new goalkeeper – and a very good goalkeeper in Lucas Chevalier from Lille – is an eyebrow-raising one, it simply felt like an expensive exercise in keeping Donnarumma on his toes. Imagine the Mill’s surprise that Donnarumma is now being linked with an exit from PSG … to Manchester United! Just why an elite keeper would want to join a team that finished 15th in the Premier League, is not playing in Europe and has no serious ambition for a league title is beyond comprehension, particularly as the usual answer is money. Donnarumma already earns €12m per year after tax, and United have spent the last couple of years pleading poverty. But L’Équipe seem fairly convinced of the rumours and we are just here to translate.

Borussia Dortmund are light on wingers after Jamie Gittens left for Chelsea and Jadon Sancho has again been mooted as a potential replacement. The Englishman has twice signed for the German club – most recently on loan in January last year – and the 25-year-old could complete a permanent switch with Manchester United asking for just £20m. Any deal would be dependent on Sancho taking a substantial pay cut.

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, John Brewin and Mark Langdon as Liverpool look to sign Alexander Isak, while the panel answer your questions from the pre-season mailbag

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On the podcast today: Luis Díaz out, Alexander Isak possibly in at Liverpool. They are close to ‘winning’ the window, but will that make them favourites to win some of the actual silverware on offer this season?

Faye Carruthers is joined by Suzy Wrack and Sophie Downey to break down Sunday’s Euro 2025 final in Basel

On the podcast today: After three weeks of drama, 30 matches and 104 goals, it all boils down to England v Spain in the Euro 2025 final. The Lionesses overcame the “group of death” and two nerve-shredding knockout games, while Spain have combined flair with resilience to reach their first-ever women’s Euros final.

The panel examines how both sides have developed since their World Cup final clash two years ago, the key tactical battles that could determine the match, and whether Sarina Wiegman’s England can embrace the underdog role. Plus, how will the Lionesses cope with injuries, and can Spain’s midfield prowess unlock another trophy?

Plus: most champions-in-waiting beaten en route to Champions League glory and the hottest English match on record

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“Arsenal have signed a new keeper, Kepa,” noted John Marsden last week. “Are there any other examples of players with a name so similar to their position?”

While we can’t find a player named Left Back, there is a former Anderlecht defender by the name of Mark De Man (which, admittedly, is an on-pitch instruction not a role). The Belgium international earned five caps for his country and retired in 2012 with a spell at third-division KSK Hasselt, having rejected the chance to make the move to Kilmarnock. “I have two children and my wife has a good job. I did not want to move to Scotland on my own,” said De Man.

Best players, best managers, best matches, best goals, biggest flops and biggest gripes: our writers have their say

Mohamed Salah. The numbers don’t lie – 47 goal contributions in the Premier League was an outstanding return from the Egyptian, who seems to be getting better with age. Ed Aarons

Arne Slot’s first season could not have gone any better while Wolves fans drank to Vítor Pereira’s arrival

By winning the league, the Dutchman surprised pretty much everyone. He faced the daunting task of succeeding Jürgen Klopp and inherited the German’s squad, adding only Federico Chiesa, who barely kicked a ball in anger. Not much changed from the previous year, except Ryan Gravenberch became the designated defensive midfielder as Slot’s Liverpool looked to get on the ball as much as possible. Slot was never going to be a personality who generated headlines like Klopp did, keeping his cards close to his chest, but he always comes across as someone who is very personable and has brought the players closer together. Slot made Liverpool an efficient winning machine – rarely thrashing teams, often winning by the odd goal or two – and that allowed them to race to a second Premier League title. No one could compete with the Reds, which was partly down to rivals dropping their standards but most of it can be attributed to the fact Slot made his team superior.

Managers, teams and players who have disappointed over the campaign – including the reigning footballer of the year

Ruben Amorim’s average points tally of a point per league game since arriving at Manchester United in early November puts him just above Malky Mackay’s record at Cardiff and Paul Jewell’s Premier League record with Bradford, Wigan and Derby. While Sporting won the Primeira Liga title without Amorim, United have fallen down the table to 15th since the Portuguese took the reins from the interim coach, Ruud van Nistelrooy. Much of the ire towards United has been directed at the owners but on the pitch Amorim has failed to adapt his squad of expensive, experienced internationals into anything approaching a cohesive unit. The Europa League final defeat by Tottenham showed how much work is left to do.