مدير عام كرة القدم
- Lionesses invited to special reception
- Euro 2025 triumph formally celebrated
- UK prime minister not actually present
On Monday evening, having flown back home from Switzerland, the Lionesses arrived at 10 Downing Street to acknowledge and celebrate their achievement by successfully retaining the European Championship title they originally won in 2022. The building had been specially decorated, with England flags draped across the windows to greet the “history makers”.
With prime minister Sir Keir Starmer meeting US president Donald Trump 400 miles away in Scotland, deputy PM Angela Rayner was the one who warmly received Sarina Wiegman and the England squad. Of the players, only defender Jess Carter was not present for the event, having immediately returned to America to link back up with club side NJ/NY Gotham.
Addressing the squad, Rayner said: “The Prime Minister is disappointed that he can’t be here, but like the rest of us he was cheering you on. You’ve made us all so, so proud. Role models like you send such a powerful message. The Lionesses are a shining example of talent and excitement for women’s football.”
“You don’t come to Downing Street normally and how they [decorated] it like this is very special, to be able to go inside but also into the garden, it was really nice,” Wiegman told reporters. “They put up some pictures of us that showed what we had done in the Euros. It was lovely and a very warm welcome.”
On Tuesday, from 12.10pm, the Lionesses will parade through central London, first on an open top bus along The Mall, followed by a staged ceremony in front of Buckingham Palace. Television coverage will be broadcast nationally for those not able to make it to the capital across BBC, ITV and Sky platforms, as well as globally on England’s social media channels.
