It was a scrappy goal befitting a brilliantly scrappy final, but Chloe Kelly didn't care, as she forced the ball over the line in extra-time to make history for England at Wembley.

For the hosts, it's a first ever major honor in women's football – and indeed the country's first ever senior European title in any form of the game. But they were forced all the way by a resilient Germany team, who were deprived of injured captain and taliswoman Alexandra Popp in the warmup.

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After a physical first half ended goalless, Ella Toone gave England the lead with a moment of beauty, neatly chipping the ball over German goalkeeper Merle Frohm. But Germany equalized through Lina Magull to take the final to extra-time, where England slowly took the upper hand. And when the German defense failed to clear the ball, Kelly was on hand to stab home and make history.

Physical final

England coach Sarina Wiegman said before the game she expected Germany to be "a little physical" and she was soon proven right, with fourteen fouls and three yellow cards in the first half alone. Midfielder Lena Oberdorf, the tournament’s standout young player, announced her presence to Fran Kirby in the second minute. She then roughed up Rachel Daly a few minutes later before teaming up with midfield partner Sara Däbritz to send Fran Kirby and Georgia Stanway sprawling.

England responded in kind, striker Ellen White clattering into Merle Frohms, as both teams recorded their lowest pass completion ratios in the tournament, disrupting each other's rhythm in a nevertheless entertaining encounter in front of a record 87,192 attendance.

Toone puts England ahead, Magull hits back

When the deadlock was finally broken, however, it was a thing of beauty. Manchester United's Toone had only been on the pitch for seven minutes when she ran onto Keira Walsh's long pass, sprinted away from defender Kathrin Hendrich and beat advancing goalkeeper Merle Frohm with a perfectly executed lob.

It was a finish worthy of winning any final, and looked like doing so up until the final ten minutes. Magull had already come close to equalzing for Germany, crashing a shot against the woodwork. But Martina Voss-Tecklenburg's side kept pressing, Giulia Gwinn sending a cross across the box which Lohmann couldn't quite connect with.

But when Tabea Wassmuth did the same a few minutes later, Magull was on hand to finish at the near post and take the game to extra-time, where Kelly's ultimately made the difference - and history for England.

Author Matt Ford

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How past sacrifices – and money – put England's new generation on the cusp of a first major title

England's women's side has never won a world or European crown. But the current squad, forged in a fiercely competitive league and standing on the shoulders of legendary predecessors, is ready to take the next step.

After failing to reach the final at their last five major tournaments, England once again have a trophy to play for. 386 days after the country's men lost a European final at Wembley, England's women will step out onto the same pitch and attempt to go one better against Germany. The country has never won a continental title, but the current generation are hungry to change that, and they have the ability to do so.

So, how did England's women make it back to the top of European football?

For veteran midfielder Jill Scott, the quality of England's Women's Super League (WSL) is a decisive factor. "I think we have the best league in the world," she told DW at a press conference. "In the past, you'd play club football but then the jump to international level was so big ... [Now] when we go away with England we're already at that level."

Women's Super League

The WSL was established in 2010 but received a huge boost in 2019 when it signed a three-year sponsorship deal with British bank Barclays, reportedly worth in excess of £10 million (€12m, $12.1m). At the time, the English Football Association (FA), which operates the league, described the deal as "the biggest ever investment in UK women's sport by a brand."

In March 2021, a new record-breaking broadcast rights deal with Sky Sports and the BBC secured an additional £8 million per season, and marked the first time that the women's TV rights had been sold separately from the men's. The boost in financial power has seen England become a choice destination for global stars, with the launch of women's sides by some of the country's top men's clubs, including Manchester City and Manchester United, further enhancing the profile of the competition.

Not every team is packed with international talent, but at least the top of the league, Scott's comments certainly ring true. With most members of the national team playing their club football in England, they must prove themselves against some of the best players in the world on a regular basis. Take the last WSL clash between the league's top two teams from last season as an example.

England captain Leah Williamson, playing for Arsenal, had to hold off a Chelsea team featuring Australia's record goalscorer Sam Kerr, Denmark star Pernille Harder and Norway forward Guro Reiten. At the other end, Williamson's centre-back partner for the national team, Millie Bright, had a task every bit as difficult: keeping out an attack of Netherlands ace Vivianne Miedema, Swedenstriker Stina Blackstenius and Australia's Caitlin Foord.

'I couldn't be part-time, never mind full-time'

Having this level of competition on a weekly basis has helped England's players push on to the next level. But the team is also treading a path that was cleared for them by previous generations, who received far less adulation than the current squad enjoys. 

"Without the commitment and dedication of those players before, we wouldn't be able to carry that on now," Scott told DW earlier this year. At 35, Scott is the elder stateswoman of the squad, and she recalls how much has changed even in the span of her own career. "Back in the day we had to do a lot of sessions on our own," she recalled. "We had to go to the park, take our own cones and a football, and probably dodge a few dogs that were walking through the park." 

That state of affairs remains common today in women's football. Even at this tournament, the Belgium side that shocked everyone by reaching the quarterfinals was comprised mostly of players who are not yet fully professional. In England, that situation has changed dramatically in the last decade. 

"When I started out, I wasn't in a position to be part-time, never mind full-time," said Scott. "So to have seen the journey that has gone on, and now seeing 17 and 18-year-olds signing full-time contracts, it's very pleasing."

Sacrifices of previous generations

Scott made her international debut in 2006, coming on as a substitute to replace legendary forward Kelly Smith. As a child, Smith was the top scorer of her local boys' team, until opposition parents objected to the presence of a girl on the pitch, and she was forced to leave the club. Her long-time international team mate Fara Williams, still England's most-capped player, was homeless throughout the early years of her career. 

Now England's top talents, such as midfielder Georgia Stanway, are taking advantage of the opportunities created by the perseverance of players like Smith and Williams. "The fact that we can play our sport, we can live out our dream, we can play football every single day, and see that as a job, I think that's massive," Stanway said ahead of the final.

'It's just football'

And while there is still a huge financial disparity in comparison to men's football – the Premier League's next broadcast deal for the period 2022-25 is set to surpass £10 billion (€12bn, $12.1bn), according to The Times – the situation has changed so much that Stanway feels bullish not only about the years to come, but about the present day.

"We need to stop talking about how big women's football is getting, and talk about how big it is," she said at a press conference. "It’s not necessarily male players' names on the back [of shirts] anymore; it's female players. And I think that's the step that we're taking, that it's not just women's football and men's football, it's just football."

This is the third time England's women have reached a European final; they lost to Sweden in 1984 and Germanyin 2009. Having bested one of those sides in the semifinals, England must now vanquish the other. Victory on Sunday night at Wembley would mean a great deal for the future of women's football in England, but just as importantly, it would be the ultimate vindication of the sacrifices made by previous generations.

Edited by Matt Ford

Author Oliver Moody     

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