England's Women's Euro win ushers in new period of unpredictability as countdown to 2027 World Cup begins

England beat Spain in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw on Sunday, winning their second consecutive Women's Euro

As 16 of Europe's best national teams began to convene a month ago in Switzerland, it was hard not to envision Spain collecting winners' medals in Basel as the Women's Euro came to a close. Two years removed from their statement-making Women's World Cup win, they remained one of the world's best teams thanks to the collective of elite attacking talent they boast and the entertaining style of play that has led both Spain's men's and women's teams to success. Their spot in Sunday's Women's Euro, the first time La Roja had gotten that far in the competition's history, was no surprise, and neither was the fact that Mariona Caldentey gave them the lead 25 minutes in.

Spain's coronation, though, never came.

Instead, in a dramatic finale to the Women's Euro, the champs were England, who benefited from Alessia Russo's 57th equalizer and two saves from Hannah Hampton in a penalty shootout to win back-to-back titles. The Lionesses may have been the reigning champions, but on Sunday, they played the role of plucky underdogs perfectly by ceding possession to Spain and carving out their opportunities whenever they could. Conceding in the first half was no bother for England, who fell behind in four of their six games at the Euro and only held the lead for four minutes and 52 seconds in the knockout stage. The champions also took zero shots in 30 minutes of extra time, waiting it out for a penalty shootout that ultimately benefited them, even if they missed two spot kicks of their own.