England Lionesses return home after partying until 4am to celebrate Euro 2025 win

England are bringing football home again as the Lionesses begin their journey back from Euro 2025 with the trophy in hand. Sarina Wiegman's side made history by becoming the first senior England team in the men's or women's game to win a major tournament on foreign soil, and the first to successfully defend a title following their Euros triumph in 2022.

The Lionesses did it the hard way, too, coming from behind in all three of their knockout matches. They were the comeback queens in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and Sunday's emotionally draining final against Spain.

England were 1-0 down at half-time against the world champions following Mariona Caldentey's well-taken header. But Alessia Russo emphatically replied with a header of her own soon after the break to draw Wiegman's team level in Basel, Switzerland.

After a tense ending to the 90 minutes, the Lionesses had to dig in during extra-time and take the game to penalties. Hannah Hampton's goalkeeping heroics allowed Chloe Kelly to once again score the decisive spot-kick and get the party started.

READ MORE: Lionesses star Ella Toone's heartbreaking inspiration for Euro 2025 glory

READ MORE: Inside England Lionesses' 4am afterparty celebrations: Pizza, champagne and karaoke

England's players and staff partied long into the night, with some staying out until 4am. Champagne was gleefully guzzled until the early hours and the players had a go on karaoke.

Now the Lionesses have left their team hotel in Zurich and are heading back to London ahead of Tuesday's parade. They were also accompanied by an animal companion, Reggie the Cavapoo, a dog owned by Cheals on Wheels who joined the squad in Switzerland during their campaign.

Who was your Player of the Tournament? Let us know your pick in the comments section.

The open-top bus procession along the Mall will start at 12.10pm on Tuesday. There'll then be a staged ceremony at the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace.

Lisa Nandy, the secretary of state for culture, media and sport, said: "The Lionesses' incredible win has done our country proud. Now, we have the chance to cheer these heroes home at their homecoming parade."

Fans can attend the parade for free but it'll be broadcast live on the BBC, ITV and Sky. Prime Minister Keir Starmer congratulated the team on X, saying: "Champions! Congratulations Lionesses - what a team. What a game. What drama. You dug deep when it mattered most and you've made the nation proud. History makers."

King Charles also sent his 'heartfelt congratulations'. "For more years than I care to remember, England fans have sung that famous chant 'football's coming home'," the King added.

"As you return home with the trophy you won at Wembley three years ago, it is a source of great pride that through sporting skill and awesome teamwork, the Lionesses have made those words ring true."

Chief executive of the FA, Mark Bullingham, added: "Our history-making Lionesses are Champions of Europe for the second successive time, and have become the first England Senior team in history to win a tournament overseas.

"We are so proud of all of the players, Sarina and the support team who have all been part of this incredible achievement. They have all worked unbelievably hard and we know the nation shares our pride.

"The victory celebration in London on Tuesday will give England fans an opportunity to celebrate with the players, and be part of history. We've had amazing support from our fans both in Switzerland and at home throughout the tournament, and we look forward to celebrating together and creating some lifelong memories."

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.