The Lionesses have been greeted by cheering crowds after landing at Southend airport, with fans eager to give the squad a triumphant homecoming after their Euro 2025 victory.
The team arrived back in the UK on Monday afternoon after defending their title in a penalty shootout win over Spain in Basel on Sunday. Many supporters had dressed for the Lionesses’ return, wearing England kits and holding flags.
Cheers erupted at the Essex airport as the plane approached the runway and again as the team emerged from the airport to walk along a red carpet waving at fans.
The team’s captain, Leah Williamson, led the squad out of the private terminal just before 5pm, carrying the trophy. Among the fans were the twins Poppy and Daisy Macdonald, 11, from Benfleet, Essex, who were holding a sign asking for a photo with the star striker Alessia Russo.
Poppy said: “We’re so proud. They’ve won it two times in a row and they’ve worked so hard for it. They’ve had a lot of injuries and setbacks but they’ve done really well.”
Daisy admitted she struggled to watch the penalty shootout. “I couldn’t watch, I was very nervous, but very happy that they won,” she said.
The players attended a celebratory reception at Downing Street, hosted by the deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, and the sports minister, Stephanie Peacock.
No 10 was decorated for the occasion, with St George’s flags draped over windows and bunting along the railings. Welcoming the team, Rayner called it a “historic day for English football, for women’s sport – and for the country”.
“The Lionesses have brought it home again,” she said. “With grit, and with determination and skill, you roared. And I know I wasn’t the only one roaring with you.
“You’ve made us all so, so, proud. Your performances have inspired the nation and lifted women’s football to new heights … Role models like you send such a powerful message. The Lionesses are a shining example of a talent and excitement of women’s football.
“This win is a brilliant advert for the sport and will inspire thousands of girls to dream big,” she added. “The next generation of Lionesses are out there now – playing in schools, parks, and grassroots clubs.”
“It was amazing. I just burst out crying just in pure emotion,” said one fan waiting outside the black gates in front of Downing Street. “Just that little girl inside of me watching football when I was younger and seeing how far the game has grown since then, it all just kind of got to me.”
Another fan waiting to get a peek of the team had only just come back from Switzerland to watch the team romp to the final. Izzy said seeing the players arrive at Downing Street was an opportunity that could not be missed.
“For me there wasn’t really a doubt that they were going to win, but it was still really stressful,” said the 30-year-old, who asked not to share her surname after calling in sick to work to celebrate the Lionesses’ victory.
As a former player herself, she travelled to London alone and is staying in the capital for Tuesday’s open-top bus tour. She said the growth in support since the team’s 2022 win was evident by having to queue online for tickets to watch Sunday’s match at a London screening.
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“That wouldn’t have happened a few years ago,” she said. “It’s great to see everyone supporting them.”
Despite some players being lined up for MBEs after the victory, and congratulations from Keir Starmer and King Charles, it is understood that Downing Street has no plans for a bank holiday to mark the Lionesses’ triumph.
“If we had a bank holiday every time the Lionesses win, [we] would never go to work,” the Starmer’s spokesperson said on Monday, as the prime minister met the US president, Donald Trump, in Scotland.
After the Downing Street reception, Labour announced plans to more than double grassroots playing slots for women and girls across England over the next five years.
“Today we’re taking decisive action to ensure that the incredible success of the Lionesses creates a lasting legacy for women and girls in sport,” said the culture, media and sport secretary, Lisa Nandy, who attended Sunday’s final in Basel.
“This isn’t just about celebrating today’s achievements – it’s about building the foundations through our plan for change by removing barriers to participation.”
Williamson had been seen earlier on Monday smiling and holding the trophy as the team left their hotel in Zurich and began their journey home in the rain. Other team members, wearing their medals, smiled as they high-fived supporters waiting outside the building and signed autographs.
The team will take part in an open-top bus procession along the Mall and a ceremony in front of Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
A trip to Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle may be on the cards for the winning squad in the autumn. Royal aides are understood to be exploring the possibility of a reception.
