The Lionesses made history last night, winning their second Euros final and becoming the first ever England team to win a major tournament on foreign soil.
The magnitude of this achievement can’t be ignored. The win was unprecedented, nail-bitingly tense, and almost completely unbelievable, given that they lost their first match of the tournament to France 2-1.
But the heart, spirit and soul of the team shone through over the tournament, teaching the nation the undeniable power of grit, determination, and resilience, and above all else, the importance of never, ever giving up.
Alongside Alessia Russo’s equalising 57th-minute goal, Hannah Hampton’s game-saving goalkeeping and penalty saves, Chloe Kelly’s hop, jump, and smash-it-in-the-back-of-the-net winning penalty, the entire squad rallied to make history.
The stats highlight what an impact the team are having, too, with the match last night drawing in a peak live audience of 16.2 million people and becoming the most watched television moment of 2025.
Yet while the current team seems unstoppable under the leadership of captain Sarina Wiegman, who’s won the last three Euros finals (two for England and one for the Netherlands), the reaction to the win hasn’t been all positive.
The Lionesses achieved the unimaginable – but as ever with women’s sport, there’s hatred among the euphoria
Scrolling my Instagram feed this morning, I’m inundated with posts celebrating our victory. Fans heap praise on Lucy Bronze for her grit (she announced in a post-match interview last night that she’d played with a fractured tibia for much of the tournament), Chloe Kelly for her seemingly unflappable poise, and Michelle Agyemang for the undeniable speed and skill that won her Young Player of the Tournament at just 19 years old.
But sadly – and what feels like as ever with women’s sport – there’s hatred among the euphoria.
One particular vitriolic message was aired on LBC Radio. In a now-viral clip, a caller named Graham calls in to question why women’s football is being “rammed down our throats,” while presenter Henry Riley appears visibly shocked.
“I can’t watch women’s football,” Graham states. “Blokes who are football-minded are sick and tired of having women’s football thrown down our throats.”
“When you turn on the telly, there are always women. It’s totally different to men’s football – a decent Sunday men’s football team would beat the women’s football team,” he continues.
He rounds off his argument by going on to criticise female commentators, too, sharing that he “can’t listen to [their] voice[s]” and that “they shouldn’t be in the men’s game – end of.”
He also claimed that if women’s football had its own channel, “no one [would] watch it.”
“They shouldn’t be in the men’s game – end of.”
Sadly, a quick Google led to the discovery of similar comments on forums including Mumsnet, with one anonymous user posting: “Women’s football….leading headline BBC news….why? Cos very few people actually care. Let’s be honest. The BBC feels the need to have this as a major headline for woke reasons. The reality is few people give a sh*t….”.
Instagram users were quick to share their disagreement with Graham’s disparaging comments, with many pointing out that his claims are factually incorrect and one poignantly sharing: “You, my friend, have an issue with women … not women’s football.”
But let’s look at the facts.
He claims no one would watch women’s football, yet 16.2 million tuned in to watch the Lionesses last night, smashing previous viewership records.
He claims that women’s football is rammed down our throats, yet figures prove that male footballers dominate media coverage, receiving more airtime and article mentions than their female counterparts. One study by the University of Cambridge found that men are referenced almost three times more often than women in sports-related content, with another report by the Equal Media and Culture Centre revealing that men’s football receives 28 times more coverage than women’s football.
And he claims that a decent Sunday men’s football team would beat the women’s football team. Chloe Kelly’s winning penalty against Spain was clocked at 110km/h – faster than the most powerful shot in the men’s Premier League last season by Alexander Isak. Need I add that the women’s team has won two consecutive Euros finals when the men’s team never has?
Opinions rooted in misogyny and malice need to be challenged
While everyone is entitled to an opinion, belittling and factually incorrect claims like Graham’s are damaging. I’m reluctant to give him any airtime, but opinions rooted in misogyny and malice need to be challenged. It begs the question: how much success would the women’s team need to see to be accepted or, god forbid, celebrated? Or is it their unprecedented success and ability to achieve what the men’s team has never achieved that’s driving the root cause of the hatred?
The England men’s team haven’t won a tournament since 1966. And yet the women’s team have made it to the final of their last three major tournaments, winning two. They’re reshaping the game as we know it, encouraging young girls all around the world to embrace movement and follow their dreams, and sparking joy, camaraderie, and motivation, while they’re at it.
Opinions like Graham’s and people’s insistence on sharing such negativity and hatred online not only divide people but also discourage young girls from embracing sport. Take this poll from Kick It Out, where 52% of people shared that online sexism is putting girls off from engaging with football.
Trolling and online hatred sadly seem to be part and parcel of being a professional female athlete in 2025 – but it shouldn’t be.
If you don’t like watching, turn it off.
If you feel the need to post negatively, think about the impact of your actions.
And if you think that the men’s team are “better”, do your research.
The Lionesses have achieved the unimaginable. Let’s give them the good grace of treating them like the heroes they are.