England’s Euro 2022 final against Germany at Wembley set a new record of 87,192 for the highest attended match at either a men’s or women’s European Championship on Sunday.
England won a major tournament for the first time as Chloe Kelly’s extra-time goal secured a 2-1 victory over Germany.
Attendances across the tournament in England have more than doubled compared to the last women’s European Championship five years ago.
The Lionesses 1-0 win over Austria to open the tournament in front of 69,000 at Old Trafford smashed the previous record for a women’s Euro match of 41,000.
The highest attendance at a men’s European Championship match was the 79,115 who watched Spain beat the Soviet Union in the 1964 final.
England looked set for victory in the 90 minutes when substitute Ella Toone’s sublime chip over Merle Frohms put the hosts in front.
Germany showed remarkable resilience to bounce back as Lina Magull levelled 11 minutes from time.
But for once, England were not to be denied a major tournament success.
Kelly fought back from an anterior cruciate ligament tear to be fit in time for the tournament and made herself a national hero by being in the right place to pounce when Germany failed to clear a corner in the 110th minute.
The Manchester City winger tore her shirt off in celebration in scenes reminiscent of Mia Hamm’s famous reaction to scoring the winning penalty for the USA at the 1999 World Cup.
Fortune did not favour Germany, who lost captain and top goalscorer Alexandra Popp to a muscle injury in the warm-up.
But England will feel their time for some luck was due as 12 months on from the Three Lions’ defeat on penalties to Italy in the Euro 2020 men’s final, the nation’s women went one better.
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