Euro 2025 Talking Points: Bonmatí genius, England’s luck, too few teams?

The Euro 2025 tournament is down the final two, and it’s a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final as England take on Spain. But both teams struggled through their semifinals to get there.

Defending champions England needed a 96th-minute equalizer and a 118th-minute penalty in extra time to overcome Italy; while Spain also went to extra time against Germany and only progressed thanks to some late magic from Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí.

Emily Keogh, Tom Hamilton, Beth Lindop, Julien Laurens and Sam Marsden have been on the ground at the tournament this summer, so here is their assessment of events in the semifinals.

What caught your eye in the semifinals?

Hamilton: I have no idea what sort of football deity is overseeing England’s run at Euro 2025, but their run of luck is truly ridiculous. They should have been out at least five times against Sweden (most of those in the penalty shootout), and were one minute from elimination against Italy, before the super-subs of Chloe Kelly and Michelle Agyemang took over. Against Italy, Agyemang was the headline act with a 96th-minute equalizer off the bench. She’s just 19 but is a class act: quiet, thoughtful and determined off the pitch; then a dominant, game-changing forward once she gets her chance on it. Sarina Wiegman is aware of the talent England have and will be managing her carefully.

Keogh: The fact that both semis went to extra time — two grueling 120-minute battles — speaks volumes about how well teams executed their tactics. Spain and England, who set up and play in similar ways, found their usual attacking routes neutralized by well-prepared opponents. Teams have clearly studied the finalists, forcing them to find new solutions in tight, tactical matches. That adaptability is part of why Spain and England are champions, but it has come at a cost. The final is set to feature two sides running on empty, especially England. But it highlights a broader shift in international football. The days of cruising to a final are over; teams are evolving, learning, and making every round tough.

Lindop: Despite both England and Spain making it to yet another major tournament final, I don’t think either team have been at their best this summer and that showed in the semifinals. The Lionesses were incredibly fortunate not to go out to Italy, while Spain needed some late Aitana Bonmatí magic to squeeze past Germany in extra time. Still, the fact is that both of these teams know how to dig deep and find a way to win, which should make for a fantastic final.

Laurens: Bonmati’s genius. I know there is nothing new here, but big games belong to big players. She is the best in the world and has been for a while, and she showed why against Germany. Her goal came about from wonderful intelligence, technique and sharpness to beat the goalkeeper at the near post; not many players could have scored it. She produced the assist of the tournament against Switzerland in the quarterfinals and has now marked these Euros with a goal for the ages.

Marsden: For me, Bonmatí’s moment was incredible. But I was once again mightily impressed by Patri Guijarro. What a brilliant, all-round midfielder the Spain player is. Also, I should give some credit to Germany. I was critical of them after the group stage but the resilience and commitment they have shown against France and Spain, doused with some quality from the likes of Klara Bühl and Jule Brand, almost took them to an unlikely final.

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What makes Spain so good and how far can they go over the next few years?

Laurens: More than just the individual talent they have, and the fact most of their starters would be key players for other nations, what makes Spain so special is their collective spirit, style and how they move the ball. They make so many movements and play with fluidity within their 4-3-3 structure. No other team are this good collectively with the ball. The biggest threat from other teams usually comes the wing, but with Spain it comes from everywhere because they can do everything. The average age of the team which started against Germany was 27.8, so they easily have another two-year cycle in them until the 2027 World Cup. Their depth is so good right now.

Marsden: Identity and talent. There has not been another team in the tournament with such a defined philosophy as Spain’s, which is deep-rooted across all their national teams: women and men. The flip side to that is perhaps they’re the side with the least effective Plan B, but Plan A — dominating the ball and waring down the opposition with quick combination play — pays off more often than not because of the quality of the individuals. Like Jules says, this is a team with plenty more to give, too, if you look at how old most of the squad are. The problem after this tournament will be finding a space for the likes of 18-year-old forward Vicky López, because she has shown she’s ready to be a starter.

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Hamilton: It’s their ability to play in a multitude of different ways and shift plans in the blink of an eye. Spain were frustrated against Germany, so the first 20 minutes or so of the match was shadow boxing. They tried something different, were a touch more patient and but for the brilliance of goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, they’d have taken the lead. They have a dab of genius in players like Putellas and Bonmati and it is no fluke. This has been planned ever since they brought in the first female player to the La Masia academy at Barcelona back in 2015 and over the last decade, they’ve managed to nurture this wonderful team.

Keogh: Like others have said, their success is rooted in an identity; one that understands what it takes to be champions. Against Germany, they were frustrated with the low-block defense and could not manufacture chances, but they didn’t panic. They were patient and knew they could catch Germany on the counter. Fortunately for them, their star players are some of the best in the world, so it was understandable that the two-time Ballon d’Or winner was the one to sneak the goal. It is a mark of a team that knows exactly how to win, and this makes them far more dangerous than any other opponent for England in the final.

Lindop: Two words: Aitana Bonmati. Of course, Spain’s squad are stacked with talent but it’s the brilliance of Bonmati that gives them the edge over every other nation. When they were struggling to break Germany down on Wednesday night, it was the two-time Ballon d’Or winner who stepped up to deliver. If they can keep her fit and firing (after she spent time in hospital a few days before the tournament began), they’ll keep believing they can continue their dominance on the international stage.

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How impressed have you been with Italy this tournament?

Hamilton: They’ve been outstanding. The performance they put in against Spain in the group stage would have got a result against any other team in the tournament. Against Norway in the quarterfinal they were so disciplined and patient, and got their tactics spot on. And then against England, they were a minute from the final. They’ve got an ageing squad, but they haven’t lost anything in their legs; 35-year-old matchwinner Cristiana Girelli will get the headlines but Sofia Cantore and Barbara Bonansea have been magnificent, too. You hope this is the starting point for a great Italian resurgence.

Lindop: One of my favorite moments at this tournament came after Italy beat Norway to reach the semifinals and Girelli arrived for her postmatch news conference in tears. It was a poignant reminder of just how far women’s football in Italy has come over the past few years and how hard players like Girelli have had to fight to get to this point. What Andrea Soncin’s side lacked in individual quality, they more than made up for in spirit and tenacity and, with the right nurturing and investment, they could be a force on the rise in the coming years.

Laurens: They have been impressive collectively, of course. You can compensate for having less individual talent by being excellent together, tactically and mentally, and that’s what they have done. But it has its limits too. Against England, they scored a lovely goal but could not really put another similar move together and naturally went back to defending. The next step for this generation would be to develop that side of their game; be more comfortable and braver in possession. They also need younger players to come through, which should happen as the Italian league is getting stronger every season.

Marsden: Reaching the semifinal was a huge step for Italy and it will hopefully be the catalyst for the team’s continued growth in what is a football mad country. However, I’m not getting carried away just yet. They would have expected to beat Portugal and Belgium out of Group B. The win against Norway, and the Girelli narrative, was a nice moment, but came against a side who have flattered deceive in major tournaments for years. They dug in against England and will feel hard done by, but equally it’s hard to say they massively deserved to progress. They’ve shown — as they have done against big teams in the last 18 months — they can compete, but they still have work to do.

Keogh: Every team this tournament, at different points, have looked beatable. Even when a top team took on a lower-ranked team, there were moments when you thought the unthinkable might happen. Questions have been raised about whether the gap is closing in women’s football, and Italy are an example that it is. They have been fun, entertaining, and their devotion to their music has gone down in folklore.

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Do you think the Euros would be a better competition overall if there were more than 16 teams?

Keogh: The gap is closing and it has made for some incredible games, insane comebacks and a lot of late nights, and Euro 2025 has been one of the most exciting tournaments in recent memory. But it has not shrunk enough. Expanding the tournament too quickly would cause a drop in quality and jeopardy. With no disrespect to teams outside Europe’s top 20, the most common teams in the Nations League A groups, the dropoff is steep. While it would be great to get more countries playing tournament football, we aren’t there yet. The calendar constraints of adding even more teams, especially with the World Cup expanding too, has to be addressed first. The players are overworked and exhausted with minimal breaks, adding more teams adds at least a few days, if not a week, to an already jampacked summer. It’s something we cannot afford to do yet, until players get the rest they are crying out for.

Laurens: I would not want more teams; Euro 2025 has shown that it’s working perfectly as is. We have had drama, twists, quality, surprises, top players at their best, and others struggling. We have had plenty of goals and we don’t need a round of 16 for the moment. Some countries need to improve before we can add quality with more sides.

Lindop: I think it would be great if we could get to a point where we’re able to have more countries competing at the tournament, but I don’t think we’re quite there yet. There is still an enormous disparity in the quality of the top European nations and the rest, and we need to allow for some time for the game to grow organically.

Hamilton: It’s a balancing act between long-term growth and short-term drama. If you expand it, then more teams will get major tournament experience and you could build in a round-of-16 stage, but you’ll also see more blow-out results. We’ve only seen a couple of really one-sided results at Euro 2025 and one of the best things about this year was the fact there was jeopardy from the outset — especially in England’s group with France, Netherlands and Wales. So I’d keep it as it is. You don’t want it to be bloated and the drama to suffer as a result.

Marsden: I historically think a 16-team finals is the perfect recipe, but I have to stick to what I said after the quarterfinals: I’ve been won round by a 24-team tournament. I don’t think the addition of, say, Austria, Scotland and Ukraine, among others, would be a significant downgrade on Wales, Poland and Iceland. I think the women’s game can handle it and it would also speed up the development of some of those nations on the cusp of qualification. But mainly I just love knockout football. Give me eight more tense, nail-biting games!