Euro 2022: our writers select their highs and lows from the tournament

Match of the tournament

The semi-final between Germany and France was not an occasion of the highest finesse but felt like a proper heavyweight clash: two fine teams rattling up against each other, a throbbing tempo and a fitting matchwinner in a tie that remained tense until the very end.
Nick Ames

The England v Spain quarter‑final for sure. An incredible game between two amazing teams with very different styles that went to extra time, left everyone with a “wow” feeling and would have been a worthy, highly credible final. It was so exciting too.
Anita Asante

What more can you want than a packed Wembley watching the two best teams in the tournament playing out a great final? It was just a fantastic occasion: England won and it did not go to penalties! Perfect.
Karen Carney

England’s quarter-final win against Spain is the one that really stands out. The atmosphere in the Amex Stadium, the pure drama of the spectacle, the Lionesses’ display of resilience. That victory in extra time is when I truly started realising England could go all the way.
Sophie Downey

Germany v France. Taut and technical and gripping from first whistle to last. The stage and the stakes, the skills and shithousery, the strategy and tactics: taken together, this was an exhibition of what women’s football has become in 2022.
Jonathan Liew

It’s hard not to go for England scoring eight but Norway were no match for them, as it turns out. The four against Sweden were very special and that was a match. Sweden were impressive until the first goal. But in terms of the quality, tension, excitement, and the occasion too: England v Spain.
Sid Lowe

England v Spain. Talk about tense. This long night at Brighton showed England fans their previously all-dominant team could cope with adversity and find a way to win. All credit to Sarina Wiegman for some inspired substitutions and the late switch to a back three that enabled Millie Bright to advance and provoke equaliser-precipitating penalty area chaos. But hats off, too, to a fine Spain side.
Louise Taylor

It has to be England’s 8-0 defeat of Norway. The atmosphere and energy were electric. The swashbuckling, dominant display and the nullifying of a star-studded Norway attack had everyone turning to each other, exclaiming they couldn’t quite believe what they were seeing. That included the families of the players sitting to the left of the press box.
Suzanne Wrack

Player of the tournament

Alexandra Popp neither started nor finished the tournament in Germany’s starting lineup and her late withdrawal from the final earned her the status of tragic hero. But she was more than that: for a 31-year-old returning from career‑threatening injury she showed staggering energy and strength along with her trademark explosive finishing. The Wembley showpiece was a wonderful occasion but would have been even better had she not pulled up. NA

England’s Keira Walsh. After spending part of my career as a central midfielder she is a player to whom I can relate. Some of the things she does are not always appreciated but she is so important in linking everything up for the team. And the pass for Ella Toone’s goal in the final was emblematic of her quality. So, sorry Beth Mead, Alessia Russo and Popp, it’s got to be Walsh. AA

England have a fantastic spine to their team. Bright at centre-back and Walsh in central midfield were outstanding from start to finish. Bright did not put a foot wrong and Walsh’s pass for Toone’s goal in the final was perfect. KC

It is hard to pick one but Mead is a worthy winner of this award. Her Golden Boot-winning performances with six goals and five assists set England alight. And all the time, she just appeared to be having the time of her life. SD

Mary Earps. Under the highest pressure, in the most maligned position on the pitch, Earps made virtually no errors and dug England out of trouble time and again. JL

Forgive my Spanish bias but I don’t think I saw anyone play quite like Aitana Bonmatí and she was gone too soon. Lena Oberdorf, maybe. Walsh, perhaps. Mead probably. And Jill Scott, just because – for everything. Can it be Popp when she misses the final? Yes, it can and is. SL

Popp. Without the indefatigable forward and her goals it is doubtful if Germany would have got past Austria and France in the knockout rounds. The only shame was that, after six goals in five outstanding games, Popp injured herself in the pre-final warm-up. LT

Walsh, the anchor of England’s midfield, has turned heads but her performances have been overshadowed somewhat by the goalscorers and creators in front of her. After struggling at the World Cup in 2019 she has found her rhythm in the national team and was critical to England’s triumph. SW

Goal of the tournament

It is hard to pick between three England goals: the backheel from Russo, the ice-cool scooped finish by Toone in the final and Georgia Stanway’s rocket that defeated Spain. Perhaps Toone takes it: in a game of few clear chances for England, she took hers with an aplomb that defied belief. NA

Toone in the final against Germany at Wembley. I know Stanway scored a pivotal, and spectacular, winner against Spain and Russo’s semi-final backheel against Sweden was very special but to pull off that lob in front of 87,000 was an immense achievement. Toone was so composed in the face of all that pressure and expectation. It was a phenomenal moment. AA

Russo’s goal against Sweden was great but it has to be Toone’s chip, considering it was the final. The audacity and composure shown to score were incredible. I love that moment. KC

Without question, Russo’s backheel wonder-strike against Sweden. To have the audacity to attempt that in the semi-final of a major tournament is just outrageous. It showed everything about the sort of striker Russo is. SD

Stanway for England against Spain. Given the magnitude of the moment, the flawless technique required and the beautiful dip and curve of the shot, Stanway’s long-range quarter-final winner takes the honours. JL

The finish in the final was sublime from Toone, the ball pretty much waving at Wembley as it went in. But it’s down to this: an outrageous turn against Northern Ireland or the ludicrous backheel. Either way it’s Russo. SL

Stanway against Spain. The goalkeeper, Sandra Paños, was reduced to a state of helplessness as Stanway’s 22-yard, extra-time rocket of a shot scorched its way beyond her fingertips. Defenders should be super-wary about standing off Bayern Munich’s new signing. LT

It’s Russo’s backheel. There’s really no other contender. Yes, it was magical, but more significantly it spoke to the impact of the environment created by Wiegman, one where players feel confident, comfortable and calm enough to take risks and play with a freedom that is exhilarating. SW

Breakthrough player of the tournament

Oberdorf has been around the Germany scene for some time but, at 20, would not have been a familiar name to most watchers. Her performances blended youthful energy with the intuition of a veteran; the Wolfsburg midfielder should spend the next decade among the world’s best. NA

It’s got to be Russo. No one was talking about the Manchester United striker before Euro 2022 but everyone is now. That says it all. Russo’s goals, and talent, have lit up the tournament. She has proved herself a major asset. AA

Oberdorf. I have known about her for a while but the German was outstanding throughout and rightly earned the young player of the tournament award. KC

Oberdorf made that Germany midfield spot her own. She was the centre through which all of the play flowed. With multiple eye-catching performances, she is definitely a huge talent to keep an eye on. SD

Russo’s talent has never been in doubt, but the question was whether she would get the minutes to prove it. Despite not starting a game, she made herself indispensable with two of the best goals of the tournament. JL

Oberdorf can’t be that young, can she? But in terms of a breakthrough star, a sense of excitement, an idol emerging, it has to be Russo. The fans’ response to her simply warming up spoke volumes. SL

Oberdorf. Is she really only 20? Germany’s holding midfielder represents a very big reason why her country are so good in transition. An expert at breaking up play, ball recovery, slowing games down and controlling the tempo, Oberdorf knows precisely when to concede fouls. She ensured England’s Fran Kirby did not exert quite the influence she would have wanted in the final. LT

When Wiegman started in September, Stanway said she was out of favour. It wasn’t until the opening game of the Euros she knew a spot in the midfield would be hers to lose. All eyes were on Lauren Hemp, who has performed well, but it has been the physical and battling Stanway who stepped up a gear. SW

Personal highlight

The atmosphere inside Wembley at the final: noisy, partisan, edgy, ultimately delirious, but none of the menace we have seen at other events. Being able to sneak into Iceland v Belgium, a game I was not covering, straight after an Erling Haaland press conference across the Etihad Bridge was a pleasant bonus. NA

Meeting the BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce and sitting alongside him in the hot-seat doing co-commentary at the final. Jonathan has followed women’s football for such a long time, since the days when it was unfashionable and he is really invested in the game. He told me he was close to tears after Phil Neville had recalled me to the England team for the SheBelieves Cup in the US in 2018 and I ruptured my ACL against France. That meant a lot. Having played in the 2009 final, doing co-comms felt like I’d come full circle. AA

England winning. We have waited many years – players and fans – for a moment such as this and it was incredible to celebrate England winning a major tournament on home soil in front 87,000 and millions watching at home. KC

Having travelled home and abroad covering the Lionesses for the past decade, the whole tournament was a thoroughly emotional and rewarding experience. The fact they won it just does not compute. Getting to write about their success has been a huge personal honour. SD

The massive crowd at Old Trafford for England’s opening game against Austria. Terrible weather and not a great game, but the enthusiasm and passion was a warning something special was brewing. JL

The Euro 2022 cakes at Wembley. The 11-year-old boy beaming with Mead at Bramall Lane. And Brighton: brilliant. SL

Seeing some truly excellent female coaches in technical areas. Step forward not just Wiegman and Martina Voss-Tecklenburg but France’s Corinne Diacre and Austria’s Irene Fuhrmann. Albeit in a different context, those managers have been just as inspiring as the players. LT

I feel like I’ve been on a journey with this England team. As they’ve got better and as the game has grown, the opportunities for women’s football journalists have opened up. To see these players reach a final, something that will elevate our industry as well as themselves and women’s football, has been special. That, and interacting regularly with the incredibly likable Wiegman. SW

Biggest disappointment

A generally well-run tournament was rewarded with in-depth coverage but it could have been even better: for some of the knockout games Uefa appeared to have underestimated the sheer volume of media attention and it meant some pieces had to be written from sofa rather than stadium. More could have been accommodated without denying fans space; perhaps it can be used as a pleasant lesson that interest is sky high. NA

The serious knee injuries that deprived Spain of Alexia Putellas and Jennifer Hermoso before the tournament and France of Marie-Antoinette Katoto during the group game against Belgium. I was also disappointed for Popp that her injury in the warm-up meant she missed the final. That quartet would have offered the tournament – and the final – real added stardust. AA

The tournament surpassed all of my expectations. It was outstanding. KC

I came into this tournament with a lot of interest around Italy. Their performances at the World Cup in 2019 and the growth of the domestic league seemed to illustrate that things were heading in the right direction. To not emerge from the group stage was a massive disappointment. SD

The injury that ruled out Putellas days before the start. The entire tournament could have looked different with her presence. JL

Popp: there in the team picture, no longer there at kick-off. Just so cruel. SL

The lack of ambition over some of the grounds used and the absence of any venues north of the M62 corridor. Brighton’s Amex Stadium and Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane were too small for England’s quarter- and semi-finals respectively and the north-east was overlooked. The organisers missed a trick in not using Newcastle’s St James’ Park and Sunderland’s Stadium of Light. LT

I have a few “what ifs”. England could have sold out Wembley six times over. I’m not saying they necessarily should have played all their games there, but grounds of 30,000-35,000 denied so many the chance to experience, as my dad put it after the Northern Ireland game, “one of the best football match atmospheres I’ve ever experienced”. SW

What now for women’s football in England?

As usual, the word legacy will be worn out over the coming weeks and it is vital the game, and pathway within it, become easily accessible to the millions of youngsters who will have watched recent weeks in awe. The strength of the domestic product beneath the top teams, who play to a thrilling level, needs to improve too. Mobility between the divisions is not what it should be and means some of the more progressive setups hit a brick wall before they can have a crack at the top two tiers. NA

It’s all about turning words into actions. The men’s parent clubs of WSL sides, and their media teams especially, need to do more to drive the women’s game forward and make people aware of when and where matches are happening. A new collective mindset is needed to make the game more inclusive and diverse. It’s an opportunity that can’t be wasted. AA

The momentum can not stop. We need Lionesses games to be sold out every time, we need WSL attendances to increase and equal opportunities for girls to play at school. KC

We all have a responsibility to make sure we capitalise on this historic moment. That means girls and women having access to play football at all levels. But also as the media, we need to continue our coverage, putting the sport in front of people’s eyes. We can’t let our foot off the gas now. SD

Cautious optimism. The interest is there; the real question is whether infrastructure and grassroots investment can keep pace. JL

Fingers crossed that more girls will be able to play in school; WSL crowds will increase as more games are played at established Premier League grounds and, particularly with the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand beckoning, media coverage will be amplified and expanded. LT

Thirty years of hurt, presumably. More seriously: at this level, Wiegman’s side has only just got started so the World Cup could be fun; beyond that, Leah Williamson’s post-final call to arms says it well. SL

Please, please let this energy and enthusiasm not dissipate. Chelsea and Liverpool are the latest teams to have announced games at their main grounds come the new WSL season. Arsenal have committed to six games at the Emirates in the season. There is a chance for people to take their passion for this tournament and the journey of the players into the domestic game. But fans should also go even more local. There are some fantastic Championship and national league sides that provide affordable football and great atmospheres. SW