Leah Williamson delivers exciting England World Cup vow as Lionesses toast Euros triumph
Leah Williamson captained England to a second straight Euros title this summer and says the Lionesses' glory days are far from over.
Lionesses captain Leah Williamson has assured that England's era of contending for titles is far from over as they gear up for the 2027 World Cup. Having led her team to back-to-back European Championships victories, Williamson remains optimistic about the future. During Tuesday's celebration parade in central London, she once again hoisted the trophy and promised fans that there was much more to come.
"I've been crying all the way down The Mall," she confessed on stage at the Queen Victoria Memorial, describing the experience as "This is unbelievable, probably one of the best things we've been a part of. This is unbelievable, probably one of the best things we've been a part of.
"My message is, everything we do, obviously we do some things for ourselves and the team, we do it for the country, we do it for young girls. This job never existed 30 years ago. We're making history with everything we do. Thank you so much for being with us, staying with us. This is not done yet."
The Lionesses had a challenging journey at Euro 2025 in Switzerland but managed to defend the title they first won on home ground three years prior.
Chloe Kelly, Williamson's teammate from Arsenal, emerged as England's hero during the knockout stages, helping them overcome Sweden, Italy, and Spain - all matches that went into extra-time and two that were decided by penalties.
"There are loads of ways to win a football match," Williamson noted. "We repeatedly did it the hard way. But you can see how much we care about playing for England and how much we love it. 2022 was a fairytale. This feels really hard-earned. We're chuffed to bits."
England manager Sarina Wiegman is contracted until the conclusion of the 2027 World Cup, set to take place in Brazil. The draw for the European qualifying phase is scheduled for November, with the first matches kicking off in February next year.
England reached the final in the previous World Cup, hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Spain clinched the trophy then, but the Lionesses exacted their revenge on Sunday in Basel.
"Pressure? What pressure?" quipped Kelly, who netted the decisive penalty in the final. "It's brilliant to stand with these girls and all the backroom staff. Cheers to everyone who showed up. "It's so special. This medal is so special.
"Everyone knows exactly what it takes to win it. But it's so hard to win. "Sarina has done it so many times. It's so special. I'm so proud to be English."
Wiegman highlighted the depth of talent in the squad after England rebounded from an initial loss to ultimately hoist the trophy. "There is a massive pool of talent in this team," Wiegman stated. "We always aim to play to our strengths.
"The camaraderie of this team in this tournament made the absolute difference. "Everyone was ready to step up and support each other. It was simply incredible to be a part of."
