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“Chloe Kelly scored the goal that won Euro 2022 and the penalty that secured Euro 2025. Has any other player ever scored the decisive goal in two major international tournaments, including penalty shootouts? And which women have completely dominated an entire competition?” asks Emma Pollard.
For someone who’s never started a knockout match at a major tournament, Chloe Kelly has made quite an impact. She scored the extra-time winner against Germany in 2022 and the winning penalty against Spain on Sunday. Kelly also assisted Alessia Russo’s equalizer in the final, played key roles in both goals against Sweden in the quarter-finals, kept England in the tournament with a cool penalty in the shootout, and then scored a 119th-minute winner against Italy in the semis.
But there’s more. In 2023, Kelly scored the decisive penalty against Nigeria in the World Cup last 16. Including the Finalissima against Brazil earlier that year, she’s now scored winning penalties in three shootouts for England – more than all other English men and women combined. Only Eric Dier (vs Colombia, 2018 World Cup) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (vs Switzerland, Euro 2024) have done it once each.
While Kelly hasn’t dominated a tournament like Carli Lloyd in 2015 or Diego Maradona in 1986, she’s the first player to score the decisive goal (including shootouts) in two major finals. Her success represents a modern kind of glory – often coming off the bench in extra time or penalty shootouts.
Other women have shone in different ways. Germany’s Birgit Prinz scored in five finals between 1995-2009 (four Euros and one World Cup), with Germany winning them all. More recently, Spain’s Olga Carmona scored late winners in both the World Cup semi-final and final in 2023.
The most dominant knockout stage performance probably belongs to Carli Lloyd in 2015. She was player of the match in all four USWNT knockout games, scoring in each – including a hat-trick in the first 16 minutes of the final against Japan.
Other notable tournament performances include:
Pia Sundhage (Sweden, Euro 1984):
– Scored crucial goals in both semi-final legs against Italy
– Scored Sweden’s only goal in the final against England
– Converted the winning penalty in the shootout
Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands, Euro 2017):
– Scored in every knockout game, including the opener in the semi-final and two goals in the final
Megan Rapinoe (USA, World Cup 2019):
– Scored all four US goals in the last 16 and quarter-finals
– Opened the scoring in the final despite missing the semi through injury
These are the standout examples we found from Women’s Euros and World Cups. If you know of others from different tournaments, let us know.Here’s a more natural and fluent version of your text while keeping the original meaning intact:
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Pia Sundhage’s Legacy
Pia Sundhage (bottom right in photo) played a key role in Sweden’s 1984 European Championship victory.
Winning in 60 Seconds
Chris Williams points out: “Excluding stoppage time, England led for just one minute in the knockout stages of Euro 2025. Is this a record? How does it compare to past tournaments?”
Kelly’s 119th-minute winner against Italy was England’s only lead across three knockout matches (vs. Sweden, Italy, and Spain). Including stoppage time, they were ahead for just 4 minutes and 52 seconds out of roughly six and a half hours of play. Let’s see how this stacks up against previous women’s tournaments.
Since we don’t have stoppage time data for past events, we’ll count each match as 90 or 120 minutes. Before this year, Germany in 2001 held the record for the least time spent leading in a Euros win—just 33 minutes. However, their path was shorter: they played only 188 knockout minutes (no quarter-finals, and the final was decided by a golden goal).
Germany won both knockout matches 1-0. Sandra Smisek scored after 57 minutes against Norway, giving them a 33-minute lead. In the final, Claudia Müller’s golden goal in extra time sealed the win instantly.
Since quarter-finals were introduced in 2009, England in 2022 had the shortest leading time before this year—107 minutes total (24 vs. Spain, 56 vs. Sweden, and 27 in the final against Germany).
At the World Cup, Japan’s 2011 champions led for just 42 minutes across three knockout games. They scored late against Germany (108th minute), trailed Sweden before winning 3-1, and twice came from behind in the final against the U.S., with Homare Sawa’s 117th-minute equalizer forcing penalties. Japan won the shootout 3-1.
Got any other examples? Email us your suggestions.
Michael and Michelle
Alex Smith asks: “At 19, is Michelle Agyemang the youngest England player to win an individual award at a major tournament?”
Agyemang’s impact at Euro 2025 became legendary even before the tournament ended. The Arsenal forward, yet to start an international match, was a game-changer off the bench, scoring crucial equalizers against Sweden and Italy.
Her story mirrors Michael Owen’s breakout at 18 during France ’98. Owen won FIFA’s Young Player award after goals against Romania and Argentina. Diego Maradona later praised him: “Owen was the only bright spot of France ’98—fast, clever, and fearless.”
Other England players with official individual awards were all older:
– Golden Ball: Beth Mead (27, Euro 2022)
– Silver Ball: Lucy Bronze (27, 2019 World Cup)
– Golden Boot: Harry Kane (24, 2018 World Cup)
Gary Lineker… (text cuts off)
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Golden Boot Winners
Ellen White (age 30, 2019 World Cup)
Beth Mead (age 27, Euro 2022, shared with Germany’s Alexandra Popp)
Jodie Taylor (age 31, Euro 2017)
Bronze Boot
Ellen White (age 30, 2019 World Cup)
Golden Glove
Mary Earps (age 29, 2023 World Cup)
Best Young Player
Michael Owen (age 18, 1998 World Cup)
Michelle Agyemang (age 19, Euro 2025)
Knowledge Archive
Danielle Patterson asks: “Are the Lionesses the first team to win a major international tournament after trailing in every knockout game?”
We looked into this last year when England’s men’s team came from behind to beat Slovakia, Switzerland, and the Netherlands at Euro 2024 (though they didn’t win the tournament). The only similar case we found was China at the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup. Here’s how they did it:
– Quarter-final: China 3-1 Vietnam (after being 1-0 down)
– Semi-final: China 2-2 Japan (won 4-3 on penalties; China equalized in the 119th minute)
– Final: China 3-2 South Korea (trailed 2-0 after 67 minutes before a stunning comeback, with Xiao Yuyi scoring the winner in injury time)
We also found other teams that made dramatic combacks but didn’t win the trophy—including Jürgen Klinsmann’s South Korea at last year’s AFC Men’s Asian Cup (their story is worth reading!).
Can You Help?
– Tom Walters asks: “Lucy Bronze revealed she played Euro 2025 with a fractured tibia. Have other footballers played major tournaments with serious injuries?”
– Tim Spargo asks: “England’s backup keepers at Euro 2025, Anna Moorhouse and Khiara Keating, won a trophy despite having zero caps. Has this happened before?”
– Michael Martin asks: “With Hugo Ekitiké joining Liverpool, which other players with palindromic surnames have played in the Premier League?”
– Magnus Blair asks: “Lauren James (4 trophies) and brother Reece (2 trophies) won six between them in 2024-25. Have any siblings won more in a single season?”
– Simon Buckton asks: “Has a goalkeeper ever been flagged for offside—or had a goal disallowed for offside?”
– Kevin Doran asks: “Port Vale have played Everton at four different home grounds. Has any other team faced the same opponent at four or more home venues?”
– Martin Davies asks: “Two British teams (The New Saints and Dundee United) are playing European ties at the same stadium within 48 hours. Has this ever happened before?”
Got an answer or a question? Send it in!
