MARIONA CALDENTEY

Women's World Player of the Year

-  Gina Bagnulo

It was the sequel to the 2023 World Cup final: Spain v England in the decider of the 2025 Women's European Championship. Would the Lionesses get revenge for that defeat, or would La Roja reaffirm their status as the world’s outstanding team?

The tournament once again shone a light on this outstanding generation of Spanish talent: their gilded midfield of Alexia Putellas, Patri Guijarro and Aitana Bonmati, their captain and defensive rock Irene Paredes, and veteran striker Esther Gonzalez, the competition's leading goalscorer.

Yet only one of them was pursuing a rare double, attempting to become a European champion for both club and country. Mariona Caldentey had already lifted the Champions League trophy a month earlier, overcoming many of her international team-mates by helping Arsenal beat Barcelona in the final, and now she was aiming to follow that up with Spain.

In the 25th minute, she announced herself. After a typically flowing Spanish move down the right flank, a cross from Ona Batlle was floated into the box and Caldentey’s eyes lit up. Reacting quicker than her marker and former Barca colleague Lucy Bronze, Caldentey pounced, powering a header past Hannah Hampton in the England goal.