London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, May 29, 2026

England beat Brazil on penalties to win Finalissima

England beat Brazil on penalties to win Finalissima

England beat Brazil in a dramatic penalty shootout to win the first Women's Finalissima and extend their unbeaten run to 30 games.

England goalkeeper Mary Earps saved a penalty in the shootout victory

Chloe Kelly, who scored the winning goal in the Euro 2022 final at Wembley last year, netted the deciding spot-kick and immediately ran over to celebrate with fans in the stands.

Brazilian substitute Andressa Alves had equalised in stoppage time to force the shootout after Ella Toone had given England a first-half lead.

It was a historic night at Wembley Stadium that saw the European champions sternly tested by Copa America winners Brazil, but ended with the familiar sight of captain Leah Williamson lifting a trophy.

The Lionesses were given their biggest test of the year by a talented, albeit injury-hit, Brazilian side but delivered more silverware as their momentum continues to gather pace before this summer's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The shootout was a test of nerve and England came through it in another statement of their intent to deliver on the world stage in four months' time.


Brazil test England's nerve on historic night


Barcelona forward Geyse was a constant threat for Brazil and hit the crossbar in the second half


Wiegman had expected England to be tested defensively at Wembley and they certainly were as the young Brazilian side created numerous chances in the second half, seeking an equaliser.

England had controlled play from the first minute in front of 83,132 fans watching on expectedly in London, with Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo's movement particularly effective in the first half.

They deserved their half-time lead and looked fully in control until Brazil made changes at the break and began to show their credentials in attack.

Barcelona forward Geyse caused all sorts of problems and came close to scoring for the visitors when goalkeeper Mary Earps tipped her long-range effort on to the crossbar.

England were hanging on in stoppage time until Earps, who was formidable throughout their Euro 2022 victory, made a rare error, fumbling a cross which fell at the feet of substitute Alves and she fired it into the roof of the net.

But the Lionesses, who have shown mental resilience in abundance under Wiegman's management, regrouped to win the shootout 4-2 and lift their second trophy of the year, having retained their Arnold Clark Cup crown in February.

It was the perfect challenge before the World Cup and a timely reminder that England are not invincible, even though it has felt that way at times in the last 12 months.


Toone and Hemp impress as competition hots up


Ella Toone also scored in the European final victory over Germany at Wembley Stadium last year


There was plenty to get excited about by England's performance in the first half as their attacking play was free-flowing, creative and effective.

There is competition for places up front and Lauren Hemp showed why she should be starting with her movement down the left causing problems for Brazil.

Toone, who has gone from super-sub to starter since the Euros, also took her opportunity to cement her place in midfield in the absence of injured Chelsea star Fran Kirby and got a goal to show for her efforts.

However, the second half showed England still have some improvements to make in defence - although they did react to Brazil's more direct approach as the game wore on.

They appeared to have weathered the storm before Alves' late equaliser but Wiegman will be encouraged by their response to deliver in the shootout.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Japanese Technology Firm Fujitsu Launches Advanced Artificial Intelligence Tool for Corporate Disclosures
South Africa Officially Launches Nationwide Campaign for Highly Contested Local Government Elections
United Kingdom Commits Additional Funding for Unexploded Ordnance Clearance in Laos
Singapore Announces Stringent New Greenhouse Gas Regulations for Commercial Cooling Systems
Cambodia and Thailand Hold High-Level Border Security Talks at United Nations Headquarters
Myanmar Military Government and China Sign Major Agreement to Upgrade Media and Cultural Cooperation
Knife Attack at Swiss Train Station Leaves Three Injured in Suspected Act of Domestic Terrorism
Transnational Extortion Gang Threatens Canadian Police With Army of One Thousand Armed Operatives
Australia Imposes Forty-Two-Day Quarantine on Cruise Ship Passengers Following Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak
International Monetary Fund Unlocks Seven Hundred Million United States Dollars for Sri Lanka Following Economic Reforms
Australia Launches Record One Point Four Billion Dollar Lawsuit Against Chemical Giant 3M Over Contamination
China and Canada Foreign Ministers Meet in Ottawa in Effort to Stabilize Strained Diplomatic Ties
Indonesia Demands Urgent United Nations Security Council Reform Amid Escalating Global Conflicts
Extreme Weather Patterns Trigger Severe Drought in Madagascar and Destructive Flooding in East Africa
Indian State of Karnataka Faces Political Upheaval as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Abruptly Resigns
Philippines and Japan Reaffirm Defense Ties as Crucial for Indo-Pacific Regional Stability
Norway Joins French Nuclear Deterrence Initiative in Major Shift for European Security Architecture
Global Critical Mineral Alliances Expand as Western Nations Move to Counter Chinese Supply Dominance
United States Imposes Fifty Percent Tariffs on Mexican Steel and Aluminum Ahead of Trade Pact Review
European Union and China Head Toward Major Trade Conflict Over Clean Technology Exports
United States Economic Growth Severely Downgraded to One Point Six Percent as Stagflation Fears Mount
World Health Organization Warns Central African Ebola Epidemic is Outpacing Containment Efforts
United States Treasury Department Conditions Sanctions Relief on Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz
Iranian Air Defenses Intercept and Destroy United States Military Drone Over Bushehr Province
Iranian Armed Forces Launch Ballistic Missiles Toward Unspecified Targets Prompting Regional Condemnation
United Nations Secretary-General Warns Global Order Facing Highest Level of Conflict Since 1945
Israel Issues Sweeping Evacuation Orders in Southern Lebanon Amid Intensified Hezbollah Conflict
Russia Announces Systemic Military Strikes Targeting Ukrainian Defense and Energy Infrastructure
United States and Iranian Negotiators Reach Draft Agreement to Extend Ceasefire and Resume Nuclear Talks
United Nations Security Council Deeply Divided Over United States Capture of Venezuelan President
US and Iran Exchange Direct Military Strikes Amid Fragile Gulf Ceasefire
World Health Organization Warns of Catastrophic Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo
Russia Threatens New Wave of Strikes on Ukrainian Infrastructure and Embassies
Scientists Warn Atlantic Ocean Currents Could Collapse Faster Than Projected
Anthropic Reaches $900 Billion Valuation in Historic AI Funding Round
Washington Imposes Crippling Sanctions on Iranian Maritime Authority
Japan and the Philippines Initiate Strategic Intelligence-Sharing Pact
Microsoft Deploys Autonomous Computer-Using AI Agents to Global Markets
Anthropic Secures $45 Billion Compute Infrastructure Agreement With SpaceX
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Resigns Amid Administration Shakeup
Micron Technology Crosses Trillion-Dollar Valuation Amid Unprecedented Hardware Demand
Canada and Germany Finalize Historic Long-Term LNG Export Agreement
China Expands International Travel Restrictions on Domestic AI Researchers
Japan Approves Sweeping Overhaul of National Intelligence Apparatus
Global Airlines Scramble Logistics as Middle East Airspace Remains Fractured
Japan's Naphtha Imports Plunge 47 Percent Amid Strait of Hormuz Closure
Global Crude Prices Retreat Below $96 as Gulf Tensions Momentarily Ease
Generative AI Outperforms Human Baselines in Landmark Global Creativity Study
NASA Partners With Private Aerospace to Unveil Permanent Lunar Base Architecture
South Korean Equity Markets Surge on Next-Generation Memory Chip Frenzy
×