She added a new page to a growing catalogue of big moments on the international stage against Spain to win England the UEFA Women’s EURO.
- Chloe Kelly scored the decisive penalty to secure England victory in the UEFA Women’s EURO final
- Striker rose to prominence following her deciding strike at the 2022 tournament
- Crucial goals in the Finalissima and 2023 Women’s World Cup have furthered her reputation
Patrick Roy’s overtime heroics in 1993 to help carry the Montreal Canadiens to an unlikely Stanley Cup win; Michael Jordan’s ‘the shot’ buzzer-beater to secure the Chicago Bulls a second three-peat in 1998; Ben Stokes’ 84 not out and subsequent Super Over heroics to win England a maiden Cricket World Cup title in 2019.
The annals of sport history have been littered with players who rose to the occasion to pull their side to greatness. In Chloe Kelly, England have their own Queen of Clutch.
Having come through Arsenal’s youth system, the forward caught the eye during a successful spell at Everton which saw her finish as the fourth-top scorer in the Women’s Super League (FAWSL) in 2019/20 and earn her first England call-up.
She moved on in July 2020 to Manchester City, where she lifted the Women’s FA Cup just four months after joining. As is often the case in the story of champions, however, disaster struck for Kelly as she suffered a career-threatening ACL injury in May 2021. She would miss the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the majority of City’s 2021/22 season while battling in a race against time to be fit for England’s UEFA Women’s EURO campaign.
The forward returned in time to feature for City and did enough to earn her spot in Sarina Wiegman’s European Championship squad. England, of course, advanced to the final on home soil and took the lead in the showpiece match against Germany thanks to Ella Toone, only for Lina Muller to equalise with little over ten minutes to go.
The stage was set for Kelly, who was brought on as a second-half substitute, to emerge as the heroine. Germany failed to clear a Lauren Hemp corner in extra time, which allowed the super-sub to poke home a dramatic winner. “It was probably the worst goal I’ve ever scored in my career,” she later said. The strike nonetheless ensured the Lionesses a first-ever major trophy and crowned a senior England team as champions of Europe for the very first time.
Victory at Wembley ensured the nation would qualify for the inaugural Finalissima – pitting the South American champions against the European champions – the following April, where they would face Brazil in another home showdown. Kelly, who had found time in between to top-score during England’s Arnold Clark Cup win in February, once again entered the frame with Wiegman’s side a goal to the good, only for a 93rd-minute Andressa equaliser to take the game to spot-kicks.
Helped by the brilliance of The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper Mary Earps, England headed to the final kicks 3-2 up and needed just one more to clinch the title. Kelly – at the other end of Wembley this time – stepped up to the plate. She hopped, skipped and jumped her way further into English football folklore with an ice-cool penalty.
Kelly was on top of the world, but has proven she can go further yet. A goal in England’s 6-1 hammering of China PR on the final matchday of Group D at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 helped keep England perfect. In the last-16 bout with Nigeria, she was brought on from the bench following Lauren James’ 87th-minute red card to bring some energy and help the Lionesses hold on to reach penalties.
That she did, and when the shootout arrived, Kelly once again stepped up to take the game-defining spot-kick. After one big step, she blasted home to secure England’s pathway to the second knockout round for a third successive tournament.
“Anything that’s thrown at us, we show what we’re capable of,” Kelly said post-match. “We dug deep as a group, we believe in our ability and we believe in what we’re being told to do.
“This team is special, we did it at the Euros, we did it at the Finalissima and we’re here again tonight doing it. There’s more to come from this special team.”
England went all the way to the decider of those finals, but Kelly couldn’t help on that occasion as Spain ran out 1-0 winners in a hard-fought Sydney showdown.
It’s been all change for Kelly since that tournament. Following a lack of playing time – which saw her temporarily dropped from the national side – she departed Manchester City in January 2025 and rejoined childhood club Arsenal. There, she helped the Gunners to their second UEFA Women’s Champions League title following a stunning victory over Barcelona in Lisbon.
She was included in England’s squad for the 2025 EURO where, once again, she’s left an indelible mark on proceedings. Kelly came off the bench with England 2-0 down to Sweden in the quarter-finals and instantly made a difference, swinging in an inch-perfect cross for Lucy Bronze to net. Two minutes later and the midfielder was at it again, as her devilish ball in caused chaos in the Sweden ranks and saw Michelle Agyemang prod home.
Penalties would decide the contest but England froze on the big stage, missing three in a row to leave them on the brink. Kelly stepped up and side-footed in to give the Lionesses a lifeline which they would eventually take, edging a topsy-turvy shootout 3-2 after seven kicks each.
Despite that impact she would again have to settle for a place on the bench in the semi-final against Italy, but she proved to be the person to answer England’s call once more. Another late Agyemang leveller sent the tie into extra time where England were awarded a 119th-minute penalty. Kelly stepped up, and while her effort was repelled by Laura Giuliani, she raced in to tuck home a historic winner.
“It’s unbelievable, such a great feeling,” she said following the match. “This team deserve nothing but that. Three finals on the bounce and we want more. This is an unbelievable feeling. It [the penalty] wasn’t supposed to go in like that but I was ready for the rebound like I’m ready for any opportunity given to me wearing an England badge.
“Hopefully we can make it a little bit easier for ourselves – we don’t need that panic. We have hope, we have belief and we have the quality. We need to keep at it.”
England faced Spain in the decider, eyeing revenge over La Roja for their 1-0 defeat in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ final. While Kelly started it on the bench, she was called into action five minutes before the break as Lauren James limped off with an injury with England a goal down.
In the 57th minute, Kelly picked the ball up down the left wing and inched towards the target. Then, much like she did against Sweden, she cut back on to her right foot and whipped in a devilish cross for Alessia Russo to head home. The teams couldn’t be separated from there, meaning penalties would decide the title for just the second time.
A saved Beth Mead re-take, stops from both goalkeepers and a Salma Paralluelo miss saw the Lionesses head to their fifth spot-kick on match point. Kelly, once again, stepped up and went through her now famous penalty routine. After spinning the ball back on its spot and fixing her hair, she took a big step up to the ball and a giant leap for English football, as she powered home to retain the Lionesses’ title.
“I am so proud of this team, so grateful to wear this badge,” an elated Kelly said post-match. “I am so proud to be English. I was cool and composed, I knew I was going to hit the back of the net. I don’t miss penalties twice.”
Kelly has said previously that she would want Jennifer Lopez to play her in a movie about her life. If she keeps producing Hollywood blockbuster-level scripts, ‘J.Lo’ performing the role of ‘CK’ in the not-so-distant future might yet be a possibility.
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