England's Euro 2025 journey has been a thrilling experience for fans.
Spare a thought for the Lionesses' loved ones in Switzerland. They have been there every step of the way with Sarina Wiegman's team, following five matches over three weeks, cheering every goal, feeling every kick, and watching every penalty with bated breath.
Before the final against Spain on Sunday, we hear heartfelt stories from some of England's closest supporters, who send their best wishes for one last effort in Basel.
'Every goal she scores, he's watching over her'
For England duo Ella Toone and Beth Mead, Euro 2025 has been particularly challenging. It marks their first major tournament since losing a parent. Mead's mother, June, passed away from ovarian cancer in January 2023, while Toone's father, Nick, succumbed to prostate cancer in September 2024.
"We were reminiscing about him just the other day as a family," Toone's boyfriend Joe Bunney told BBC Sport. "Nick would have loved this. The inspiration Nick gave us to support Ella in the way he did was incredible. One more step, and we can win the Euros for him. Every goal she scores, every game, he's watching over her."
"For Ella, having the right people around her is crucial. Beth Mead is also going through a similar experience. It's beneficial for them to have each other, and they are incredibly strong to endure what they have been through during a football season and then compete in the Euros."
While Toone and Mead have bonded through their shared grief, the Lionesses' family and friends have also come together, particularly celebrating England's late goals.
"It was all a bit of a blur," Bunney said about celebrating Michelle Agyemang's 96th-minute quarter-final equalizer against Italy. "Michelle's family was in front of me. The scenes were incredible."
"I was sitting on row seven and ended up on row three. I was talking to Michelle's family about how proud they must be. It reminds us of 2022 when Alessia [Russo] and Ella were making an impact on the games. It's significant for Michelle, and her family is lovely; we get along really well."
Joe's message to Ella: "You already know how inspirational I think you are. I know your dad's watching down, proud of you. We're all proud of you. Go and bring that trophy home."
'Our job is to give them that normality'
Euro 2025 is Lucy Bronze's seventh major tournament for England. She has played a starring role with her solid defensive displays, scoring in the 79th minute against Sweden to help force extra time, and later converting a brilliant penalty in the shootout.
"My goodness, the things they have put us through this tournament," Bronze's brother Jorge told BBC Sport. "People keep asking if I'm having a great time, and I say 'no!' It's just trauma after trauma after trauma. It's been a brilliant time, exhausting, emotional, thrilling, and everything in between."
Among the Bronze family in Switzerland are Jorge's two young children. "I've got a five-year-old and a four-year-old that Lucy absolutely adores; she loves playing silly games with them."
"It was 1 a.m. after the Italy game, and they were playing hide and seek with Auntie Lucy in the stadium after a pretty intense game of football."
Jorge mentioned that under Wiegman, players' family and friends now play a crucial role behind the scenes in England's success. "We have noticed a real shift," Jorge said. "Certainly under Sarina, there's been an approach to involve family and friends but also understand our role."
"We took Lucy to a play park and gave her a half-eaten cheese sandwich that my four-year-old didn't finish. Everyone is having a slightly different experience, but every player needs their downtime in their own way."
"Our job as a family is to provide them with a bit of normality. Whether that's beating her at table tennis or Mario Kart, to remind her I'm still her older brother, or just having a chat. Whatever it is, that's what we are here to do for the players."
Jorge's message to Lucy: "Lucy, you know what it has taken to get to this point. You know you are a serial and born winner. You are already the most decorated English footballer of all time. Go and make that a full stop at the end of that sentence on Sunday and bring it home."
'I'm not used to this as a fan'
Alessia Russo's brother Giorgio missed England's first two group games of Euro 2025 because he was on Love Island. He swapped Spain for Switzerland just in time for the tense quarter-final win over Sweden in Zurich.
"Me and her are best mates, we talk about everything outside of football," Giorgio said. "She was the first person I told about Love Island. We're really good friends, and it helps her switch off from work."
All Giorgio has known at Euro 2025 is a rollercoaster. Missing the big wins over the Netherlands and Wales, the two games he attended involved a tense penalty shootout quarter-final win and a dramatic extra-time semi-final victory.
"It's been really hard. I'm not used to this as a fan," Giorgio said. "The group stages started shaky but really came back, and when I got here for the knockout, it's been tough but elating at the end."
"There's a different type of emotion when it's a family member; you really feel it from their point of view. For the penalty shootout against Sweden, my mum, Ella's mum, Leah [Williamson]'s mum, they all couldn't watch. Leah's mum makes me laugh so much; it's like she's in pain during the games."
"It's a tense environment; the girls can obviously feel it, and when there's a goal, when we win, the celebrations are absolutely crazy, but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
Giorgio's message to Alessia: "Keep doing what you are doing, you make us proud every single day, and I love you."
'We tried to just keep it normal and keep it real'
Described by Giorgio as one half of the 'fun police' alongside Joe Bunney, Georgia Stanway's brother John-Paul helps organize gatherings with the players' friends and families. Even when arranging a low-key meal with family, it turns into a team outing. JP said word spread about a meal the day after England's semi-final win over Italy.
"We went for a Chinese meal the day after the Geneva game," he said. "A few of the team got wind of this meal, so there was us, the Toones, the Walshs, Jill Scott joined us."
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