ZURICH (AP) — Here we go again.
There’s a sense of déjà vu about the Women’s European Championship final that pits defending champion England against World Cup winner Spain.
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Spain's Aitana Bonmati celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Women's Euro 2025 semifinals soccer match between Germany and Spain at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
England's Chloe Kelly, 3rd from left, celebrates with her team after winning the Women's Euro 2025 semifinals soccer match between England and Italy at Stade de Geneve in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
England's Keira Walsh, left, and Italy's Elisabetta Oliviero in action during the Women's Euro 2025 semifinal soccer match between England and Italy at Stade de Geneve in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
Spain players reacts after the Women's Euro 2025 semifinal soccer match between Germany and Spain at the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (Til Buergy/Keystone via AP)
England's Chloe Kelly is celebrated after she scored the decisive second goal for England during the Women's Euro 2025 semifinals soccer match between England and Italy at Stade de Geneve in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
FILE - Spain's Olga Carmona, left, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Women's World Cup soccer final between Spain and England at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Steve Markham, File)
FILE - England's Keira Walsh, left, vies for the ball with Spain's Mariona Caldentey during the Women's World Cup soccer final between Spain and England at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File0
Spain's Aitana Bonmati celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Women's Euro 2025 semifinals soccer match between Germany and Spain at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
England's Chloe Kelly, 3rd from left, celebrates with her team after winning the Women's Euro 2025 semifinals soccer match between England and Italy at Stade de Geneve in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
England's Keira Walsh, left, and Italy's Elisabetta Oliviero in action during the Women's Euro 2025 semifinal soccer match between England and Italy at Stade de Geneve in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
Spain players reacts after the Women's Euro 2025 semifinal soccer match between Germany and Spain at the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (Til Buergy/Keystone via AP)
England's Chloe Kelly is celebrated after she scored the decisive second goal for England during the Women's Euro 2025 semifinals soccer match between England and Italy at Stade de Geneve in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
The two nations faced off in the World Cup final two years ago with Spain edging an open match 1-0.
“I think obviously that was a massive disappointment and I feel like from a collective we probably feel like we didn’t have our best performance that day, but I think … if you’re trying to pull on that too much then you’re going to be too emotional with too many things going on,” England midfielder Keira Walsh said on Thursday.
“Obviously you think about it a little bit but I think for us, put it to the side and focus on the game on Sunday. We’ve got so many new players in this team who are really confident and bring so many things to this team, so it’s exciting and we can just focus on the positives.”
Both teams needed 120 minutes to get through their gruelling semifinals. England’s super-subs had their part to play again on Tuesday with late goals first taking the match to extra time and then securing a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Italy.
Spain needed a moment of magic from two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí to get past a resilient German side 1-0 on Wednesday.
It will be a first Euros final for Spain but even before the tournament it had been the favorite to add the European title to its collection after winning the World Cup and Nations League in the past two years.
The two teams have faced off twice since the World Cup final, garnering a win apiece in the Nations League this year. Jess Park scored the only goal when England beat Spain 1-0 in February and Clàudia Pina grabbed a second-half double to help Spain to a 2-1 victory in June.
“Our past meetings mean nothing because each game is a question of moments, the style of play changes, the squads change,″ Bonmatí said.
“They have a lot of players that we have faced a lot of times, in the 2023 World Cup too. We know them, they know us. So we want to prepare the best for the game, to win it."
Spain’s triumph at the World Cup was marred by the Luis Rubiales scandal, after the-then head of the Spanish soccer federation kissed player Jenni Hermoso during the awards ceremony.
Rubiales was subsequently charged with sexual assault and convicted a few months before the start of Euro 2025, bringing an end to one of the worst chapters in the history of Spanish soccer.
Walsh, who made 100 appearances for Barcelona over two-and-a-half seasons, was playing in Spain at the time and witnessed the fallout first hand.
“I think the most important thing for them is that they can enjoy this final, there’s not the controversy surrounding it,” she said. “I think just for the girls this time and as a friend and another football player, for them just to go and enjoy it.
“They play incredible football and they deserve to be there, so as a human being I just want them to go out and enjoy the game of football.”
Walsh doesn’t feel Spain’s star-packed squad received enough credit after the World Cup triumph.
“Obviously after the game there was a lot of controversy and I don’t think for them there was enough spotlight on how incredible they played and how incredible some of their players were, it was all about the other stuff that had gone on,” she said.
“I think as a professional that was disappointing to see. Obviously I have a lot of friends in that team and I think they probably deserved a little bit more than what they got.”
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Spain's Aitana Bonmati celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Women's Euro 2025 semifinals soccer match between Germany and Spain at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
England's Chloe Kelly, 3rd from left, celebrates with her team after winning the Women's Euro 2025 semifinals soccer match between England and Italy at Stade de Geneve in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
England's Keira Walsh, left, and Italy's Elisabetta Oliviero in action during the Women's Euro 2025 semifinal soccer match between England and Italy at Stade de Geneve in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
Spain players reacts after the Women's Euro 2025 semifinal soccer match between Germany and Spain at the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (Til Buergy/Keystone via AP)
England's Chloe Kelly is celebrated after she scored the decisive second goal for England during the Women's Euro 2025 semifinals soccer match between England and Italy at Stade de Geneve in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
FILE - Spain's Olga Carmona, left, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Women's World Cup soccer final between Spain and England at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Steve Markham, File)
FILE - England's Keira Walsh, left, vies for the ball with Spain's Mariona Caldentey during the Women's World Cup soccer final between Spain and England at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File0
Spain's Aitana Bonmati celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Women's Euro 2025 semifinals soccer match between Germany and Spain at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
England's Chloe Kelly, 3rd from left, celebrates with her team after winning the Women's Euro 2025 semifinals soccer match between England and Italy at Stade de Geneve in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
England's Keira Walsh, left, and Italy's Elisabetta Oliviero in action during the Women's Euro 2025 semifinal soccer match between England and Italy at Stade de Geneve in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
Spain players reacts after the Women's Euro 2025 semifinal soccer match between Germany and Spain at the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. (Til Buergy/Keystone via AP)
England's Chloe Kelly is celebrated after she scored the decisive second goal for England during the Women's Euro 2025 semifinals soccer match between England and Italy at Stade de Geneve in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
