Emotional moment England captain Leah Williamson chokes back tears on stage at parade after Euro 2025 triumph.

Emotional moment England captain Leah Williamson chokes back tears on stage at parade after Euro 2025 triumph.

 

 

At the heart of a jubilant homecoming for England women’s national football team — fresh from lifting the crown at UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 — captain Leah Williamson choked back tears as she addressed tens of thousands of fans during the open-top bus parade in London.

A moment of pure, raw emotion

Standing on the stage at the Queen Victoria Memorial, just outside Buckingham Palace, Williamson paused to steady herself before telling the crowd: “I’m holding back tears. I’ve been crying all the way down The Mall. This is unbelievable…”

The emotion was palpable — the culmination of a campaign filled with adversity, resilience and history-making success.

Why the tears matter

This championship marked back-to-back European titles for England’s women, and for the first time ever, a senior England football side won a major tournament on foreign soil.

Williamson reflected on how this victory felt different: “2022 was a fairytale but this feels really hard-earned.”

She referenced the trials along the way: reclaiming confidence after a group-stage loss, mounting comebacks in knockout rounds, and the squad’s collective grit.

And importantly: she underlined the bigger picture. “Everything we do … we do it for the country and young girls. This job never existed 30 or 40 years ago and we’re making history every single step…”

The celebration scene

Thousands of fans — estimated at 65,000 — lined The Mall to cheer the Lionesses, clad in red and white, as the team’s buses rolled past.

Williamson, trophy in hand, took it all in. The matching of triumph and legacy made the emotion understandable.

What this moment means

For Williamson, the tears weren’t just about winning. They spoke of:

The weight of leadership in historic moments.

A recognition of the pathway for future generations.

A reminder that success often comes through struggle, not fairy-tales.

The promise of more to come: “Stay with us — this story is not done yet.”

In short

Leah Williamson’s visible emotion at the parade captured more than personal joy: it symbolised the rise of a team, the evolution of a sport, and the hope of a country looking ahead. Her words and tears reflected pride, relief, inspiration — and a promise that England’s journey has only just begun.