Dancing, beers and Abba: how England celebrated Euro 2022 glory

It was a long time before the Lionesses retired to the dressing room, retreating beyond the glare of the television cameras that had captured every joyous tear-stained face, every confetti snow angel, every rendition of Sweet Caroline and Three Lions, and every angle of a trophy lift that ended 56 years of hurt.

In the dressing room there was more dancing and singing. “Everyone is dancing, beers flying everywhere, there’s Abba, Céline Dion,” said Ella Toone, the scorer of England’s first goal in a historic 2-1 extra-time defeat of Germany in the final of Euro 2022.

We got a glimpse of the antics when the scorer of England’s winner, Chloe Kelly, sprinted into the mixed zone where players are interviewed, medal round her neck and trophy in hand, to give a brief dancing “It’s coming home” down a microphone before whizzing away again. Then, the players burst into Sarina Wiegman’s press conference, danced around the stage, singing Three Lions again, as the goalkeeper Mary Earps and right-back Lucy Bronze swivelled their hips while standing on top of the desk at which the manager was seated.

They were magical and joyous celebration scenes from players who will struggle to digest what they have achieved, Bronze said, until they are “at home, on the sofa, having a glass of orange juice or cup of tea”. She said: “That will be the moment where you think it’s insane, we’re champions of Europe.”

After filing through the mixed zone and doing interview after interview the players boarded the team bus back to the Lensbury hotel in Teddington that has become a home from home since the team travelled south after their opening game at Old Trafford. “The whole bus back to the hotel there was partying,” Toone said. “Everyone was everywhere,