Following their historic European Championship success, England’s Lionesses are poised to receive a plethora of nominations in the new year’s honors list, including MBEs for Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton. After winning the European championship for the first time three years ago, Sarina Wiegman’s team was publicly honored. Lucy Bronze, Beth Mead, and Ellen White were awarded MBEs, and captain Leah Williamson was made an OBE. After England advanced to the World Cup final a year later, Mary Earps and Lauren Hemp received MBEs, while Millie Bright, the interim captain, received an OBE.
Despite scoring England’s game-winning goal in their extra-time victory over Germany in the final and creating the tournament’s iconic moment with her celebration, Kelly was left out of the 2022 honor roll. Downing Street is anticipated to fix this omission in the upcoming honor list. The Cabinet Office oversees the honors nomination process, and Kelly and Hampton are considered a lock because of how they have delighted a country that has spent a large portion of the summer riveted to the Euros, with tens of millions of viewers on the BBC and ITV.
Even more crucial to England’s victory in Switzerland was Kelly. In Sunday’s final versus Spain, the 27-year-old came off the bench once more to turn the tide of the match by setting up Alessia Russo’s equalizer with a cross and then converting the game-winning penalty in the shootout. The Arsenal winger scored the game-winning penalty rebound in the final minute of extra time during their semifinal matchup with Italy.
In addition, goalie Hampton will likely receive an MBE alongside former teammate Earps in recognition of her exploits during the shootout. The 24-year-old Chelsea goalie, who previously made two stops in England’s thrilling quarterfinal shootout victory over Sweden, stopped two penalties against Spain. In addition, Williamson’s OBE can be changed to a CBE in honor of the Arsenal defender becoming the first player to lead England to back-to-back major championships and the first captain to win a major prize overseas. Three months prior to the 2023 World Cup, the 28-year-old had an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which prevented him from competing.
After England’s first European Championship victory, Wiegman, a Dutch national, received an honorary CBE, which is currently anticipated to be increased to an honorary damehood. The 55-year-old has two years remaining on her FA contract, and since she has already committed to captaining England to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, there are currently no plans to negotiate an extension. King Charles commended the players for their “awesome” accomplishment, and the Prince of Wales, the president of the FA, attended the medal presentation event in Basel. On Tuesday, a presenting ceremony will be place at the Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace, following a triumph parade down London’s Mall.
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