England vs Spain Women's EURO 2025 final: Players to watch – Chloe Kelly, Ella Toone, Aitana Bonmatí, Patri Guijarro

England take on Spain in Sunday's UEFA Women's EURO 2025 final in Basel and we highlight four players that could hold the key to the destination of the trophy.

Chloe Kelly (England)

Kelly has a case for saying she is a player for the big occasion. The winger scored the goal that won England the Women's EURO 2022 final against Germany, coming off the bench and leading celebrations that befitted a player who had spent most the previous year out with an ACL injury. She then converted the winning penalties in shoot-outs to clinch both the 2023 Women's Finalissima against Brazil and the FIFA Women's World Cup round of 16 tie with Nigeria.

At Women's EURO 2025, Kelly helped turn both of England's knockout ties as a substitute, first with her crosses setting up the goals in the late quarter-final comeback against Sweden (where she also converted in the shoot-out), then her last-gasp extra-time winner versus Italy, on the rebound after a saved penalty. Kelly, on a run of form since her January move (initially on loan) to Arsenal, winning the UEFA Women's Champions League, has come off the bench in all five England games in Switzerland, and regardless of whether she makes the XI in Basel on Sunday, a key role at some stage seems inevitable.

Ella Toone (England)

Speaking of players who came off the bench to score in the Women's EURO 2022 final, Toone's chip opened the scoring at Wembley against Germany. She was also a substitute on Matchday 1 in Switzerland against France, but after that loss Toone was brought into the starting line-up and she scored against both the Netherlands and Wales, a game where Toone also provided two assists.

In the last EURO, playmaker Toone and close friend Alessia Russo were England's supersub attacking combo, but now are the established starters in Sarina Wiegman's attack. A charismatic fan favourite, Toone got the late equaliser against Spain in the 2022 quarter-final, far from the only example of her knack for her best coming when needed most, combined with her creativity and consistency.

Aitana Bonmatí (Spain)

"I could write a book about that," said Bonmatí after her stylish extra-time winner against Germany, taking Spain to the final of a tournament of which days before it began she was in hospital with viral meningitis. A substitute in Spain's first two games, the twice Ballon d'Or winner was restored to the starting line-up against Italy on Matchday 3 and has not missed a minute since, setting up Athenea's 66th-minute opener in the quarter-final with Switzerland with a clever back-heel before her turn and planned near-post finish to beat Ann-Katrin Berger and Germany.

There is not much left to be said about Bonmatí's ability – along with her Ballon d'Or trophies, she claimed the Golden Ball when Spain won the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup (beating England in the final), as well as being named Player of the Season for the last three UEFA Women's Champions Leagues. Women's EURO is pretty much all that is missing from Bonmatí's medal collection and it is rare for any honour to elude her for long.

Patri Guijarro (Spain)

Guijarro might not win the headlines of Bonmatí or her many other stellar Spain and Barcelona team-mates but at Women's EURO 2025 the stats have spoken for themselves. The holding midfielder has completed 416 passes, over 50 more than anyone else (and 106 higher than the most for a non-Spain player) at an accuracy of close to 90%, and Guijarro's 32 ball recoveries tops the list outside of defenders (and is only three off the overall lead).

Patri Guijarro has been crucial for Spain at Women's EURO 2025UEFA via Getty Images

Of those passes, 109 were completed in the semi-final against Germany, and Alexia Putellas said her colleague "makes everything easier," something Guijarro also demonstrated in an excellent Barcelona season, the fulcrum that allows Bonmatí, Putellas and the other attacking stars the freedom to demonstrate their talents. It has been rare not to see her No12 shirt at the heart of everything Spain have done in Switzerland and if Toone and Co are to get the better of the final, they will have to work out how to stop Guijarro dominating once more.