England’s Hannah Hampton Used Genius Tactic During Penalty Shootout vs Spain

Although it was Chloe Kelly’s name adorned in the lights following England’s penalty shootout win against Spain in the 2025 European Championships final, it was Hannah Hampton who was the Lionesses’ stand-out star for saving two Spain spot kicks. She used a never-seen-before tactic to her advantage.

Handed the Player of the Match award in the wake of their victory, Hampton – who has played her club football for Chelsea since 2023 – saved penalties from Caldentey, Spain’s goalscorer in normal time, and two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati.

Hampton had big gloves to fill after Mary Earps announced that her international career was over just five weeks before Euro 2025. The 24-year-old had already begun to win over Wiegman – but Earps’ retirement was the final nail in the coffin.

Hampton’s Never-Seen-Before Tactic During Penalty Shootout

The 27-year-old’s cheeky ploy paid off as she saved two of Spain’s spot kicks

Hampton’s story is incredible: doctors told her that she wouldn’t become a footballer due to the condition she was born with. Per The Athletic, she was born with strabismus or eye misalignment – which means one eye turns in a different direction to the other and, at the age of three, she’d undergone three operations.

In February 2022, Hampton made her senior England debut in a 0-0 draw with Spain in the 2022 Arnold Clark Cup – so it just makes sense that the biggest game of her career also came against the Spaniards. Saving two penalties is no mean feat, remember!

Beth Mead ‘double-touched’ penalty was ruled out – but she was also allowed to re-take her opportunity from 12 yards out. But why was that?

She did, however, have a little bit of help from her cheat sheet. Before the players returned to the pitch in order to find out their destiny, she was spotted having a chat with England’s coaching staff near the dugouts – and there on her forearm was a sticker that had a bunch of top tips on it.

Previously, goalkeepers have plastered such information on their water bottles – but Hampton took it one step further to ensure the guidance was readily available. There was no chance that Hampton was risking her bottle being taken, and it certainly worked to her advantage.

Hampton, who played every single minute under Wiegman’s watch at Euro 2025, was to thank as her cheeky ploy came off – and she was grinning from ear to ear when admitting that she had lost track of the score during the chaos of the penalty shootout.

Last season at club level, Hampton was more than integral in Chelsea’s Women’s Super League Campaign as the Blues went unbeaten: the capital club conceded just 13 goals in 22 outings, which was marked as a division-best tally, and won the title at a canter.