England Lionesses to lose massive amount of Euro prize money after victory parade

 England Women clinched their second European Championship title in three years by defeating Spain and doing the nation proud.

But now Sarina Wiegman's heroes might see a hefty slice of their winnings disappear due to tax obligations on their earnings, as the taxman is set to come calling after their glorious homecoming and victory parade.

The Lionesses had to rally from behind in the Euro 2025 final after Mariona Caldentey nodded in the opener for Spain in the first half. Alessia Russo fired back with an equaliser just shy of the hour mark, pushing the match into extra time and eventually penalties.

England's keeper Hannah Hampton pulled off two stunning saves in the shootout, while Chloe Kelly slotted home the decisive penalty, sending England supporters into raptures.

UEFA confirmed ahead of the tournament that a record-breaking £34million in prize money was up for grabs for the 16 competing nations.

A whopping £4.4m was earmarked for the victors, including performance bonuses, with teams required to share between 30% and 40% of their prize money with the players, reports the Express.

According to reports, the Lionesses hashed out a bonus structure with the FA before Euro 2025, with The Guardian revealing that England's stars would pocket a collective £1.75m if they hoisted the trophy.

Following England's victory, top audit, tax and business advisory firm, Blick Rothenberg, disclosed that over three quarters of a million pounds could be shaved off the Lionesses' winnings and paid to HMRC.

Robert Salter, a director at the firm, said: "The Lionesses will be delighted with their win at Euro 2025 for what it represents and the hard work that went into it.

"But they will have a hefty tax bill to pay to HMRC on their prize money, at a combined total tax and National Insurance Contributions (NIC) liability of roughly £788,900 for the whole squad.

"Although the Lionesses are not earning as much as their male counterparts, the average per player bonuses of £73,000 each will ensure that all of the squad's players become liable to an effective marginal tax rate of 47 per cent - 45 per cent income tax and 2 per cent NIC on their income above the £125,140 per annum threshold, meaning they could be paying around £34,300 each in tax."

He added: "In addition to the tax and NIC payable on the winning bonuses by the players personally, the FA should be liable to employers' NIC on the prize bonuses, which will cost the FA c £255,000 more.

"Many players are also making significant amounts through marketing, appearance fees and image rights, which are also liable to tax.

"Their earnings from this are likely to increase significantly over the coming months given their success and the ongoing growth in the profile of the women's game, meaning HMRC will be getting even more tax 'wins' in the future."