Lucky shirts and match day rituals: England fans dream of Euros glory

"Were in another final, am I dreaming?"

This, one England fan tells me, will probably be his first thought when he wakes up on Sunday – the day England take on Spain in a bid to retain their title as Euro 2025 champions.

Alex, from London, is one of many enthusiastic supporters of the Lionesses that will be at the match, which is taking place at St Jakob-Park in the Swiss city of Basel.

Just one match stands in the way of England lifting the trophy and Alex is one of many fans planning how to spend the day so he can handle his nerves.

Echoing the teams focus on wellness he says "Ill try and go for a walk before the game, because its a really nice, calming atmosphere when its just myself".

His is the voice of experience - the first final of a major womens tournament that Alex attended was the World Cup final in 2011, which was held in Germany.

"Womens football is a really amazing environment. You can talk to so many people," he says, adding that he used to be "quite insecure" but has been able to gain confidence in the inclusive atmospheres of tournaments like this one.

Like any seasoned football fan, Alex has, over the years, developed a few superstitions that will be in play on Sunday ahead of the match.

These involve getting up at 09:00 on the dot and drinking from the same coffee mug.

"I find mugs give me good luck," he laughs before adding that he tries to stay off social media because it can make him anxious.

Alex isnt the only England supporter I meet at one of Basels fan zones, that has match day rituals.

Izzy, from Kent, who spent her 18th birthday watching Englands semi-final against Italy, says she has to put her jewellery on in a certain order.

She also likes to wear her grandfathers Arsenal top that dates from the mid-90s -but because she wasnt expecting to still be in Switzerland for the final has instructed her mum – who is also a womens football fan - to wear it instead.

"I just want to be there [the stadium] now," she says. "I think we can do it."

Everyone I speak to tells me their pre-match plans involve meeting up with other fans at their designated headquarters in the Messeplatz area sometime during the morning, ahead of their walk to the stadium in the afternoon.

Jessica, from Doncaster in South Yorkshire, plans to get up at around 07:00 and get her England home shirt on. All England fans have been asked to wear white for the final if possible.

She will then grab some breakfast on her way out.

"You know when youre nervous, you cant eat properly, so I need to eat in the morning," Jessica says.

She came out to Switzerland on Thursday morning and has never been to a Euros final before, having only become interested in womens football in the past year.

"I would have got into it sooner, but I just genuinely never knew about it. The coverage wasnt good," she says.

Jessica is one of the many fans who have travelled alone to Switzerland and for whom the sense of community is a big thing.

While coming to Switzerland and getting a ticket to the final has not been cheap, for her "its about the memories and the people you meet - its just amazing," she says.

When asked about Englands chances, shes in no doubt.

"Weve got the fans, weve got the atmosphere, weve got the energy.

"Weve got the players on the field and on the bench and I think weve got a very, very good chance."

Tehya, Izzys friend, tells me she will also try to have a "light breakfast" to line her stomach ahead of the match and speak to her family back in the UK.

The pair had planned to head home on Friday because they couldnt afford tickets to the final but managed to get hold of some spares and arrange extra time off work.

If England win they plan to celebrate through the night, as they have to be at the airport for a 06:00 flight back to the UK on Monday.

Like Izzy, Tehya has limited outfit options. She only brought the England away shirt - which is not white - but that wont affect her support for the Lionesses, whom she says have "dug deep" during the competition.

"Theyve played to the last whistle. They havent stopped fighting. I think thats whats so special about this team, which no other team has."