Exclusive - 'Crazy night, unbelievable' - Beth Mead's father and brother on England reaching Euro 2022 final

Last night, Beth Mead proved that it really is her world, and we’re all just living in it as she ended her one-game goal drought by scoring England’s opener in their 4-0 semi-final match against Sweden.

The game was somewhat nervy in the first half hour, with both sides seemingly easily matched, but in the 34th minute, Mead spun her body around and fired the ball into the far corner.

From there, the momentum was solely in England’s favour, with Sweden unable to handle wave after wave of attack. The hosts were extraordinarily dominant and were able to book their place in the final next week.

Eurosport spoke exclusively with Richard Mead, Beth’s father, before and after England’s semi-final, and Ben Mead, her brother, after the match to get their thoughts on the tournament as a whole and Mead’s importance to this current England side.

“What a crazy night. Unbelievable. I’m really, really proud of the whole team. [They] played absolutely brilliantly,” said Richard.

While the whole country is backing Mead and the team to go all the way and lift the trophy at Wembley, her family still can’t grasp how exceptional the entire tournament has been. They’ve always supported her club ambitions, but according to them, there is a clear difference between watching her play for her club versus for her country.

“With England at the moment, it’s a lot more emotional. You know, there are a lot more people behind [the team]. It is fantastic when she’s doing it for the club, but this is just another level. International football is just another level, especially when they’ve been doing as well as they are... It’s unreal,” Richard said.

“When it is your own on the pitches, you’re all too proud. All too proud of how she’s doing, all too proud of how the team’s doing. Words can’t describe it, really. It’s just an unbelievable, unbelievable feeling.”

Before the tournament, Mead had a fantastic season with Arsenal, as she took her game to a whole other level under new manager Jonas Eidevall. She was vital in the club’s push to the title, and while they just fell short in the end, coming in second to eventual winners Chelsea, Mead finished as the league’s third top goal scorer behind Sam Kerr and Vivianne Miedema, and the joint-top assister alongside Miedema, and Ella Toone.

Mead created a total of 72 chances in the league, 24 more than anyone else, while also proving her worth off the ball, being the WSL attacker who forced the most turnovers throughout the season. Her exceptional performances throughout the year won her Arsenal’s player of the season as voted by fans.

Despite her clear quality, Mead was shockingly not picked by Hege Riise, caretaker manager for England and Team GB, for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics last summer. Mead has said the snub spurred her on and forced her to take her game to another level.

“At the time, she was very, very, very disappointed,” Richard said. “But she took it on the chin. [She] was determined to get a good preseason, and I think it helped Beth with the fact that [Arsenal] had some Champions League games pre-[Euros]qualifiers, so she got into a rhythm very quickly, and she’s carried it on throughout the season.”

Mead’s goal against Sweden was not only the catalyst for what was an enthralling win, but it put her two goals ahead of Germany’s Alexandra Popp and fellow England team-mate Alessia Russo, who scored an incredibly cheeky backheel against Sweden, on the top goal-scorer chart. The Arsenal forward has also now equalled the most ever goals scored by a player in the competition, a feat that only Inka Grings accomplished in the 2009 edition when she helped Germany lift their seventh title.

“When [Mead] scores, it’s unreal. It’s the old cliché: It’s what dreams are made of. We’re just so, so proud of her. She did have a fantastic season and a fantastic tournament up until now,” said Richard.

“Electric, isn't it?” said Ben on his sister scoring that first goal against Sweden. “Well, you love to see it, but I don’t know, I get a bit emotional… You can’t really put it into words.”

The 27-year-old is now in pole position to win the tournament’s golden boot, which her family are quietly confident about.

“You’d like to [she’ll win it], wouldn’t you? Alexandra Popp is just behind her, isn’t she? Anything can happen, but as Beth always says. ‘it’s scoring goals for the team. That’s the priority. Anything else after that’s a bonus.’”

England have now done their job for the time being. They can relax as France takes on Germany tonight to see who will face the Lionesses in the final. The initial 87,200 tickets that were available for the tournament have been sold out, and the ones that the FA are making available now are selling incredibly fast. It will be a massive occasion for England, who have not been at a major tournament final since the 2009 Euros.

“I think the whole final will just be emotional. It’ll be an emotional day for us,” said her father.

“Beth has always had a dream. As parents, you see other people being interviewed and that over the years, and you think that it must be a fantastic experience, being a parent of somebody that’s [been] so successful. You know, you’d never dream that you’re in that situation, but here we are.

“These lasses at the moment, I think, are the pioneers out there for the next generation now. It’s getting more and more out there. When Beth started, there was nothing, you know? There was nothing professional or anything. So yeah, it’s great for the next generation to be able to look at these lasses that are playing now and aspire to win.”