ENGLAND star Alessia Russio targeted her best pal Ella Toone with a cheeky prank during a special reception at Downing Street.
The Lionesses were greeted by cheering crowds as they returned home on Monday after their Euro 2025 shootout victory over Spain.
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The team arrived for a celebratory reception, hosted by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and sports minister Stephanie Peacock, just before 7pm on Monday.
Number 10 was decorated for the occasion, with St George’s flags draped over windows and bunting along the railings.
And the Queens of Europe posed for a legendary team photograph outside the famous black door, with manager Sarina Wiegman taking centre stage.
But while stood outside No 10, Russo was caught trying to put Toone off by playfully sticking her finger in her teammate’s ear while photographers were gasping for pictures.
A shocked Toone, 26, quickly yanked her head away from Russo’s surprise prod, before facing back straight to smile for snaps.
The pair, who started every game of Euro 2025, could be seen holding back fits of laughter while they tried to stay composed.
Russo, 25, and Toone’s long-time friendship is well documented with the pair meeting in a youth England camp at the age of 12 and swiftly becoming inseparable.
Despite being from opposite ends of the country, striker Russo soon joined Toone at Manchester United in 2020, before leaving for Arsenal in 2023.
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The childhood friends, who also won Euro 2022 together, are set to join the team for an open-top bus victory parade of Central London on Tuesday.
Starting at 12.10pm, the bus will drive past fans along The Mall before ending with a staged ceremony at the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace at around 12.30pm.
Some of the team also took part in a ‘cringe’ video call from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who was unable to attend in person due to talks with US President Donald Trump in Scotland.
England defended their European title with a 3-1 penalty shootout over world champions Spain in Basel.
Sunday’s final was full of twists and turns, with England falling behind in the 25th minute to a header from Mariona Caldentey.
But the Lionesses roared back with a header of their own from Russo in the 57th minute to equalise the game.
Chloe Kelly smashed home the winning spot-kick following two saves from goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, helping the squad become first English team to win a major tournament on foreign soil.
Back home, more than 16 million people saw the match live on TV – the most-watched television moment of the year so far.
England are queens of Europe
