Isle of Wight player Lucy Scholes has been crowned a European champion after helping England win the 2026 Women’s Deaf European Championship in Croatia.
Lucy was selected by head coach Steve Daley as part of the England women’s deaf futsal squad for the tournament, which took place in Poreč between 10th and 21st March at the Zatika Sports Hall.
England made an impressive start to the championship by defeating Poland 4-2 in their opening group game, before following that up with another strong victory over Italy. They then wrapped up top spot in Group B with a 4-2 win over France to book their place in the semi-finals.
That set up a last-4 clash with the Republic of Ireland – the same side who knocked England out of the World Championships at the quarter-final stage in June 2025. This time, England got their revenge with a 3-1 victory to secure their place in the final.
On finals day, Saturday 21st March, England produced another composed display to beat Poland 2-0 and be crowned European champions, completing the tournament with a perfect record of 5 wins from 5. Lucy Scholes was named among the England substitutes for the final in Croatia.
The triumph was about more than silverware, shining a light on the talent, commitment and determination within the deaf sporting community and providing inspiration for the next generation of players.
For Lucy, the success comes after months of commitment, including mainland travel for training camps and the sacrifices required to compete at elite international level.
Thanks have gone to the Isle of Wight Council’s Talented Athlete Scheme, Wightlink for discounted ferry travel, One Leisure for gym membership, as well as family and friends for their support. BAE has also been thanked for its continued backing of Lucy’s football and futsal journey.
