SPAIN defeated England 1-0 in the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Sydney, Australia today to win the trophy for the first time.
Olga Carmona struck in the 29th minute to secure the victory for Spain over the European champions.
It could have been a more comfortable victory for Spain but Jennifer Hermoso’s weak penalty in the 70th minute — awarded for handball after a lengthy video assistant referee (VAR) review — was saved by England goalkeeper Mary Earps.
Spain are now the first team in women’s football history to be reigning World Cup champions at Under-17, Under-20 and senior level.
Before this edition of the Women’s World Cup, the farthest Spain had reached was the round of 16 in France four years ago, where they lost 2-1 to eventual winners United States of America.
Remarkably, the new champions have only ever attended three editions of the Women’s World Cup: 2015, 2019 and 2023.
In Australia and New Zealand, Spain finished second in their group after victories over Costa Rica and Zambia and a stunning 4-0 defeat to Japan.
They then dismantled Switzerland 5-1 in the round of 16, edged out Netherlands 2-1 in the quarter-finals and overcame Sweden by the same scoreline in the semi-finals.
