Spain’s La Roja have won their first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup title after defeating England in a 1-0 clash on Sunday at the 2023 final in Sydney, Australia.
Jorge Vilda’s squad became the fifth team to lift the Women’s World Cup trophy, after the United States (4), Germany (2), Norway (1) and Japan (1).
The Lionesses started the game with attacking fervour as Lauren Hemp hit the crossbar in the 27th minute.
But in the 29th minute, Spain took the lead through Olga Carmona, who latched on to Mariona Caldentey’s through pass to put the ball past Mary Earps.
England won a free-kick just after the halfway point of the first period, but play was briefly paused when a male fan invaded the pitch. The invader was promptly tackled and forced off by security.
England started the second half in a 4-3-3 setup with the introduction of Lauren James.
Spain was however able to contain the attacking exploits of Sarina Weigman’s team.
In the 65th minute, a spot kick was awarded to Spain after Keira Walsh handled the ball in the penalty box. Mary Earps dived to her left to stop Hermoso’s shot and deny England a chance to level the game.
Chasing an elusive equaliser, England continued to struggle to string passes together in the final third as Spain took charge and dominated possession.
The Spanish team successfully fought off the English ladies to get crowned world champions for the first time.
