Spain's Olga Carmona celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the final of Women's World Cup soccer between Spain and England at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)England vs Spain, Women’s World Cup 2023 Final: Spain beat England by a margin of 1-0 in the final of the Women’s World Cup on Sunday. This was courtesy of a firm strike from Olga Carmona from the left wing that beat England goalkeeper Mary Earps in the first half. Carmona, a left back, has scored in back-to-back World Cup games for Spain. The Spanish team has a tournament-best 18 goals in this World Cup.
Spain were awarded a penalty shortly after the hour mark for a handball by midfielder Keira Walsh. However, goalkeeper Mary Earps saved Jennifer Hermoso’s spot kick by diving to her left. England coach Sarina Wiegman made a number of changes, including bringing on forward Lauren James, but they could not find an equaliser as Spain clung on to win their first major title.
With this win, Spain also became only the second nation to clinch both the men’s and the women’s World Cups after Germany. Follow highlights below.
FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 live: The contrast between the England men and women when it comes to attacking approach is palpable. (AP/Twitter)
Last moment of the game and England have a corner. Goalkeeper Earps comes in ! Can England find a way ? No they can't ! Referee blows the whistle and SPAIN ARE THE WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS. Jubilant Spain supporters cheered loudly and waved flags after their team beat England 1-0 in Sydney. Olga Carmona's goal put La Roja, as the Spanish women's team are known, ahead in the first half and they created the majority of the clearcut chances in the match. Coach Vilda became only the second male coach to win a major women's tournament - the World Cup, the Olympics and the Euros - since 2000.
Spain break forward and they win a corner deep into injury time. Spain have played their hearts out and at the end of the day there could have been a lot more goals if it wasn't for Earps.
ENG 0-1 ESP
Putellas is fouled by Stanway and Spain win a free kick.
ENG 0-1 ESP
Another important save by Earps to keep England in the game otherwise Batlle almost sealed the deal for Spain. Earps is the only England player that doesn't deserve a defeat. What an outstanding performance from her
ENG 0-1 ESP
Carter with a superb recovery challenge to block a shot behind. Caldentey is off for Putellas. We are going to have 13 added minutes. That is a lot of time for England to try for a goal
ENG 0-1 ESP
Hermoso is the latest player to go down and she calls for treatment after being caught late. Meanwhile, Toone is off for England
ENG 0-1 ESP
A stoppage now for England as Greenwood is down. Paralluelo is. Greenwood will continue after getting a headband to stop the bleeding
ENG 0-1 ESP
After Carmona defends stoically, Greenwood gets a lovely ball in but Spain defend well and once they come forward. We are into the final 15 minutes of the match and England need to find themselves a goal.
ENG 0-1 ESP
That save has really ignited the spirits among England fans and the Lioness seem charged up but they do not have much time. Meanwhile, Codina goes down and it does seem like she is going to subbed.
ENG 0-1 ESP
Spain get penalty for Keira Walsh handball ! Hermoso steps up but Earps picks the right way to make the stop. WHAT A SAVE! WHAT A MOMENT IN THE GAME
ENG 0-1 ESP
Spain really pushing for a second goal. The bench and players are appealing for a handball; Paralluelo eventually clips a shot just past the post. VAR taking a look
ENG 0-1 ESP
SUB SPAIN! Spain make their first change of the game as Redondo is taken off. In comes Hernandez. Meanwhile, Bonmati comes close to scoring with a good shot from outside the box. England survive again
ENG 0-1 ESP
England being marshalled so well inside Spain's half, Hemp not making many runs behind and Kelly not having the effect so far that was needed from her. Need to be a little more positive and forward-thinking as the build-up is quite slow at times from England ! England's Lauren Hemp has been shown the yellow card!
ENG 0-1 ESP
Caldentey is able to go past the defender and Caldentey takes a shot from the edge of the area, it’s a powerful one and Earps makes a great save
ENG 0-1 ESP
Back underway in the second half. A double change at the break for England as Daly and Russo come off for James and Kelly. 45 minutes for England to find a goal.
ENG 0-1 ESP
Ahead of her first World Cup final, Irene Paredes stated, "I'm not the only captain." Spain have had the luxury of three at these finals. Olga Carmona, at 23, has been the youngest in the trio. Up until today, she had only one goal to show for her international career. At halftime in Sydney, she has another. The only goal of this World Cup final so far. A switch of ends following England's loss of possession freed her to carve and overlapping run into the opposition box. Seldom is the importance of decleration in football runs given weightage. Today it should be. Just as Carmona was fed the pass via Mariona Caldentey, the former had one of the two options. To take an extra touch and minimise the distance between herself and the goal. Instead, she decided to go at it the first time and rather take the extra second in lacing her left foot. Just a hint of drop in the pace before a left footed low finish at the far post. Any longer and Alessia Russo may have snuffed it out. She couldn't.
ENG 0-1 ESP
In the final moments of the first half, England and Spain miss one chance each. Hemp had her cross into the box but the accuracy let her down. And in the last touch of the game, Spain almost scored again. Shot by Salma Paralluelo and the ball hits the post. Whew! Almost 2-0!
ENG 0-1 ESP
As we head into halftime, Spain look in total control as England are forced to sit deeper than they would like. England had their chances in this half when when Georgia Stanway broke into the box and got the ball to Lucy Bronze, who shot high. Daly teed up Lauren Hemp, who fired from outside the area but the ball hit the crossbar.
ENG 0-1 ESP
England need to equalize. Spain going into the 2nd half at an advantage will make it difficult for England to equalize at the pace at which they are playing at
ENG 0-1 ESP
Bronze bags a header but gives it back to Spain, the pass comes to Paralluelo, who collects it well! Spain continue to retain the ball and England are losing the midfield battle.
ENG 0-1 ESP
GOAL! Carmona scores for Spain! What a finish from the left back, low and hard into the corner! Brilliantly done from one of the players of the tournament. Spain is bossing this final and they should probably have scored through Paralluelo. England's only hope is on the break with Hemp and Russo
ENG 0-1 ESP
A protestor has entered the field and so there is a delay before England take the free kick and it is a tame effort at the end.
ENG 0-0 ESP
Spain continue to enjoy the possession and England need to be careful. Meanwhile, England get a shot on target as Toone lays it off to Hemp but it is straight at the keeper.
ENG 0-0 ESP
Just mins after England hit the bar, Spain counter attck with Paralluelo! A fine cross lands inside the box and the shot is taken but a huge save from Earps denies a goal. Both teams are showing a lot of attacking instinct and creativity.
ENG 0-0 ESP
Hemp hits the woodwork! England with a good passing build up and get into the box, and Hemp takes a shot which hits the top of the bar. What a chance and a huge moment in the game
ENG 0-0 ESP
England win first corner of the game. It is taken from the right and the ball is sent in and Coll jumps and clears it away before any damage.
ENG 0-0 ESP
Bonmati with a strong run and sends a cross. It falls to Redondo but the unfortunately the ball goes out of play. England have to be careful and not offer space to Redondo on the right.
ENG 0-0 ESP
Spain now have some possession and Paralluelo is on the ball but Bright stops it midway. After a throw-in, the ball finds Hemp who takes a shot inside the box but no harm done.
ENG 0-0 ESP
Both team are looking to get control and authority in the early part of the final but have been stopped in the final third.
ENG 0-0 ESP
England will be sporting a 3-5-2 formation, while Spain have opted for a 4-1-2-3. England to kick things off here at Stadium Australia and they have some early possession.
The atmosphere is electric, the anthems are done. pre-match photos taken, pendants exchanged. It’s time.
Group stages
Spain 3-0 Costa Rica
Spain 5-0 Zambia
Spain 0-4 Japan
Round of 16
Spain 5-1 Switzerland
Quater-final
Spain 2-1 Netherlands
Semi-finals
Spain 2-1 Sweden
Group stages
England 1-0 Haiti
England 1-0 Denmark
England 6-1 China
Round of 16
England 0-0 Nigeria (England won 4-2 on penalties)
Quater-final
England 2-1 Colombia
Semi-finals
England 3-1 Australia
“I'm really happy for the fans back home, for our nation. It's something that we've all been driving towards and it's something that's been missing. Now the opportunity we have is incredible. You can win in many different ways and, for us, we’ve faced so many challenges at this tournament. It's hard for people to see on the outside, but as players, we know that there's more to football than just pretty passes and connecting. In each game, we've proved something different about how we play, what we're capable of. We're very adaptable to what teams throw at us. But things are really starting to click now and we’re getting the ball in the back of the net.” - Millie Bright, England captain
“We’re in the World Cup final. The World Cup final. It’s unbelievable. It’s a very special moment. It’s an incredible feeling for all of us. Some of us are very lucky. We’ve won two Champions Leagues with Barcelona. We’ve played at Camp Nou many times. We have the record crowd – 90,000 people came to see us play. We’ve played in many big games with big crowds, great atmospheres. But playing a World Cup final in front of 75,000, it will be crazy. I can’t believe it’s going to happen. Am I in a dream? To play in a World Cup final is already very special, but this will be on another level. This tournament has been amazing for women’s football. The standard of football, the great games, the atmospheres. To get the chance to play in the final is something we’ve dreamed about for so long."
Not just England, it's also a first Women's World Cup final for Spain. A month back, that had seemed improbable. A year ago, more on the lines of impossible. Back in September 2022, a mutiny within the Spanish camp had led to 15 players stating that they did not wish to be picked up for the national side. ‘Las 15’, they’d come to be known as. The mutiny? Demanding changes to the national team set-up, putting under scanner the head coach Jorge Vilda, in whose tenure the national side had failed to win a championship knockout match since 2015. The chemistry between the players and the head coach has been visibly awkward. The scenes following the final whistle in the semifinal when Vilda came on the pitch, arms wide sprung, but none of the Spanish players came his way evidenced the same. It'd get even more awkward when the head coach was asked in the pre-final PC what he has done to improve the dressing room atmosphere. "Next question please," pat came the response.
The success of La Roja however, has been owing to a temporary compromise that's been reached between the management and coaching staff. Before the competition began, full-back Ona Batlle, one of ‘las 15’, said in an interview with The Athletic that the players “know what we’re here for” and added: “You don’t have to be best friends with your team-mate to coordinate on the pitch”.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin was not in attendance for the Women’s World Cup final despite the championship match featuring two European teams. England and Spain were facing off for what will be the first Women's World Cup title for either team. UEFA instead was represented by Nadine Kessler, technical director of women’s soccer.
England retained the same starting lineup for the Women’s World Cup final as the Lionesses' used in their seminal victory, which meant playmaker Lauren James was on the bench Sunday against Spain.
Earps (GK), Bronze, Walsh, Greenwood, Bright, Stanway, Daly, Toone, Hemp, Carter, Russo.
Rahul Pandey: Sarina Wiegman had just registered her 37th win in charge of England. This, from 38 games. In her latest triumph from the sidelines she had managed to rout the only team that had taken down the Lionesses during her stint. The World Cup hosts playing in front of a vociferous fanbase. That adrenaline did power captain Sam Kerr to have a go from 25 yards out but it was never going to be enough to hold the juggernaut that's been this England women's team. And so, when Wiegman said, "It feels like we've already won it (World Cup)," one could understand where she was coming from. The Dutch manager would quickly add though, "...but we haven't." One win is all her side needs to become the world champions for the first time in their history. A history cut short by over fifty years when the English Football Association banned women from playing on their pitches for over half a century. Cut to 2023, in almost the same time period, the women's national team has the opportunity to complete the elusive Euros and world double. Coincidentally, the team that claimed the men's world title last year also had a continental and Finalissima trophy to go with it.
England symbolizes physicality; Spain captures the refinement of the game. As Jose Mourinho once remarked eloquently: “In England kids are taught to win. In Spain and Portugal the kids are taught to play.”
Coll (GK), Batlle, Paredes, Codina, Carmona, Abelleira, Bonmati, Hermoso, Redondo, Caldentey, Paralluelo
Hello and welcome to the live updates of the FIFA Women's world cup 2023 final between Spain and England. Both the teams have been sensational through the group stages and deserved to be in the blockbuster final. With both teams playing attacking brand of football we are expected to have a cracker of a game stay with us for all the live updates.