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Spain take on England in the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup at the Acor Stadium in Sydney. Both Spain and England are eyeing their first World Cup trophy. It is the first all-European final since 2003, when Germany beat Sweden. England have been on top of their game since winning the European Championship last summer, and Spain are in their first final less than a year since 15 players quit the team in protest. England, making their first final appearance at a World Cup - for men or women - since 1966, have been managed by Sarina Wiegman and seen a massive turnaround in fortunes and performance. Wiegman was on the losing side four years ago when as the Netherlands manager, she saw USA win 2-0. Nicknamed the Lionesses, England are coming off a 3-1 victory over co-hosts Australia and are unbeaten in the tournament. Spain, meanwhile, have defied expectations by reaching the World Cup final despite a near-mutiny by the players months ago. 15 players quit the national team citing mental health concerns and asked the federation to create a more professional environment. Jorge Vilda, at the heart of that controversy, has remained in charge and repeatedly thanked the Spanish FA for their support. La Roja earned their spot in the final after a 2-1 win over Sweden in the semi-finals. Their run this tournament has had a solitary blip when 2011 winners Japan convincingly thumped them in the group stage. Spain are also keen on ending a 13-year trophy drought. The last national side to win a World Cup was the men’s triumphing in 2010. Spain’s women team have never won a major tournament.
FIFA Women's World Cup Final Highlights: Spain beat England 1-0 to be crowned world champions
FIFA Women’s World Cup Highlights: Spain beat England 1-0 with an Olga Carmona strike.
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SPAIN ARE CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD!
FIFA Golden Ball Award
Aitana Bonmati of Spain is awarded the Golden Ball. Player of the tournament and you can hardly argue with that
FIFA Golden Glove Award
The Golden Glove, for the best goalkeeper, goes to England’s Mary Earps
FIFA Best Young Player of the 2023 Women’s World Cup
Spain’s Salma Paralluelo is the Best Young Player of the tournament
FIFA Women’s World Cup champions
1991: USA
1995: Norway
1999: USA
2003: Germany
2007: Germany
2011: Japan
2015: USA
2019: USA
2023: Spain
FULL TIME!
Spain are the FIFA Women’s World Cup champions! Olga Carmona’s first half strike the difference between the two sides at the end of the final. What a cracking final this was. From start to finish, this was edge of the seat stuff.
Spain vs England LIVE
90+11 mins: Hard to think this is the 101st minute of the game considering the lung bursting run by Hernandez and Greenwood keeping up with her. The England player navigates the ball to safety. She gets it to the other side but England’s backheel attempt is casual. Far too casual for this moment in the game
Spain vs England LIVE
90+10 mins: Spain get a second corner. Paredes almost on the end of it to score but it goes wide for a goal kick instead
Spain vs England LIVE
90+8 mins: Bonmati runs with the ball after a turnover near the half-way line. She has players on either side but none close enough so she has a go. The ball comes to Paralluelo who also has a shot but it is blocked away to a corner
Spain vs England LIVE
90+6 mins: England’s attempts at pushing the ball into the Spain area come to nothing. Try to build something down the right flank but Spain are equal to it
Spain vs England LIVE
90+4 mins: Cross from the right, Bronze is unable to control it, misses it completely and Paralluelo doesn’t read it. The ball goes away to safety for England’s sake. Spain don’t mind that either
Spain vs England LIVE
90+3 mins: Earps with a remarkable save! Gets down low and Batlle’s shot is saved! That was a nice shot, low, looking to go between the keeper’s legs but the England keeper is equal to it. Goes away for a corner. Nothing comes from the corner as Bronze clears to safety
Spain vs England LIVE
89 mins: Shot from distance by an England player but it is blocked, takes a deflection but sits up kindly for Coll to collect. At the other end, Hermoso has a shy at the England goal but the effort is blocked away for a corner.
Substitution: Caldentey is off for two-time Ballon d’Or winner Putellas
Spain vs England LIVE
87 mins: Toone comes off for England. Bethany England comes on. A game changer from her will be every headline writer’s dream!
Spain vs England LIVE
83 mins: Play underway after a lengthy stoppage. An aerial ball comes to Bronze who caresses it beautifully into the Spain area but there is no one attacking. Comfortably hold for Coll
Spain vs England LIVE
80 mins: Greenwood continues to get treatment. Looks like her head collided with Paralluelo’s raised knee. Greenwood looks okay to continue after being bandaged up properly
Spain vs England LIVE
78 mins: Spain’s Salma Paralluelo is booked for an elbow on an England defender. Greenwood stays down after the blow to the head/face
Spain vs England LIVE
76 mins: England making attacking efforts now. Bronze with a long range effort which went well over the crossbar. Then, James’ effort is saved by Spain keeper Coll but it goes away for a corner. That was destined for the roof of the net!
Spain vs England LIVE
74 mins: Codina goes off for Andres for Spain’s second chance. Codina had stayed down for a length period after a foul. She was not pleased at all with the tackle
PENALTY MISSED!
69 mins: England trying their best to put Hermoso off. Finally Hermoso has a shot, tries to send it to the keeper’s left but Mary Earps is equal to it. She goes down and clutches it. The crowd is pumped! Earps is pumped! This is cracking stuff!
Spain vs England LIVE
68 mins: There is a long conversation between the officials. Is that impeding play? Is that accidental? Is that close enough to the body? What’s it going to be? PENALTY! England are, expectedly, not happy!
Spain vs England LIVE
64 mins: Spain appeal for a handball! Caldentey tries to move up and take a shot but it has struck a hand. But is that enough for a penalty? Keira Walsh the player believed to have hand balled in the area. There is a VAR check underway. The referee has been told to go have a look at the screen
Spain vs England LIVE
62 mins: Bonmati surges forward, England players backpeddle and give her the opportunity to take a shot. She reconsiders for a moment before letting fly and the shot goes over the bar. That was a brilliant shot but just over
Spain vs England LIVE
60 mins: Substitution for Spain now. Redondo goes off for Hernandez.
Spain vs England LIVE
53 mins: Chloe Kelly with a perfect ball from the right. Gorgeous shape on it but unluckily for her and England, there’s no one attacking it. Comes to Hemp who lashes wide. Moments later, Hemp is booked for a late challenge on Codina
Substitutions
England have made two changes at the break. Russo and Daly are out for James and Kelly. Those are bold moves by Wiegman
Some amusing fan posters in Sydney
First half in numbers
HALF TIME!
At the break, Spain lead England 1-0 courtesy an Olga Carmona goal. Hemp had hit the woodwork for England but Spain have grown into the game since
???????? Spain 1-0 England ????????????????????????????
Spain vs England Live
Just one minute added on. Bonmati is in acres of space to run down the right but her cross is well behind her teammates. The half comes to a close with Paralluelo hitting the outside of the England post.
Spain vs England Live
42 mins: Lauren Hemp once again making things happen for England who have suddenly lost their momentum. Hemp dribbles and carries the ball forward. The move eventually comes to nothing after a pass from the right by Russo looked to find Toone. But Toone didn’t get the contact and the glorious chance is wasted. Luckily for her, it was offside
Spain vs England Live
38 min: The ball is in the England box, sits up nicely and perfectly for a half-volley and Paredes has a go at it but the left footed effort goes wide. A possible chance goes begging with Paredes not making the space count
A pitch invader entered the field before the goal and was swiftly taken away. They wore a T-shirt which said “Free Ukraine”
SPAIN LEAD!
Lucy Bronze looked to get the ball out of England’s half and almost succeeded but ran out of teammates and room. Spain get the ball, run it down the left flank and Olga Carmona unleashes a fierce low left-footed strike that beats the England keeper Earps.
Spain 1-0 England (Carmona 30’)
England vs Spain Live
18 min: Paralluelo misses from two yards out! Spain hit back immediately and Paralluelo is stationed at the far post. She has the space and the time to score but somehow gets her timing on the shot wrong. Doesn’t make the right contact, hits the keeper directly and the chance goes begging. What a contest this has been so far!
England vs Spain Live
16 min: CROSSBAR! Lauren Hemp hits the woodwork! The England player tries to casually pass the ball into the top of the Spain net but hits the woodwork instead. That was a glorious chance
England vs Spain Live
13 min: Spain move swiftly on the counter and Paralluelo has plenty of space after some very well worked out passes by the women in red-and-blue. Luckily for England, Paralluelo’s cross from the left only finds a defender. That could have been something
England vs Spain Live
11 min: Russo tries to wiggle her way into the Spain area and try and take a shot but it has been taken away from her. That was a neat pass from Hemp and Russo tried to bulldoze her way through
England vs Spain Live
England and Spain both making inroads into the opponent’s area. Hemp with a low shot straight at Coll. It didn’t have the power or placement to bother the Spain keeper. At the other end, Spain bomb down the right wing but the cross is touch too much and it doesn’t find anyone at the far post
The closing ceremony is over, the national anthems are done. Time for the toss and pretty soon, the play to commence in the World Cup final
