England Moves Closer to World Cup Qualification with Victory Over Spain

England has taken a significant step towards automatic qualification for the Women's World Cup with a hard-won 1-0 victory over Spain at Wembley Stadium. This match marked the first encounter between the two teams since the Euro 2025 final in July, where England emerged victorious on penalties after defending their title. The Lionesses made a perfect start, with Lauren Hemp scoring the opening goal within three minutes, confirmed by goal-line technology. England maintained their dominance in the first half, with Keira Walsh and Alessia Russo coming close to scoring. Spain, however, showed improvement in the second half, with Olga Carmona and Vicky Lopez hitting the woodwork, but England's defense held strong. The victory puts England three points clear at the top of Group A3, ahead of Spain, with only the top team qualifying automatically for the World Cup in Brazil. England manager Sarina Wiegman expressed her happiness with the result, stating that the team had to defend well against Spain's skilled players. The Lionesses will face Iceland in their next qualifier, while Spain will play Ukraine. The match also marked a milestone for Keira Walsh, who earned her 100th cap, and was praised by Wiegman for her development and contribution to the team.