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, securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Spain at Wembley Stadium. The win marks the first meeting between the two teams since the Euro 2025 final, where England emerged victorious on penalties. Lauren Hemp scored the opening goal within three minutes, which was confirmed by goal-line technology. England dominated the first half, with Keira Walsh and Alessia Russo coming close to scoring. Spain improved 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, with only the top team qualifying automatically for the World Cup. England manager Sarina Wiegman expressed her happiness with the result, praising her team's defensive efforts and compactness. The team will face Iceland in their next qualifier, while Spain will play Ukraine. England midfielder Keira Walsh, who earned her 100th cap, acknowledged the team's strategy to sit back and counter-attack, and praised the team's performance despite missing some regular starters.