The English women's national team has taken a significant step towards automatic qualification for the Women's World Cup with a narrow 1-0 victory over Spain at Wembley Stadium. This match marked the first encounter between the two teams since the Euro 2025 final, where England emerged victorious on penalties after defending their title. The Lionesses made an ideal start, with Lauren Hemp scoring the opening goal within three minutes, confirmed by goal-line technology to have crossed the line by a mere inch.
Despite Spain's efforts, England maintained their lead throughout the game, with both teams creating scoring opportunities. The English team's defense played a crucial role in securing the win, as they held off Spain's attacks and limited their scoring chances. England's manager, Sarina Wiegman, expressed her happiness with the result, acknowledging that her team had to defend diligently against a skilled Spanish side. 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's next qualifier is against Iceland, while Spain faces Ukraine.