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 narrow 1-0 victory over Spain at Wembley Stadium. This win marks the first encounter between the two teams since the Euro 2025 final in July, where England emerged victorious on penalties. The Lionesses made a strong start, with Lauren Hemp scoring the opening goal within three minutes, which was confirmed by goal-line technology. England continued to dominate the first half, with Keira Walsh and Alessia Russo coming close to scoring. Spain, however, had a stronger start to the second half, with Olga Carmona and Vicky Lopez hitting the woodwork, but England's defense held strong. The win 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 a skilled Spanish side. The Lionesses will face Iceland in their next qualifier on Saturday, while Spain will play Ukraine in Cordoba.