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. The match marked the first encounter between the two teams since the Euro 2025 final in July, where England emerged victorious on penalties. On this occasion, Lauren Hemp scored the decisive goal within the first three minutes, with goal-line technology confirming the ball had crossed the line by a mere inch. England dominated the first half, with Keira Walsh and Alessia Russo coming close to scoring, while Spain struggled to find their rhythm. The second half saw a shift in momentum, with both teams creating scoring opportunities. Olga Carmona and Vicky Lopez hit the woodwork for Spain, while Lucia Kendall, Lauren James, and Russo narrowly missed the target for England. Hannah Hampton made a crucial save late in the game to deny Edna Imade. The win puts England three points clear at the top of Group A3, with only the group winner qualifying automatically for the World Cup. England manager Sarina Wiegman expressed her satisfaction with the result, highlighting the team's defensive solidity and compactness. The team now looks forward to their next qualifier against Iceland on Saturday.