England has taken a significant step towards automatic qualification for the Women's World Cup, securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Spain at Wembley. This win marks the first meeting 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's attack was uncharacteristically blunt, but they improved in the second half, with Olga Carmona and Vicky Lopez hitting the woodwork. England's goalkeeper, Hannah Hampton, made a crucial save late in the game to deny Edna Imade. This win 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, stating that the team had to defend well and be compact against a skilled Spanish side.
The Lionesses will face Iceland on Saturday in their next qualifier, while Spain will play Ukraine in Cordoba.