England have taken a significant step towards automatic qualification for the Women's World Cup after 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 perfect start, with Lauren Hemp scoring the opener within three minutes, and the goal was confirmed by goal line technology.
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 an end-to-end battle, with both teams wasting big opportunities. Olga Carmona and Vicky Lopez hit the woodwork for Spain, while Lucia Kendall, Lauren James, and Russo fired agonizingly wide for England. 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.
Wiegman also praised Keira Walsh on her 100th cap, highlighting her development and importance to the team. Walsh herself acknowledged the challenge of playing against Spain and the need to adapt their strategy to sit in a low block and capitalize on counter-attacks. The win is a significant step forward for England's World Cup qualification, and they will look to build on this momentum in their next match against Iceland.