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 match began with a strong start for England, as Lauren Hemp scored the opening goal within three minutes, with goal-line technology confirming the ball had crossed the line by a mere inch. England continued to dominate the first half, with Keira Walsh and Alessia Russo coming close to scoring. Spain's attack, however, appeared uncharacteristically blunt, managing only one shot on target. 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 fired agonizingly wide for England. Hannah Hampton made a crucial save late in the game, denying Edna Imade from point-blank range. This 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 win is a significant boost to their qualification hopes.
England manager Sarina Wiegman expressed her happiness with the result, stating that the team had to defend well against a skilled Spanish side. Wiegman also praised Keira Walsh on her 100th cap, highlighting her development and importance to the team. England midfielder Keira Walsh noted that the team's plan was to sit in a low block and capitalize on scoring opportunities, acknowledging that Spain's possession-based game made it difficult to match them toe-to-toe.
The win is a significant statement from England, demonstrating their ability to compete with top-tier teams, even without some of their regular starters. The team will look to build on this momentum as they face Iceland on Saturday.