On Sunday, August 20, Spain defeated England 1-0 to win the Women’s World Cup for the first time in history. Olga Carmona’s goal in the first half was all it took.
At the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final in Sydney on Sunday, 20 August, Spain won their first Women’s World Cup title with a 1-0 victory over England.
A goal by Olga Carmona in the first half was enough for La Roja to win the global championship for the first time in history despite Jennifer Hermoso having a penalty saved by Mary Earps.
With the victory, Spain begins a historic FIFA Women’s World Cup run after previously failing to advance past the Round of 16. Spain had already achieved a first by reaching the final following knockout victories over Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Sweden; the triumph in the final was cause for an even greater celebration.
La Roja skillfully maintained control of the match from the opening kickoff, neutralizing any Lionesses’ offensive threats.
The 2022 European Champions managed an early opportunity—possibly their finest of the entire 90 minutes—but the ball struck the bar. Spain continued to dominate the match.
England struggled to break down Spain’s possession-heavy approach as La Roja continued to intimidate as a result, and the missed opportunity hit them dearly.
In the 17th minute, England’s Mary Earps made a spectacular stop to keep her team in the game and prevent Spain from scoring. However, it was all in naught as Olga Carmona quickly scored a goal at the halfway point with a powerful strike.
Of the 23 players on the team, 17 were making their World Cup debuts, including goalkeeper Cata Coll and striker Salma Paralluelo, who is 19 years old.
Vilda was not averse to taking risks despite the controversies that followed him around.
He gave Coll his senior debut after the loss to Japan, and Paralluelo came off the bench to score twice in back-to-back games as Spain played magnificently in the knockout stages before prevailing over England.
Despite all the ruckus outside the pitch, Spain’s players competed well.
Long-serving forward Jenni Hermoso talked movingly before the team’s semifinal victory over Sweden about the changes in the women’s game since she made her senior international debut in 2012, when she used to play in front of a few hundred spectators.
She celebrated her World Cup victory in front of 75,000 spectators on Sunday in Sydney.
Spain currently holds the senior, under-17, and under-20 women’s world championships.
