‘Football’s bellwether’ England and ‘invincible’ Spain will meet in the Women’s World Cup final.
England, ranked No. 4 by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), reached the final of the Women’s World Cup Australia-New Zealand 2023 with a 3-1 victory over hosts Australia (No. 10) in the quarterfinals at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday (June 16). England will play Spain (No. 6), who beat Sweden (No. 3) 2-1 the day before, for the title at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the same venue.
It is the first time both nations have reached the Women’s World Cup final. England’s best finish was third in Canada in 2015. They finished fourth in France in 2019. Spain made their first appearance in 2015. They reached the final this year after reaching the round of 16 in 2019.
The two teams met in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Women’s Championship last year. Back then, England won 2-1 in extra time to reach the quarterfinals and go on to win the tournament. The winner of this tournament will become only the second country to win both the Men’s and Women’s World Cups, joining Germany. 먹튀검증
England was led by three-time FIFA Women’s World Cup Coach of the Year (2017-2022) Sarina Wigman, who maximized their organizational strength. The ace in the hole is forward Lauren Hemp, who has three goals. Her attacking partners, including Alex Greenwood and Alessia Russo, provide support. England has been an emerging powerhouse in women’s soccer since the inception of the Women’s Super League (WSL) in 2011, driving both quality and quantity growth.
Spain’s 0-4 loss to Japan in the group stage was a bitter pill to swallow. They bounced back to win the round of 16 (5-1 over Switzerland), the quarterfinals (2-1 over the Netherlands), and the semifinals (2-1 over Sweden). Leading the way is 34-year-old veteran forward Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who is making his third appearance at the World Cup knockout stage. The top scorer is second-string forward Aitana Bonmati (three goals). After reaching the round of 16 at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, Spain launched its women’s professional soccer league (Liga F) in 2021 after two years of preparation.