Has Spain ever won the Women's World Cup? History, best finish in FIFA tournaments

In recent years, Spain have emerged as one of the strongest teams in women's football with the country possessing some of the world's top players.

Central to this is star midfielder Alexia Putellas, the Barcelona midfielder who has won the best player of the year award from both FIFA and the Ballon d'Or for the last two years.

It was not always like this, though, with Spain lagging behind many other European nations until the mid 2010s, meaning their history and pedigree at the Women's World Cup is much lower than their rivals.

In their short time in prominence, have they ever managed to win the Women's World Cup? The Sporting News looks at their history.

MORE: Spain 2023 Women's World Cup squad

Spain history at Women's World Cup

Spain's history at the Women's World Cup was previously far less impressive than many of its rivals, as the side failed to qualify for the first six tournaments between 1991-2011.

They ended their long drought in 2015, when they qualified for the World Cup in Canada after finishing top of their qualifying group, however the tournament was a massive disappointment, as they drew with Costa Rica, but were defeated by Brazil and South Korea, meaning La Roja finished last in the group with just one point.

After the tournament, the entire Spanish squad released a letter demanding the Spanish Football Federation sack long serving coach Ignacio Quereda, a request that was granted, leading to the appointment of current coach Jorge Vilda.

Under Vilda, Spain have continued to improve, qualifying for the last two World Cups and experiencing greater success in these tournaments and the European Championships. In 2023, they became world champions for the first time.

What is Spain's best finish at Women's World Cup?

Spain's best World Cup performance came in 2023, when they reached the final for the first time and defeated England to become world champions.

La Roja achieved their previous best ever finish at the World Cup in 2019, where the team reached the Round of 16.

That year, they were able to achieve their first ever World Cup win against South Africa, coming from behind to win 3-1, before securing a point against China that helped them to the Round of 16, where they lost to eventual champions USA 2-1, conceding two penalties.

In Australia and New Zealand, they finished second in Group C, qualifying for the Round of 16. They thrashed Switzerland 5-1 before overcoming the Netherlands 2-1 in the quarterfinals. A flurry of late goals saw them defeat Sweden by the same scoreline in the semifinals, and Olga Carmona — who scored the winner in that match — struck the only goal of the game as they beat England in the final.

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Spain at the 2023 World Cup

Spain's World Cup campaign got off to the perfect start, with La Roja scoring three times in six first-half minutes to defeat Costa Rica 3-0 in Wellington, with Spain having an incredible 46 shots compared to just one shot fired in anger by their opponents.

They followed this up with another big victory against World Cup debutants Zambia, where they recorded a 5-0 win in Auckland, with Alba Redondo and Jennifer Hermoso scoring doubles.

This set up a mouthwatering final group stage clash with Japan to decide who would top the group, however Spain were blown away by a counter-attacking masterclass from Japan, with the Asian side scoring three times in the first half, and adding another goal in the second half to grab a stunning 4-0 victory, despite Spain having 77% possession.

It was a massive wake up call for Spain, and raises doubts as to whether the side has what it takes to beat the top tier of talent at the World Cup and in women's football. They responded in style, though, thrashing an obstinate Switzerland side 5-1 in their first knockout match.

Another dominant performance followed against the Netherlands, although Mariona Caldentey's late penalty was cancelled out by Stefanie van der Gragt in the dying minutes. Salma Paralluelo scored the winner in extra time.

The semifinal against Sweden followed a similar pattern: Paralluelo opened the scoring in the 81st minute only for Rebecka Blomqvist to equalise seven minutes later. Barely 60 seconds after the restart, Olga Carmona's powerful finish sent Spain into the final.

Carmona struck a fine goal in the first half against England, and that proved to be enough in the final in Sydney as Spain secured a memorable and deserved first World Cup trophy.