Spain have won the World Cup for the first time after defeating England 1-0 in the final in Sydney.
Olga Carmona's well taken strike in the first half was all La Roja needed as they put in a strong and relentless performance, and also had a Jennifer Hermoso penalty saved in the second half.
It was an entertaining final that looked to be evenly matched right from the off as both sides aimed to attack one another and exploit the spaces in behind the respective backlines; Lauren Hemp had England's best chance of the half when she cannoned a shot off the crossbar.
Spain almost scored moments later through Redondo, but they would not be denied in the 29th minute when a swift counter attack saw roaming left-back Carmona attack the space vacated by Lucy Bronze, and her first-time finish fizzed past Earps and into the bottom corner.
England were rattled after the goal and lost control of the game; Sarina Wiegman made a tactical shift to a back four at half-time and also introduced the returning Lauren James from the bench in an attempt to spark the Lionesses into life, but it would be Spain who had the next big chance when Keira Walsh was adjudged to handle in the box.
Hermoso stepped up, but couldn't convert as her poor penalty was saved by Earps.
England pushed to find a winner but struggled to create meaningful opportunities, as a relentless Spain side harried them and even created chances of their own in stoppage time, and were able to slow the game down enough to wind down the clock and create history by winning a first ever World Cup and trophy in just their third tournament.
MORE: List of World Cup winners
Spain vs England result score
| Final score | Goalscorers | |
| Spain | 1 | Carmona 29' |
| England | 0 | — |
Starting lineups:
Spain starting lineup: 23. Coll (GK) — 2. Batlle, 4. Paredes, 14. Codina (Andres 73'), 19. Carmona — 6. Bonmati, 3. Abelleira, 10. Hermoso — 8. Caldentey (Putellas 90'), 18. Paralluelo, 17. Redondo (Hernandez 60')
England starting lineup: 1. Earps (GK) — 16. Carter, 6. Bright, 5, Greenwood — 2. Bronze, 8. Stanway, 4. Walsh, 9. Daly (James 46') — 10. Toone (England 87')— 23. Russo (Kelly 46'), 11. Hemp
MORE: Spain vs England head-to-head record
England right flank exposed in first half
After an even opening period of the game, Spain began to ruthlessly target England's right flank, where wing-back Lucy Bronze often played as a winger with the ball, and Jess Carter shifted to right-back to make a back four.
Whilst it made England a threat in the attacking third, it left them vulnerable to counter attacks, and that is exactly how Spain's goal occurred, with the Lionesses losing possession and Carmona finding the space vacated by an advancing Bronze.
It was not the only moment of the first half England were exposed, and Sarina Wiegman was forced to move to a back four to negate the problems caused by the system.
Whilst it made England less vulnerable, they still struggled to gain control of the game after the goal, and will be left to rue their openness in the first half.
Relentless Spain show their class
After Spain's 4-0 loss to Japan in the group stages — not to mention their tumultuous preparations for the tournament — not many expected Spain to be a threat let alone reach the final, yet they have done that and more to win the World Cup.
They were fearless from the first kick, with Salma Paralluelo up front causing problems for England's centre-backs with her energy, and Spain's midfield pressed England into oblivion, shutting down Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway.
Even in the second half, they created more chances than England in the dying embers of the game and continued to relentlessly pressure the Lionesses into giveaways and poor fouls.
It was a fantastic performance from La Roja, who were exciting and forward thinking at times, but also intelligent enough to slow the game down at the end.
Spain join illustrious and exclusive club
Before tonight, only four countries had ever won the World Cup, and with this being Spain and England's first ever final, there was always going to be a new name engraved on the trophy.
Spain are participating in just their third World Cup and came into the tournament off the back of 15 players refusing to play for coach Jorge Vilda, yet they have been undergoing a meteoric rise in recent years, winning at youth levels and also having some of the best players in the world.
It hasn't been the smoothest tournament, but La Roja grew into the World Cup and peaked at the right time, being dominant in many of their knockout matches and were in control for a majority of the final.
If the side can resolve the off the field issues plaguing them, they could create a dynasty in women's football like the USA did in the 2010s.
Spain vs England live updates, highlights from 2023 World Cup Final
FULL-TIME: Spain 1-0 England
IT'S ALL OVER, SPAIN ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS! LA ROJA HAVE DOWNED THE LIONESSES IN SYDNEY AND HAVE WON THE WORLD CUP FOR THE FIRST TIME! OLGA CARMONA'S FIRST-HALF GOAL WAS ALL THEY NEEDED AS THEY PUT IN A RELENTLESS PERFORMANCE ON THE BIGGEST STAGE. HEARTBREAK FOR ENGLAND, BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND A WAY PAST SPAIN'S DEFENCE.
90+10 minutes: England must get the ball forward at all costs, they have let Spain have too much of the ball in added time.
90+2 minutes: Battle breaks behind the England defence, but is stopped well in the 1v1 situation by Earps.
90th minute: Unsurprisingly due to the stoppages in the half, there are 13 minutes of added time. Plenty of time for an England equalsier...
90th minute: Hermoso almost gets a shot on goal, but Carter puts in a crucial block. In the meantime, Alexia Putellas has come on for Mariona Caldentey.
87th minute: Another change for England, as Ella Toone is replaced by Beth England.
82nd minute: Greenwood is back to her feet after getting a bandage on her head for a cut received due to Paralluelo's knee.
78th minute: Paralluelo goes into the book for a swinging arm on Greenwood, who is receiving treatment as a result.
76th minute: Lauren James gets in behind and forces Coll into a reaching stop. England building momentum after the penalty save!
73rd minute: Sadly Laia Codina's night is over due to injury, she is replaced by Ivana Andres.
70th minute: EARPS SAVES IT!!!!!! IT'S NOT A GREAT PENALTY AND LACKS POWER, AND EARPS GUESSES THE RIGHT WAY TO DENY THE SPANISH VETERAN!
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68th minute: Penalty for Spain! Penso adjudges it to be a handball, Spain go to the spot...
66th minute: Tori Penso is going to the VAR monitor, and it doesn't look good for England as the ball seems to have struck Walsh's hand.
64th minute: Spain weave their way into the box, leading to a Paralluelo blocked shot, but Spain wanta. penalty for handball...
62nd minute: Aitana Bonmati almost doubles Spain's lead with a piledriver from distance, but it is just over the bar. Not great defending from England, who stood off her.
60th minute: Spain make their first change of the match, as Alaba Redondo makes way for Oihane Hernandez.
54th minute: Hemp gets the first yellow card of the final for a strong foul.
53rd minute: Kelly almost creates the equaliser for England as her powerful cross is met by Hemp, but it goes agonisingly wide.
52nd minute: England have shifted to a 4-2-3-1 shape, with James on the left wing and Hemp as the lone striker, will James be able to get enough influence on the match from out wide?
50th minute: Caldentey has a pop from the edge of the area, and Earps takes no chances, tipping it around the post.
46th minute: The second half begins, and big changes for England as they change to a back four, with Carter going left and Daly leaving the field for Lauren James, whilst Chloe Kelly has come on for Alessia Russo.
HALF-TIME: You wonder when Lauren James will be introduced into this one, Spain's defence has shown it can be got at with good movement and pieces of individual play, which is exactly what James can bring alongside Russo and Hemp who have shown glimpses of quality, but the Lionesses must get back on top in midfield, otherwise they will be history.
HALF-TIME: Spain 1-0 England
An entertaining first half to the Women's World Cup Final see's Spain head into the break with a 1-0 lead thanks to a great Olga Carmona finish. After an even start to the game where both sides had chances, Spain exploited England on the counter to get the lead, then caused them huge problems with their pressing intensity. England will need to step it up and fix their right side of defence, which is under constant pressure.
45+1 minutes: Paralluelo almost doubles Spain's lead on the cusp of halftime! She gets on the end of a cross, and her first shot comes off the outside of the post.
45th minute: Just the one minute of added time after an entertaining first half.
42nd minute: Lovely work by Russo down the right to get away and slide a ball to Toone, but the attacking midfielder misses the ball, and is offside in any case.
37th minute: Paredes almost fires a ferocious volley into the goal, but her effort is just wide of the goal.
35th minute: England seem to have lost their way a bit after the goal, being closed down by a relentless Spain and not getting their passes to click like on Wednesday night. Still plenty of time to fox things, but if Spain get another goal before half time it could really affect England.
29th minute: GOOOOOAAAAAALLLL!!!! SPAIN LEAD IN THE FINAL! Spain win possession and break quickly, with the overlapping Olga Carmona getting in behind and smashing a first time shot into the bottom corner. Great finish!
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23rd minute: Finals are usually cagey affairs, though this game has been anything but! Both teams looking to exploit the space in behind and are producing some great free flowing moves.
20th minute: Toone slides a fantastic pass to Hemp, but her finish is poor and straight at Coll.
17th minute: Spain's turn to have a massive chance! Caldentey gets in behind the space occupied by Bronze and swings in an inviting cross. Paralluelo misses it but it falls to Redondo, whose shot is well saved by Earps at point blank range. This game has exploded into life!
16th minute: Off the bar! Hemp has a shot from the centre of the box, but it cannons off the bar! England causing Spain a host of problems down the right.
12th minute: A poor giveaway from Spain in the midfield almost leads to Russo slaloming her way through on goal, but she loses her footing and the ball eventually goes out for a corner.
5th minute: The ball falls kindly for Lauren Hemp in the box, but her shot is straight at Coll in the Spanish goal.
KICKOFF
This is it! The World Cup Final begins! Who will get the upper hand in the biggest match in women's football?
2 mins from kickoff: Anthems done, almost showtime!
7 mins from kickoff: The teams are out on the pitch, and what a reception they receive!!!
12 mins from kickoff: An eyecatching ceremony is complete and has helped up the atmosphere inside Stadium Australia, kickoff not far away in Sydney!
22 mins from kickoff: The closing ceremony has commenced!
30 mins from kickoff: The global commentary team is in position for the ninth World Cup Final, which moments will they immortalise in history?
45 mins from kickoff: The stands are slowly filling as both teams are going through their warm up routines, anticipation is building!
1hr from kickoff: Just an hour before the biggest game in women's football, which team will become just the fifth team to win the World Cup?
1hr 15 mins from kickoff: The England fans are in confident mood ahead of the final, will their team be able to repeat their European Championship heroics?
1hr 30 mins from kickoff: England's team is in, and the big news is no Lauren James in the starting side! Ella Toone's performance last match that saw her score a brilliant opening goal have convinced Sarina Wiegman to keep her in the starting match for the biggest game in the country's history. This means the lineup is unchanged from their win over Australia!
- England starting lineup (3-4-1-2): 1. Earps (GK) — 16. Carter, 6. Bright, 5, Greenwood — 2. Bronze, 8. Stanway, 4. Walsh, 9. Daly — 10. Toone— 23. Russo, 11. Hemp
1hr 45 mins from kickoff: We're still close to two hours from kick off, but the fans are already gathering outside of Stadium Australia for what is set to be one of the best attended women's matches of all time. It's already set to be the biggest crowd at a World Cup final since the 1999 edition at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, which saw over 90,000 fans pack into the stadium to see USA win on penalties!
1hr 55 mins from kickoff: Spain's starting lineup is already in, and Jorge Vilda has made two big calls; the first one is to drop Alexia Putellas from the starting lineup, and the second is to start the super sub in both the quarterfinal and semifinal Salma Paralluello up front. This means Jennifer Hermoso drops back to the midfield with Aitana Bonmati and Teresa Abelleira. Will this change help Spain take the initiative early, or will it impact them later in the game when they need a spark?
- Spain starting lineup: 23. Coll (GK) — 2. Batlle, 4. Paredes, 14. Codina, 19. Carmona — 6. Bonmati, 3. Abelleira, 10. Hermoso — 8. Caldentey, 18. Paralluelo, 17. Redondo
2 hrs from kickoff: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of the Women's World Cup Final from Stadium Australia between Spain and England! It has been a brilliant month of World Cup football with massive upsets, drama and record crowds in Australia and New Zealand, but it all boils down to the final 90 — or 120 — minutes at the tournament. Spain overcame a second placed finish in the group to reach the final, whilst England were impressive in their semifinal win over co-hosts Australia, and have arguably the best coach in women's football in Sarina Wiegman. It's almost impossible to call, but you wouldn't want it any other way!
Spain vs England lineups, team news
The two big questions that faced Spain coach Jorge Vilda ahead of the World Cup final were whether to start 19-year-old winger Salma Paralluelo in light of her two goals in the knockout stages, and whether he should field two time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas in spite of her disappointing performances after being in and out of the side.
Paralluelo scored the winning goal in extra time in the quarterfinal against the Netherlands before scoring the opener in the semifinal; as she has scored both these goals off the bench, and Vilda has decided to place her in the starting side in place of Putellas for the final, with Paralluelo starting up front and seeing Jennifer Hermoso drop back to the midfield.
The midfield will also see Aitana Bonmati and Teresa Abelleira, who have been impressive throughout the tournament.
The backline and defence is unchanged, as it has been since the knockout rounds began.
Spain starting lineup: 23. Coll (GK) — 2. Batlle, 4. Paredes, 14. Codina, 19. Carmona — 6. Bonmati, 3. Abelleira, 10. Hermoso — 8. Caldentey, 18. Paralluelo, 17. Redondo
The big news for England is the return of exciting attacker Lauren James after her two-match suspension for violent conduct against Nigeria, with the Lionesses desperate to have the services of a player who got three goals and three assists in the group stages.
However, Sarina Wiegman has opted to keep the same lineup seen in the quarterfinals and semifinals, as Ella Toone keeps her place in the starting side, no doubt her brilliant opening goal against Australia contributes to this decision. James will still be a massive threat off the bench, though.
Also impressive against Australia was the striker pairing of Alessia Russo and Lauren Hemp, with the former scoring the clinching goal with less than 10 minutes remaining, whilst the latter got a goal and an assist, and was named the player of the match.
England's lineup has stayed the same, with Wiegman's 3-4-1-2 shape being highly effective in the past two matches.
England starting lineup: 1. Earps (GK) — 16. Carter, 6. Bright, 5, Greenwood — 2. Bronze, 8. Stanway, 4. Walsh, 9. Daly — 10. Toone— 23. Russo, 11. Hemp
Spain vs England World Cup final live stream, TV channel
The Women's World Cup final is one of the biggest events on the football calendar, meaning broadcasters around the world will be showing the game live.
The match will be on both BBC One and ITV in the UK as part of the agreement reached by both broadcasters prior to the tournament.
| TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | FOX, UNIVERSO | Fubo, Fox Sports site/app, Peacock, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo (Spanish), SiriusXM FC |
| UK | BBC One, ITV, STV Scotland | BBC iPlayer, ITVX, RTE Player (Ireland), BBC Sport Web |
| Australia | Optus Sport, Channel Seven | Optus Sport, 7Plus |
| Canada | TSN1, TSN 3, TSN 5, RDS, CTV | TSN+, RDS app, CTV App, Noovo |
| India | DD Sports | FanCode |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport 1 NZ, Prime TV | Sky Sport NOW, Prime TV |
| Singapore | FIFA WWC CH01 | meWATCH |
| Hong Kong | Now Sports Prime | Now Player |
| Malaysia | — | FIFA+ |
Fans in select regions of the world can stream the Women's World Cup live on FIFA+, including in Japan, Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand.