2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final

The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Final was a football game that decided the winner of the tournament. It happened on August 20, 2023, at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia. The teams playing were Spain and England. A total of 75,784 fans were in the stadium to watch, and the referee was Tori Penso from the United States.
Both Spain and England were in their first-ever Women's World Cup final. They wanted to achieve a rare feat by winning both the men's and women's World Cups, something only Germany had done before in 2003. Also, they wanted to be the first team from Europe to win the tournament since Germany in 2007. This was the third time in the Women's World Cup history that two European teams faced each other in the final. In the past, new champions emerged in these matches.
Spain won the final with a score of 1-0. Olga Carmona scored the only goal, and Mariona Caldentey assisted her. Spain not only became the second country to win both the men's and women's World Cups, but they also achieved another remarkable milestone by holding all three World Cups of the same gender (senior, U-20, and U-17) at the same time, following in the footsteps of Brazil's male teams between 2003 and 2005.
Where it all started
Spain and England are both competing in their first-ever Women's World Cup final. This is Spain's third time in the tournament, having been eliminated in the group stage in 2015 and round of 16 in 2019. They want to follow in the footsteps of their male team, who won the World Cup in their first final in 2010.
For England, this is their sixth Women's World Cup appearance. Their best result was finishing third in 2015. Like Spain, they aim to replicate what their men's team did in 1966, winning the World Cup in their first final. This final will be the third time in Women's World Cup history that two European teams face off. Norway won in 1995, and Germany in 2003, becoming the first country to win both the men's and women's World Cups.
The winner of this final will be the first European team to win since Germany in 2007, and the first new Women's World Cup champion since Japan in 2011. These two teams met in the quarterfinals of UEFA Women's Euro 2022, where England won 2-1. England's manager, Sarina Wiegman, is also experienced in major championships, having won the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 and Women's Euro 2022 with England, and finishing as runners-up in the 2019 Women's World Cup with the Netherlands.
Route to the final
Spain
Spain qualified for a big women's tournament in 1997 and reached the semi-finals in their first European Championship. They also made it to their first Women's World Cup in 2015. Their best result in the Women's World Cup before was getting to the round of 16 in 2019. Before the tournament started, Spain was ranked sixth in the FIFA Women's World Ranking. They were in group C with Costa Rica, Zambia, and 2011 champions Japan. In their first game of the World Cup against Costa Rica, there was an own goal from Costa Rican player Valeria del Campo. Then, Aitana Bonmati and Esther Gonzalez scored two more goals in four minutes, and Spain won 3-0. In their next game, Spain beat Zambia 5-0, with Teresa Abelleira scoring the opening goal in the ninth minute. Alba Redondo and Jennifer Hermoso also scored goals, and it was Jennifer Hermoso's 100th match. In the last group game against Japan, Spain lost 4-0, with two goals from Hinata Miyazawa. In the round of 16, Spain played against Switzerland, who won Group A. Aitana Bonmati scored first, but then there was an own goal from Laia Codina that gave Switzerland a goal. Spain then scored three more goals in the first half to lead 4-1 at halftime. In the second half, Spain scored one more goal, and the match ended 5-1. In the quarter-finals, Spain played against the Netherlands. Mariona Caldentey scored from a penalty in the 81st minute to give Spain the lead. The Netherlands equalised later, and the game went into extra time. Salma Paralluelo scored the winning goal in extra time.
In the semi-finals, Spain faced Sweden. Spain scored first through Salma Paralluelo, but Sweden equalised with a goal from Rebecka Blomqvist. Shortly after, Olga Carmona scored a great goal, sending Spain to their second-ever senior World Cup final. This was Spain's first final since the men's team won the World Cup in 2010.
England
England made their first appearance in a big women's tournament in 1984, where they finished as runners-up in the European Championship. They also qualified for the Women's World Cup for the first time in 1995. The best they had done in the tournament before was coming in third place in 2015. Before the tournament, the Lionesses had achieved some important victories. They won their first big trophy at the Women's Euro 2022, which they hosted. They also beat Brazil, who had won the Copa America Femenina, in the first ever Women's Finalissima match, played at Wembley. Under manager Sarina Wiegman, they had only lost one match, which was a friendly against Australia. They were ranked fourth in the FIFA Women's World Ranking. In their group, Group D, they had teams like Haiti, Denmark, and China. In the first two games of the tournament, England won 1-0 against both Haiti and Denmark. Georgia Stanway scored a penalty in one match, and Lauren James scored a goal in the other. Needing only a draw in their last group game, England defeated China 6-1, with Lauren James scoring two goals. In the round of 16, England faced Nigeria, who finished second in their group. The match was tough, and England struggled against Nigeria. Lauren James got a yellow card and was later shown a red card after a VAR check. After a goalless 120 minutes, the match went to a penalty shootout. England won the shootout 4-2, with Georgia Stanway missing a penalty but Nigeria missing two. In the next round, England played against Colombia, who had never reached the quarter-finals before. After Colombia scored, England equalised through Lauren Hemp before the first half ended. A goal from Alessia Russo in the 63rd minute secured England's place in the semi-finals against Australia. In the semi-finals, England played against co-hosts Australia. Ella Toone scored first for England, but Australia equalised through Sam Kerr. Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo scored to help England reach their first Women's World Cup final.
Match
The game was described as exciting, with Spain having more clear chances to score towards the end. At the beginning, England played energetically and Spain was patient. The first shot happened in the 5th minute when England's Lauren Hemp kicked the ball at Spain's goalkeeper, Cata Coll. Spain then attacked and sent a cross into the box, but it didn't result in a goal. England had some good opportunities too, especially with passes to their forward Alessia Russo. In the 16th minute, Hemp had a great chance to score but hit the crossbar.
The match got more intense when Spain attacked and forced England's goalkeeper Mary Earps to make a quick save. Both teams had chances over the next few minutes. In the 23rd minute, a person ran onto the field and interrupted the game briefly. Spain got the ball back but their counterattack didn't work.
Then, Spain's Olga Carmona scored a goal in the 29th minute after taking a shot that went between the goalkeeper and the post. Spain's goal came from a fast attack, not from their usual possession style. After this, England struggled and Spain had more chances to score.
In the second half, England changed their formation and brought in new players. They tried to defend better and create more opportunities, but they faced challenges. Spain got a penalty kick, but their shot was saved by England's goalkeeper. The game had some pauses due to injuries and video reviews. Spain controlled the game more in the later part, and despite England's efforts, they couldn't score. The match ended after extra time with Spain winning.
Details
Notes
References
2023 FIFA Women's World Cup