Spain Beat England to Win FIFA Women's World Cup for First Time

Facts

• On Sunday, Spain defeated the reigning European champions and pre-match favorite, England, 1-0 in the final of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 at Stadium Australia in Sydney.¹
• Spanish captain and left-back Olga Carmona scored the winning goal in the 29th minute, ensuring La Roja could lift the team's maiden Women's World Cup trophy. It was Spain's women's third appearance and made them the fifth country ever to win the tournament.²
• Spain had the edge in possession (47%-37%), more attempts on goal (14-7) and shots on target (5-3). In the second half, England's goalkeeper Mary Earps saved a penalty shot by Spain's Jennifer Hermoso.³
• England and Spain were both vying for their first Women's World Cup title at the ninth edition of the global soccer event, which was co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.⁴
• Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the Golden Ball for best player, while England's Earps claimed the Golden Glove award as the best goalkeeper. The Golden Boot award for scoring the most goals of the tournament went to Japan's Hinata Miyazawa.⁵
• The victory makes Spain the first team to hold the under-17, under-20, and senior titles simultaneously. It also means they are the second nation, after Germany, to have won both the men's and women's trophies.⁶

Sources: ¹CNN, ²The Washington Post, ³NBC, ⁴Reuters, ⁵Al Jazeera, and ⁶France 24.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Guardian. It's a shame for the UK that the lionesses' valiant efforts ended in defeat, but the dedication from all teams and hosts involved in the tournament has delivered a remarkable contest, jettisoning women's football to its highest peak yet. There is still much more to achieve, as funding from Fifa for the contest remains a comparative slither of the money put into the men's game. However, the potential for new markets in this sport is now evident and there is much to look forward to for the future of women's football.
• Narrative B, as provided by JOE. This is certainly a high for the women's game, but it's one that has unfortunately been overshadowed by the controversy concerning Spanish coach Jorge Vilda. The muggy atmosphere around the figure — whose tenure has seen worrying allegations over players' treatment and welfare, even resulting in key players missing out on Sunday's glory — has contaminated this competition. It is not enough to shine the spotlight only on Fifa when toxicity and problematic cultures may already be at the top of women's football.

Predictions