Spain hardly dared to dream. The match was going to be tough and the opponents formidable. But La Roja held firm. On Sunday, August 20, at Sydney's Stadium in Australia, they joined the ranks of football's great nations by winning the Women's World Cup final against reigning European champions England, thanks to a goal from their captain, Olga Carmona.
The last time England faced Spain – in the 2022 Euro quarter-finals – they won 2-1. This time, it was Spain's turn for revenge. Final score: 1-0. A first for Spain, they became the fifth country to lift the trophy and the second, along with Germany, to have been crowned champions at this level for both men (in 2010) and women.
"It's madness, a unique moment. You don't think about anything, just celebrate. I'm not aware of it yet. When we land in Spain, we'll realize what we've done. That's when we'll really realize that we're world champions," enthused captain Olga Carmona after the match. Midfielder Aitana Bonmati, named best player of the tournament, was equally stunned: "I'm shocked but very happy and proud. It's the dream of every female footballer. I couldn't ask for anything more. The FC Barcelona resident recalled her debut on the pitch "with the boys," before evoking the "milestones reached." "We've earned it, we've worked hard for it," summed up 19-year-old Salma Paraluello, named Young Player of the tournament.
After a balanced start, Spain gradually upped the tempo, before taking advantage of a mistake by Barcelona's English defender Lucy Bronze, who lost the ball in the center circle, to counter-attack. Carmona, 23, was perfectly positioned on the left, crossing her low shot past the Lionesses goalkeeper Mary Earps. She had already scored the winning goal in the semi-finals against Sweden (2-1).
In a more disjointed second half, Carmona's troops could have made things easier for themselves had Jennifer Hermoso's penalty not been saved by the England goalkeeper. "We suffered, especially in the thirteen minutes of stoppage time. With the penalty and the minutes that went by, the referee took a long time. We knew we were going to suffer. You don't get something for nothing, that's football," admitted striker Alba Redondo afterward.
For just over two hours, Spain's united heart was beating to the rhythm of its players. Nothing else mattered, neither the relentless heat nor the uncertain political situation following the July 23 elections. The country was all about its girls, playing on the other side of the world. Despite the heat wave, many cities had set up giant screens to allow thousands of fans to follow the match. These fans, who over the past few weeks have been enthusiastically following their team's exploits, celebrated their hard-won victories, and also took heart from the 4-0 defeat to Japan on July 31.
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