The Battle of Trafalgar holds its revenge. The last game between England and Spain, in the quarter-finals of Euro 2022 (success 2-1 for the Three Lionesses) too. Winner of the British (1-0) in the final of the Women’s Football World Cup, at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Sunday August 20, La Roja offered the first coronation in its history. Their opponents, who had won the continental crown last year, will therefore not achieve the double – unprecedented – Euro-World.
Dominated during the first minutes of the match, the Spaniards first seemed taken by the stakes and the pressing of the Three Lionesses. Moments after England striker Lauren Hemp’s shot on the crossbar, La Roja opened the scoring through their captain, Olga Carmona (29ᵉ), with an unstoppable cross shot from the left at the entrance to the surface.
Sounded by the sixth nation in the world in the ranking of the International Football Federation (FIFA), the British were slow to respond to the Spanish assaults, led by the untenable Salma Paralluelo, 19, elected revelation of the tournament and holder at the forefront of the attack instead of Alexia Putellas, double winner of the Ballon d’Or. The FC Barcelona player, providential scorer in the semi-finals against Sweden, almost widened the gap this Sunday at the end of the first half… but the post decided otherwise.
The entry into play of Lauren James, suspended for two games for stepping on a Nigerian player in the round of 16, and Chloe Kelly initially changed the dynamics of Sarina Wiegman’s team. The penalty, shot by Jennifer Hermoso, but stopped by English goalkeeper Mary Earps, could have changed the face of the match (68ᵉ).
But, solid defensively on the rare incursions of the Three Lionesses, La Roja finally held on to become world champion. The Spanish selection, which was only participating in the tournament for the third time, had never made it past the round of 16 before. Radiant in midfield, Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati, 25, was voted the best player of this World Cup.
Months of doubts and conflicts
Attractive throughout this 9ᵉ edition of the planetary competition, best attack with 18 goals scored, the Spanish team ends in the most beautiful way an adventure that it nevertheless began under unfortunate auspices after months of doubts and internal conflicts within the selection.
In September 2022, fifteen players had complained, in a joint email sent to the authorities of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), of the poor quality of the training offered by the technical staff and the methods used by the coach, Jorge Vilda, to spy on the personal lives of his troops, tracing their whereabouts and purchases. The RFEF had supported the Madrilenian, who had decided to dismiss several executives from the group, such as Irene Paredes and Patricia Guijarro, and to renew its workforce.
“It’s hard to achieve. We showed that we knew how to play, that we knew how to suffer, we believed in it and we are world champions. I’m so proud of this team. Now we’re gonna celebrate and we don’t know when it’s gonna end! “, rejoiced Jorge Vilda, after the meeting. In line with the progress made by Spanish women’s football – FC Barcelona won their second Champions League in June against Wolfsburg (3-2) – a golden generation has just been born.