News Focus
- Spain defeated England 4-0 in a Women’s World Cup qualifying match in Majorca
- The Lionesses suffered their worst result for 17 years
- Automatic qualification for the 2027 tournament now hangs by a thread
- Manager Sarina Wiegman admitted the performance caused real pain
- England must defeat Ukraine and hope Iceland beat Spain on Tuesday
England’s women’s team collapsed against world champions Spain, losing 4-0 in their worst performance for nearly two decades. The Lionesses travelled to Majorca needing just a point to book their place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. Instead, they now face a stressful autumn in the play-offs.
Sarina Wiegman watched her side fall apart against superior opposition. Spain dominated possession from the first whistle and showed why they hold the world title. Patri Guijarro opened the scoring after skillfully bypassing Georgia Stanway. Alexia Putellas then struck twice before the break to put the game beyond reach.
The second half brought no relief for England. Aitana Bonmati entered the pitch and immediately created a chance for fellow substitute Claudia Pina. The fourth goal completed a miserable evening for the visitors, who failed to test the Spanish goalkeeper even once.
Injuries hurt England’s preparations. Regular captain Leah Williamson, a key centre-back, missed the match through injury. Keira Walsh took the armband but confessed the squad simply failed to reach the required standard. She noted that Spanish players seemed to swarm every area of the pitch, making it impossible for England to build attacks from defence.
Former international players offered brutal assessments of the display. Fran Kirby, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, said the team looked shattered at the final whistle. Karen Carney told ITV that England appeared “second best at everything” and could not wait for the referee to end the suffering.
The heavy loss changes the qualification picture dramatically. Only the group winners secure automatic tickets to Brazil. England must now beat Ukraine at home on Tuesday night while praying that Iceland defeat Spain in Reykjavik at the same time. Any other result will force the Lionesses into two rounds of play-off matches later this year.
Wiegman promised to investigate the causes of this failure. She explained that her players could not find an extra gear when Spain raised the intensity. The Dutch coach remains convinced the group will recover, but she accepts that preparation plans must change if the team enters the play-offs.
Fatigue may have played a part in the poor showing. The domestic Women’s Super League finished less than two weeks ago, while several Spanish stars celebrated Champions League victory with Barcelona just a fortnight earlier. Despite this excuse, the gap in quality between the sides looked enormous on the night.