Four years after the crowning of the United States, Spain won the 2023 edition of the Women’s World Cup. At the end of a balanced match in the first period but generally controlled by the players of Jorge Vilda, the Spaniards won their first world title by beating England (1-0).
Spain were crowned world champions for the first time thanks to a goal from their young captain Olga Carmona against England (1-0), reigning European champions, in an unprecedented final of the Women’s World Cup , Sunday in Sydney. It only took three editions (2015, 2019, 2023) for La Roja to take off on the roof of the world. Jostled before the World Cup by extra-sporting storms between the players and the federation and especially the coach Jorge Vilda, the Spaniards beat the English, favorites, to become world champions for the first time in their history.
The youth, creativity and Spanish passing game took precedence over the experience and phlegm of the English, far from their usual serenity.
Carmona, double savior
After two lost semi-finals, the English, crowned European champions last year, also played their first World Cup final, but missed the last step. Sarina Wiegman’s players failed to bring back this world title that England has been waiting for since the men’s world title in 1966. As in 2019 with the Netherlands, the coach finished vice-world champion, after a title European.
Olga Carmona’s teammates have followed the path of the youngest, after the U17 and U20 world titles in 2022. These three titles were also won by the nugget Salma Paralluelo, 19 years old, tenured Sunday evening and still twirling without having been decisive.
In a first period, disturbed by the incursion of a spectator with a “Free Ukraine” t-shirt on the field and where spaces were often found, the Spaniards took advantage of an error by the English defender of FC Barcelona Lucy Bronze, who lost the ball in the center circle. Perfectly shifted to the left, the 23-year-old Spanish captain, Olga Carmona, crossed her shot directly low to the ground and deceived Mary Earps (29th). It was she who had already scored the winning goal in the semi-final against Sweden (2-1)
A few minutes before, Lauren Hemp, brilliant on the British side, had found the crossbar of Cata Coll (16th) after a good movement. On the other hand, the Spaniards were also very close to opening the scoring, Paralluelo missing his recovery at close range (17th).
Even in a new system put in place by Wiegman on the return from the locker room, the English continued to be in difficulty, in particular because of the Spanish leader Aitana Bonmati (50th), and author of a powerful strike just above the bar (62nd).
Mary Earps tried to keep her teammates alive by stopping a penalty, whistled for a handball from Keira Walsh in the box by the VAR and badly shot by Jennifer Hermoso, who missed her second attempt in this exercise at the World Cup, after a first failure against Costa Rica. Shaken by the game and the technique of La Roja, the English could not count on Lauren James, back from suspension after her bad gesture against Nigeria, even if she was not far from deceiving Cata Coll (76th) .
Vilda, hated and sacred
Until then, Spain had never even won a knockout match at a World Cup and this feat is even more impressive given the extra-sporting context of the selection. La Roja experienced an earthquake that threatened the emergence of its women’s team, after fifteen internationals announced last September that they no longer wanted to play for the selection again. Sources quoted in the local press spoke of the methods deemed “dictatorial” by Jorge Vilda.
But the technician, supported by his Federation during this unprecedented crisis, remained. And he has retained his legitimacy through a series of exceptional results, marked by this historic title. Since then, three of the 15 “rebels” have returned for the World Cup and one of them, Barça midfielder Aitana Bonmati, was also among the best players of the tournament, making the Golden Ball Alexia forget. Putellas, returned at the end of the match (90th). She showed character, pushing her teammates to calmness, in a tense end to the match and broken by faults. Its very good World Cup makes Bonmati the favorite for the future Ballon d’Or.
In front of 75,700 spectators at the Australia stadium, this final was the final act of a tournament full of novelties and surprises.