England boosted their chances of automatic qualification for the 2027 Women's World Cup with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over world champions Spain at Wembley. Lauren Hemp's early goal, confirmed by goalline technology, proved decisive as the Lionesses held on to secure a third straight win in Group A.
Hemp struck in the third minute after Alessia Russo flicked on a corner, with the ball crossing the line before being cleared by Alexia Putellas. Spain thought they had equalised in the second half when Olga Carmona's deflected effort hit the underside of the crossbar and stayed out, while Hannah Hampton made a crucial late save to deny Edna Imade.
England boss Sarina Wiegman praised her side's defensive resilience. 'As a team, we really fought,' she said. 'The gameplan worked – we tried to annoy them and make them make mistakes.' The European champions frequently frustrated Spain on the counter-attack, with Hemp also hitting the post and Russo dragging wide.
Spain, without Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmatí, dominated possession but lacked their usual cutting edge. The 62,306-strong crowd saw Lucia Kendall impress on her surprise start, while Keira Walsh captained the side on her 100th cap. England now top the group and can secure qualification with victories in their remaining matches against Iceland and Ukraine.
