November 8 – Two of the best women’s teams in the world will reignite their rivalry as current World Champions, Spain, will meet current European Champions, England in League A, Group A3 of the UEFA Nations League.
These two teams have got to know each other well during the growth of women’s international football, having played 17 times. England hold the edge winning seven, while Spain has won three with six draws.
The last encounter was the big one as the teams met for the right to be called World Champions. Spain prevailed winning 1-0 in a thrilling final, although the victory was somewhat overshadowed by the behaviour of the President of the Spanish Football Association, Luis Rubiales, who planted an unwanted kiss on striker, Jenni Hermoso.
The previous match had also been drama-filled as they met in the quarter-finals of Euro 2022, with England prevailing 2-1 after extra-time.
Both teams, currently boast some of the world’s best female footballers which makes grim reading for fellow Group A3 teams, Belgium and Portugal, however, the Portuguese have been much improved recently and may fancy their chances of pulling off a shock result or two.
The Lionesses, coached by Sarina Wiegman have been going through a transition of sorts since losing in the final to Spain. Results have been inconsistent and qualification to the Euros next year in Switzerland became a nerve-wracking affair after some surprising defeats. Wiegman is overseeing a transition as veterans of the team are being phased out for a new, hungrier crop.
Spain are sensational on the pitch however, off the pitch, the Federation is in meltdown as the fall-out from the kiss still reverberates around the game domestically and internationally. With the recent release of the Netflix documentary, It’s All Over: The Kiss That Changed Spanish Football, it remains to be seen if the wounds have healed.
Montserrat Tomé, is the new head coach following the dismissal of Jorge Vilda Rodríguez. Tomé, who was appointed on September 5, 2023, served as an assistant coach under Jorge Vilda during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
2025 promises to be a busy year for Spain and England as they’ll meet twice in the Nations League and you wouldn’t bet against them meeting in the Euros which begins on July 2.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1734845200labto1734845200ofdlr1734845200owedi1734845200sni@o1734845200fni1734845200