Spain emerged victorious over England in the final match of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, securing their first-ever championship title.
Despite England’s attempts to make a comeback, the Spanish team managed to maintain their lead until the final whistle.
In a surprising decision, Alexia Putellas, the current holder of the Ballon d’Or award for two consecutive years, was left out of the starting lineup for Spain in the final match against an unchanged English team in Sydney.
Salma Paralluelo, a young player from Putellas’ club, Barcelona, took her place in the only alteration made from the squad that previously triumphed over Sweden with a score of 2-1 in the semi-finals.
Throughout the tournament, Putellas has struggled to regain her form and fitness after suffering a severe knee injury, resulting in a lackluster performance.
England’s coach, Sarina Wiegman, resisted the temptation to include Chelsea forward Lauren James in the lineup after her two-game suspension ended.
Instead, James was named on the bench, while Wiegman chose to stick with the same team that secured a 3-1 victory over the tournament’s co-hosts, Australia, in the semi-finals.
