Spain defeat England 1-0 to take first World Cup title

Sydney, Australia, Aug 20 (EFE).- Spain were crowned world champions for the first time on Sunday after they deservedly beat England 1-0 in the World Cup final in Sydney.

Olga Carmona’s goal was enough to separate the two European powerhouses, the left-back firing a low shot past Mary Earps in the England goal after half an hour.

While reigning European champions England struck the bar early on, they were largely outplayed by a classy Spanish side that dominated the ball and could easily have extended their lead were it not for an inspired performance in goal from Earps.

Jenni Hermoso saw her second half penalty, awarded after a long Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review for a handball by Keira Walsh, saved by Earps.

The win marks a remarkable turnaround for the Spain team, which had to overcome an internal dispute with the Spanish football federation a year ago that saw 12 senior players frozen out of the squad after a revolt against manager Jorge Vilda.

Spain’s Queen Letizia and Princess Sofia joined the players on the pitch to lead the celebrations following their historic win, which Vilda said afterwards would help transform the women’s game in Spain. EFE

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