England 0-1 Spain LIVE RESULT – Women’s World Cup final: Latest reaction as brave Lionesses suffer final heartbreak
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ENGLAND suffer Women's World Cup heartbreak as Olga Carmona's strike wins it for Spain in the final.
Lionesses goalkeeper Mary Earps made a crucial penalty save to deny Jennifer Hermoso a second for La Roja, but it wasn't to be in Sydney.
England rattled the crossbar early on in the first half as the Lionesses started the final the better side but couldn't capitalise on their dominance.
- Match result: England 0-1 Spain (Carmona)
- Live stream: BBC iPlayer and ITV X
- England XI: Earps, Bronze, Bright, Greenwood, Carter, Daly, Walsh, Stanway, Toone, Hemp, Russo
- Spain XI: Cata, Batlle, Paredes, Codina, Olga, Abelleira, Bonmati, Hermoso, Redondo, Caldentey, Paralluelo
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England’s journey to the final
The Lionesses are yet to lose a game at this year’s Women’s World Cup.
- England 1-0 Haiti
- England 1-0 Denmark
- China 1-6 England
- England 0-0 Nigeria (4-2 on penalties)
- England 2-1 Colombia
- Australia 1-3 England
Bronze makes history
Lucy Bronze is set to make her 20th Women's World Cup start today, meaning she overtakes Jill Scott to create a new all-time record for England.
Credit: Getty England take to the pitch
Sarina Wiegman and her players are checking out the pitch ahead of today's final.
Credit: PA 
Credit: PA
James starts on the bench
Lauren James has returned to the England squad following her two-game suspension.
However, she starts on the bench.
Ella Toone starts in the No.10 position following her impressive performance against Australia.
Credit: Getty England substitutes
Niamh Charles, Lauren James, Jordan Nobbs, Hannah Hampton, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Esme Morgan, Laura Coombs, Chloe Kelly, Bethany England, Katie Zelem, Ellie Roebuck, Katie Robinson.
The Lionesses will start in a 3-5-2 formation.
England starting line-up
Sarina Wiegman names an unchanged XI as expected.
Mary Earps starts in goal with Millie Bright, Alex Greenwood and Jess Carter in defence.
Lucy Bronze and Rachel Daly start as wing-backs.
Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone make up the midfield.
Alessia Russo and Lauren Hemp lead the line.
Credit: Twitter / @Lionesses What is their form like?
England are undefeated so far at this Women's World Cup, having secured wins over Haiti, Denmark, China, Nigeria, Colombia and Australia.
Meanwhile, Spain have won all-but one game on their way to the final.
They suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Japan in the group stages after thrashing Costa Rica and Zambia 3-0 and 5-0 respectively.
Vilda’s side then went on to beat Switzerland and Netherlands to make it to the semi-finals before defeating Sweden.
England arrive at Stadium Australia
The Lionesses have arrived at Stadium Australia for today's historic Women's World Cup final!
Credit: PA Fans arrive
Thousands of football fans have already arrived at Stadium Australia for the final.
Credit: Getty 
Credit: PA
Spain substitutes
Misa Rodriguez, Enith Salon, Ivana Andres, Irene Guerro, Esther Gonzalez, Eva Navarro, Maria Perez, Alexia Putellas, Rocio Galvez, Claudia Zornoza, Athenea del Castillo.
Spain will start in a 4-3-3 formation.
Putellas BENCHED for final
Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas starts today's final on the bench.
She has been replaced by 19-year-old striker Salma Paralluelo, who scored the opening goal for Spain during Tuesday's dramatic 2-1 win over Sweden.
Jennifer Hermoso has moved back into an attacking midfield role.
Credit: PA Spain starting line-up
Catalina Coll starts in goal with Ona Batlle, Irene Paredes, Laia Codina and Olga Carmona in defence.
Teresa Abelleira, Aitana Bonmati and Jennifer Hermoso make up the midfield.
Mariona Caldentey, Salma Paralluelo and Alba Redondo form the front three.
Credit: Twitter Spain team news
Jorge Vilda also has a full squad to pick from.
He will likely select the same line-up that started Tuesday’s semi-final against Sweden.
Star players Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati are both expected to start.
Speaking after England’s 3-1 win over Australia on Wednesday, Lucy Bronze admitted that she knows “90%” of the Spain squad very well - which could give the Lionesses a slight advantage.
Countdown to Kick Off
Stadium Australia is ready for the big game.
Credit: Getty 
Credit: Getty 'We can't wait'
Everyone is fit, everyone is available and we're in a very good place, so we can't wait."
Sarina Wiegman
England team news
Sarina Wiegman has a full 23-woman squad to pick from today.
Lauren James returns to the fold just in time for the final following her two-game suspension, but it remains to be seen whether or not she will start.
The Lionesses will likely approach today’s final with the same XI that started the last two games against Colombia and Australia.
More from Millie Bright
The Lionesses captain says it was inspired by her mother’s message to her to “dream big”.
On how Bright’s childhood self might respond if she was told she would one day captain England at a World Cup final, she added: "She would have probably said you were being silly, and it was never going to happen.
"But I guess dreams come true. I just think it's a really proud moment and as a squad, we are just really proud of our journey and the tournament and how far we have come.
"We are finally getting a shot at the trophy like we always wanted."
Credit: PA Captain Bright speaks
Millie Bridge vowed England will play the game of their lives today - and the Lionesses' way - with the team one dream win away from lifting the World Cup.
And the upbeat centre-back, 29, thanked the record number of fans at home preparing to tune in to watch Sarina Wiegman warriors go toe-to-toe with Spain.
The Chelsea ace, whose rise to the top, began as a nine-year-old at Killamarsh Dynamos FC in Sheffield, will become the first player to captain England in a Women’s World Cup final.
Bright said: "We know how passionate our nation is back home and how much they want us to win.
"But for us, there is a process. We have a game plan to execute. We need to play the game of our lives."
Credit: Getty Could Wiegman be next England men's boss?
England will consider appointing Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman as Gareth Southgate's successor.
The Dutch manager has led England Women to Sunday's World Cup Final a year after leading the team to glory at Euro 2022.
She is also the only manager - male or female - to lead two different teams to a World Cup final, having finished as a runner-up with the Netherlands to the USA in 2019.
Wiegman is under contract with the Lionesses until 2025 and FA chief executive Mark Bullingham believes she is capable of doing "anything she wants in football" - including the England men's job.
Credit: Getty More on today's referee
Tori Penso later made the decision to give up her job at an advertising agency in favour for refereeing.
In 2021, she made history once again - becoming the first woman to referee a FIFA World Cup qualifying match.
A year later, in 2022, Penso took charge of five FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup matches in Costa Rica, including one of the semi-finals.
Credit: Getty Who is the referee for the Women’s World Cup final?
American official Tori Penso will officiate England’s Women’s World Cup final clash with Spain.
In 2020, she became the first woman to referee an MLS match in over 20 years.
Penso began her refereeing career at the age of 14 - where she started reffing both boys’ and girls’ games.
At the time, Penso was playing football while also studying for a university degree in marketing - and she did not yet view refereeing as a potential job.
She told FIFA.com: ''There were no full-time female referees in the States, and so I didn’t really see it as a career.
''I did understand, though, that it was more than just a temporary job for me, and that maybe it would enable me to get to know my country a bit better, and maybe even the world.''
Why are England wearing blue today?
Spain and England are due to go head-to-head in the World Cup final.
Due to neither team ever reaching the final of the tournament, there is set to be a first time winner.
Despite the match being on neutral ground, in Sydney, Spain have been name as Team A which means they have precedence when it comes to their kit.
Spain will play in their red home strip, with dark blue shorts and socks.
Even though England's first kit is a white shirt, it also includes dark blue shorts so they can't wear it because it is too similar to Spain's kit.
The kit used to feature white shorts but due to players coming forward with concerns of playing in white during their periods, it was changed.
England are set to wear their light blue kit with white socks as they go up against Spain.
When the Lionesses were victorious in the 2022 Euros they were wearing their white kit.
Credit: Getty Where can I buy an England Women's shirt?
If you want to show your support for England's women's national team at the final of the World Cup, it is possible to buy a shirt.
Lioness shirts can be bought through on and through .
The kits are also available through , which describes itself as "the first and only official store in the world dedicated to women's football."
Shirts are priced at £79.95 each, though the England store has strips that are personalised with the names of the players which cost a little more, at £94.95.
Credit: GETTY PM Bank Holiday pressure
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has since been placed under mounting pressure to give the people what they want.
However, the Government have not announced any plans to grant an additional day off for the public.
A Government spokesperson said: "The current pattern of public and bank holidays is well established and there are no plans to change this."
Extra bank holidays have been granted by previous governments to mark special occasions, such as the Millennium, special events and royal weddings.
Australia's Prime Minister had backed calls for a public holiday if the Matildas won the trophy.
Credit: PA Sarina Wiegman on Bank Holiday
England's women's coach Sarina Wiegman is also backing calls for a bank holiday should the team secure the win.
Speaking before the semi-final against Australia, Wiegman said: "Yes, I can see all the English here want it! I'm focusing on football and the game tomorrow.
"Let's do everything to win the game tomorrow."
