Spain won the Women’s World Cup for the first time with Olga Carmona’s first-half strike giving La Roja a 1-0 victory over England in Sunday’s final.
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Both teams were playing in the final for the first time. The win gave the Spanish women their first major international trophy and avenged a quarterfinal loss to eventual champion England in the European championship last year.
The Lionesses went into the final unbeaten and aiming to bring a World Cup back to England for the first time since 1966.
England goalkeeper Mary Earps made a stunning save to Jenni Hermoso’s penalty kick in the 70th after Keira Walsh was penalized for a hand ball on a VAR review.
Captain Olga Carmona fired Spain ahead in the 29th minute, coolly finishing in the right-hand corner after a rapid counter-attack.
England’s best chance came from Lauren Hemp, who rattled the crossbar with a powerful strike as both teams bid to win the World Cup for the first time.
The game was briefly interrupted by a fan running on the pitch wearing a ‘Free Ukraine’ T-shirt before being tackled by security.
England picked up its play in the second half of the Women’s World Cup final while trailing 1-0 to Spain.
The improved offense was a reprieve for England goalkeeper Mary Earps, who was throughout the match and was forced to make a huge save early in the second half.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)
This story originally appeared on France24