Rivalry on the Biggest Stage: England host Spain at Wembley
It was inevitable wasn't it. Two powerhouses of women's football clash once again in a fixture that has resembled that of a derby in recent years. The Lionesses, off the back of a second Euro’s win, will take on Spain in the race to Brazil 2027.
Over 70,000 are expected to make the journey down Wembley Way towards the famous red and white arch in a landmark game that could see one of the 2023 World Cup finalists fall behind in the qualification race.
With both teams currently sitting on 6 points, England 2 goals the better, and fellow A3 group members Ukraine and Iceland failing to get on the board yet, whoever reigns victorious on the historic Wembley carpet will take an advantage into the second half of the campaign on their way to an automatic World Cup qualification spot.
A rivalry of our times will be the 6th competitive meeting between the sides since Georgia Stanway’s outside the box screamer sent Spain home at Euro 2022, the Lionesses have played no other team more since their home Euro’s victory.
“Are you not entertained?”
The European Championships cemented England vs Spain as a showcase fixture on the global stage, a tournament of turbulence for the Lionesses saw them retain their title against their closest rivals.
It was only eight months ago that the streets of Basel turned red, white (and yellow) for a massive Euro 2025 final. Flags in the air, cardboard signs that waged war not just between the teams but our national cuisine (‘Pasty’s are better than Paella’ being my personal favorite) raised high in the Swiss city.
Penalty shootouts and last-minute winners was the story of the summer for England and the game against a terrifyingly clinical Spain side was far from simple. Arsenal’s Mariona Caldentey opened the scoring heading in a pinpoint cross from fullback, Ona Batlle. Just after half time Alessia Russo responded with an almost identical goal from a Chloe Kelly cross, a very North London affair.
It was stalemate at full time, and it remained 1-1 in extra time. With England depleted by the injuries to Bronze and Lauren James, penalties once again loomed. Hamptons shot stopping heroics saved spot kicks from best in the world, Aitana Bonmatí, and who else but Chloe Kelly to slot in the winner, a nonchalant celebration to follow and the England party commenced.
This win would have healed some of the heartache from the other major final played between the sides, as Spain beat England in the World Cup final of 2023. As Lucy Bronze danced into the midfield, she was dispossessed by Bonmatí, with then-captain Olga Carmona, unmarked on the wing, beating Mary Earps and a 1-0 victory was enough to seal the global title.
More recently, in the latest edition of the UEFA Nations League, Spain was drawn out of the hat once more. A 1-0 win courtesy of Jess Park under the Wembley arch last year in front of 46,550 was followed by the reverse fixture that saw a Claudia Pina 10 minute second half brace in her home city Barcelona cementing a top of the table win for the World Champions, on their way to being crowned eventual champions of the competition.
Whilst Spain looks a threat and have no losses since the Euro’s final, in the last 5 between the outfits England have won 3 and Spain only 2, making this a very entertaining game for a nearly sold-out Wembley to get behind. Spain have also never won against England on British soil, drawing 3 and losing 6, they will hope 10th times a charm to get them ahead in qualifying contention.
A Celebration of the Lionesses
Outside of the gameplay, a night under the lights will be a day of joy and reflection for the Lionesses. England’s game against Spain is their 499th fixture as a national team, their last on home soil before they take on Iceland in their quincentenary matchup in Reykjavík on Saturday.
Fans will also welcome back former goalkeeper Mary Earps, as she is celebrated following her international retirement before last summer's Euro’s. She will have mixed feelings about her outings against Spain, a final loss but a penalty save in Sydney to deny Jenni Hermoso and keep England in that title decider was a viral moment of passion in the face of defeat.
Much controversy followed her surprise departure last April, but Wiegman expressed her praise for England’s former number one who deserves a proper send-off:
“Deserves a great farewell, we hope to celebrate her and it’s going to be a nice moment for her”.
Lioness vice-captain Keira Walsh is expected to make her 100th appearance for the national team at Wembley, a reliable but subtle midfield maestro, she has been central to England’s success. Her dictation of play will be familiar to many of the Spanish team as the former Culer takes the field for her landmark appearance. She made her debut in 2017 and won player of the match for her visionary pass to Ella Toone in the 2022 Euro’s final, cementing her as a central leader and playmaker for the Lionesses.
With Captain Leah Williamson in doubt against Spain due to ongoing injuries, having only started for Arsenal twice this season, and the likes of Ella Toone, Michelle Agyemang and Grace Clinton also missing, Wiegman will hope to rely on others to make a big impact. Lauren James, a star on the wing, but recently plagued with injuries and only starting 2 of the last 5 games against Spain, could be central to the clash.
Spain are not without their own injuries, with Barcelona’s Bonmatí and Laia Alexandri both out long term with an ankle injury and ACL injury respectively. Two-time Ballon D’Or winner Alexia Putellas and Patri Guijarro are amongst the fold hoping to cut England’s celebrations short, with WSL fans seeing some familiar faces in Mariona Caldentey, Jana Fernendez and Laia Codina. Former Manchester United and Barcelona’s Batlle will undoubtedly be in the XI on the day, a pacy and technical fullback who crosses with perfection and has both attacking and defensive mastery will be a key threat that the Lionesses will look to nullify.
Rivalry of the Modern Era?
As the modern women’s game develops, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the traditional rivalries that have long defined football don’t necessarily hold the same weight in the women's game. Showcase fixtures undoubtedly bring in big crowds and allow fans of clubs to engage with women's football as 46,123 piled into The Emirates for the North London Derby against Tottenham and, last week, Barcelona welcomed 60,067 to the newly renovated Camp Nou, a near sell out against Real Madrid on a Wednesday night.
However, whilst these fixtures bring in the crowds they are not the rivalry or the unpredictable clash they often are in the men's game - both Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur have only beaten their rivals once in the history of the women's fixture - representing a need for women's football to carve out their own rivalries and non-geographical derbies.
Wolfsburg vs Bayern Munich is a prime example of this, two teams jostling at the top of the Frauen-Bundesliga for years, Alex Popp and Klara Buhl going head-to-head on the domestic and European stage, whilst Wolfsburg men sit bottom of the table and the Munich men's side on top.
As women's football continues to carve out an identity for itself these showcase fixtures are also shifting, with Spain and England continually going head-to-head in competitive fixtures, fans and players recognise it as a game that needs no introduction. Two of the best European teams (ranked 1st - Spain and 4th- England in the world by FIFA) repeatedly going shoulder to shoulder, with players like Bronze, Stanway, Putellas and Batlle on the same field in the biggest games for their country, creates a rivalry and tension that women's football has been craving.
Talking ahead of the fixture, Spain Captain and Barcelona defender Irene Paredes emphasised the significance of this blossoming rivalry:
“It's becoming a top-tier classic. A match that people love to watch and that we players love to play."
With a World Cup place at stake, big fixtures against close rivals deserve the main stage. Will Spain make history on English soil? Will the Lionesses be able to celebrate their 500th game with a win against their closest enemy?
Under the Wembley lights, in front of 70,000 roaring fans, the continent’s giants collide with a chance to own the narrative. The Lionesses head to Mallorca in June for the reverse fixture and both sides will hope that automatic qualification for the World Stage will still be theirs to obtain.