England’s automatic World Cup qualification hopes have been left hanging by a thread after Spain inflicted the heaviest defeat of the Sarina Wiegman era on the Lionesses in Mallorca, with a rampant 4-0 victory that served as emphatic revenge for back-to-back defeats at the hands of the European champions.
Alexia Putellas scored twice, Patri Guijarro opened the scoring and substitute Claudia Pina added a fourth as Spain dismantled England with a ferocity that left captain Keira Walsh struggling for words at full time. “We weren’t good enough tonight and they were very, very sharp, so the two things combined made it a very difficult match for us,” an emotional Walsh said, wearing the armband in the absence of Leah Williamson.
The result leaves England’s direct qualification fate no longer in their own hands. They must win emphatically against Ukraine at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium on Tuesday — ideally replicating the six goals they scored in the reverse fixture — while simultaneously hoping Iceland do them a favour against Spain. Even then, it may not be enough given the goal difference now swinging sharply in Spain’s favour. The more likely route to the World Cup is now through the play-offs, a deeply unwelcome prospect for the reigning European champions.
“We’ve still got a small chance to qualify,” Walsh said. “It’s out of our hands. All we can do is control how we play in the next game and hope Iceland do us a favour.”
England had started promisingly enough, but Spain — fuming after consecutive final and league defeats to Wiegman’s side — made their intentions plain almost immediately. It was Guijarro, perhaps the least celebrated of Spain’s celebrated midfield trio, who broke the deadlock inside the opening 20 minutes, picking up a loose pass, slipping the ball through Georgia Stanway’s legs and unleashing a strike that deflected cruelly beyond Hannah Hampton. Spain smelt blood and nearly added to their lead several times before Putellas, after squandering a string of chances, finally found her finish ten minutes before the break — latching onto Mariona Caldentey’s through-ball and shooting past the helpless Hampton to make it two.
Wiegman’s half-time team talk had no visible effect. Putellas struck again ten minutes after the restart, prompting the Dutch coach to turn to Beth Mead and Chloe Kelly from the bench, with Ella Toone and Lauren James withdrawn. But Pina had the final word, completing a rout that felt every bit as comprehensive as the scoreline suggested.
