49 mins: Excellent work from Hampton, who hares out of her area to clear the ball after Gonzalez is played through.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n 47 mins: Putellas is given time and space outside England\u2019s penalty area to pick a pass. She picks one that goes straight to Hampton.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 46 mins: Peeeeeep! England get the second half started. There have been no halftimely substitutions.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Also tonight in group A3, it\u2019s Iceland 0-0 Ukraine. At least one of those sides is winning their first point or points of the campaign tonight. That was a 7.30pm BST kick-off, so half an hour or so played there.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Sarina Wiegman has got to be pretty pleased with this first-half performance. Her team grabbed the early goal and, since then, have done fairly well to keep Spain at bay, albeit the visitors have created some big chances. Wiegman will also be encouraged by how dangerous England have looked on the counter attack, with Lauren Hemp in great form, in particular. Sonia Berm\u00fadez looks deep in thought as half-time approaches. The home fans seem very satisfied so far and the band behind the goal are making plenty of noise.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Half-time: England 1-0 Spain<\/p>\n 45+3 mins: No significant goalmouth action during that added time, and England take a lead into the interval!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45+1 mins: There\u2019ll be three minutes of first-half stoppage time.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 mins: Caldentey curls a low cross in from the right, Gujarro deflects it goalwards, and Hampton makes a straightforward save at her near post.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 42 mins: Play eventually restarts, with Bronze apparently fine (with some chalk up her nose).<\/p>\n Are you good to go? Photograph: Andrew Couldridge\/Action Images\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.53 EDT<\/p>\n 41 mins: While those physios shove something up Bronze\u2019s right nostril \u2013 cotton wool, I\u2019m guessing, though it looks like a stick of old fashioned school chalk \u2013 the Spaniards gather around the bench for some tactical instructions.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 39 mins: Bronze challenges for a header inside England\u2019s area and goes down holding her head. Looks like she headed Putellas\u2019s shoulder. Then Morgan jumps with Paredes and heads the Spaniard rather than the ball, and she too is hurt. The referee eventually stops play, and the physio comes on to check on Bronze.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 37 mins: Save! The ball deflects off Hemp to Russo, who jinks into space in the area \u2013 but that space is quite far to the right of goal, and her shot is easily saved.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 35 mins: Lovely interplay from England after a corner is half-cleared back to the right creates a shooting chance for Hemp, which hits a defender, and then another, which goes wide!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 35 mins: This time Bronze\u2019s long pass does find Russo \u2026 but she\u2019s offside.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 33 mins: Big chance for Spain! It\u2019s Batlle, who has a shot blocked then gets it back again, carries it to within 12 yards of goal, and then humps her shot high!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 31 mins: England try a couple of times to release Russo with long passes, but Spain snuffle that threat easily. This isn\u2019t the way.<\/p>\n Irene Paredes of Spain (right) clears the ball ahead of Alessia Russo of England. Photograph: Tom Jenkins\/The GuardianShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.46 EDT<\/p>\n 28 mins: England give the ball away inside the penalty area, and Spain work it quickly to Lopez, who curls her shot wide from the edge of the box.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 26 mins: Another blocked shot, Morgan this time in the way of Lopez\u2019s effort. The back four is a little deep, though, which means any mistake is quite likely to be punished.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 23 mins: Only one shot on target in the game so far, with England currently playing it just perfectly, frustrating Spain and carrying a serious threat on the break.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 19 mins: England hit the post! Hemp comes inside from the right, plays it forward to Bronze inside the penalty area, who backheels back into her path, and with time and space to pick her spot Hemp sidefoots into the far post! A brilliant interchange, and really it should have brought a second goal.<\/p>\n Lauren Hemp is inches away from notching her second goal of the night. Photograph: Tom Jenkins\/The GuardianShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.34 EDT<\/p>\n 17 mins: Spain move the ball so well from defence to attack, but their latest foray forward ends with Caldentey taking an absolutely useless touch that biffs it back to England.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 15 mins: England have had the ball for much of the last three minutes, but the Spanish penalty area has remained resolutely unentered. Indeed their half hasn\u2019t been bothered for a while.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 12 mins: Spain keep pushing, but their move ends with one shot being blocked, and another shanked wide.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 9 mins: Chance! The ball deflects out for another Spain corner, and Paredes meets it at the far post with a meaty header that just clears the bar. I was worried this might be a bit cagey, but so far it\u2019s been non-stop entertainment.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 8 mins: Hampton gives the ball away deep inside England\u2019s half, but Lopez wastes the opportunity \u2013 instead of sprinting into the box and shooting she runs towards the area before attempting a pass, which is intercepted.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 7 mins: James is found in loads of space on the left, and she gets into the area, jinks past Batlle, and then blasts over from 10 yards or so.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 5 mins: Spain now have a corner, but it drifts out for a goal kick. My description of the opener massively downplayed \u2013 in fact, completely failed to mention \u2013 what was actually an excellent assist from Russo, deliberately finding her teammate while flat on her back.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! England take the lead! England 1-0 Spain (Hemp, 3 mins)<\/p>\n A corner from the left drops off the back of a defender and falls to Hemp, who swivels and volleys goalwards from about four yards out. Putellas is on the line and hacks it clear, but it crossed the line first!<\/p>\n Lauren Hemp volleys goalwards \u2026 Photograph: Tom Jenkins\/The GuardianAlexia Putellas of Spain attempts to clear the ball \u2026 Photograph: Tom Jenkins\/The GuardianBut not before it crosses the line. Photograph: Daniel Weir\/Sports Press Photo\/ShutterstockHemp celebrates \u2026 Photograph: Isabel Infantes\/ReutersAnd is then joined by her teammates. Photograph: Tom Jenkins\/The GuardianShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.26 EDT<\/p>\n 2 mins: An early foul from Russo, who hacks down Guijarro in the centre-circle. That\u2019s a booking if it happens in the second half, but refs hate an early yellow.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 1 min: And we\u2019re off! Spain get the game started.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Right then, nothing between us and football but a few seconds and a whistle.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> There was a huge roar as Sarina Wiegman presented Keira Walsh with a \u2018100\u2019 shirt to celebrate the midfielder\u2019s 100th cap tonight. The crowd sound up for this game.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n As the players come out a giant three lions emblem is waved around across the centre circle by some uniformed members of the armed forces. It seems a bit demeaning for them, doesn\u2019t it? Is this really what they\u2019ve trained for? Especially when there are some perfectly good maritime straits in need of opening up\/shutting down\/whatever it is today.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The players are gathering in the tunnel, with kick-off around two anthems, some handshakes and five minutes away.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Mary Earps has just been presented with a framed shirt on the pitch as the FA celebrate her England career. The former Lionesses goalkeeper received a very warm reception from the crowd. She said the favourite moment of her career was winning the Euros here on this ground in 2022, before receiving her presentation from the FA Chair Debbie Hewitt.<\/p>\n England’s former goalkeeper Mary Earps looks as pleased as punch. Photograph: Kin Cheung\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.56 EDT<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what Sarina Wiegman has to say \u2026<\/p>\n England head coach Sarina Wiegman before the Women’s World Cup 2027 qualifier against Spain. Photograph: John Walton\/PA<\/p>\n \u2026 about the absent captain, Leah Williamson: \u201cShe\u2019s going in the right direction. This was just a little bit too early. We don\u2019t want to take a massive risk with her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026 about 21-year-old Lucia Kendall, who\u2019s making her competitive debut: \u201cShe\u2019s very excited. I think she\u2019s done really well. She\u2019s in good form, I hope she can express herself tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026 and about Keira Walsh, who stands in as captain on her 100th appearance: \u201cA special moment for her, and good timing, playing in Wembley against Spain, so a top-level game. It shows what she has done for England football and how far she has come, and I hope still a lot more to come.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The teams are out on the pitch and warming up. Here\u2019s Lucy Bronze having a sit-down.<\/p>\n Lucy Bronze of England Women warms up ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Spain. Photograph: Javier Garc\u00eda\/ShutterstockShare<\/a>The teams!<\/p>\n Team news is in, and Keira Walsh makes her 100th England appearance in the team\u2019s 499th game, with both sides looking most likely to line up in a 4-3-3:<\/p>\n England: Hampton; Bronze, Wubben-Moy, Morgan, Greenwood; Kendall, Walsh, Stanway; Hemp, Russo, James.![\"Tom](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Tom_Garry.png\")
Tom Garry<\/p>\nTom Garry<\/p>\nTom Garry<\/p>\n
Spain: Coll; Batlle, Paredes, Mapi Leon, Carmona; Caldentey, Guijarro, Putellas; Lopez, Gonzalez, Pina.
Referee: Tess Olofsson (Sweden).<\/p>\n