¡Para España!

08/16/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

Spain Notches 1st World Cup Finals Berth With Exhilarating Finish Against Sweden (2-1) — All 3 Goals in Final 10 Minutes

The second FIFA Women’s World Cup semifinal is underway right now (Australia vs. England), but we already have one finalist for Sunday — a first-timer! Spain is heading to its first-ever World Cup final after a scintillating match with Sweden on Tuesday morning. A scoreless draw (0-0) was the storyline until a frantic finish saw three goals in the final 10 minutes. Salma Paralluelo (81’) put Spain on the board with the would-be winner, but Sweden answered off the boot of Rebecka Bloomqvist seven minutes later (88’). With extra-time looming, Spain had one last moment of magic. A corner-kick in the 89th minute was played safely to Olga Carmona, and she ripped a majestic screamer from outside the 18 that dipped into the crossbar and bounced into the net. No extra-time needed. La Roja is heading to the World Cup final for the first time in history!

Watch: Spain Tops Sweden (2-1) to Reach 1st Women’s World Cup Final

Today’s Match (Semifinals)

Australia vs. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England (Kickoff: 6:00 am ET)

Live Updates

World Cup Final

Spain vs. TBD (Sun. 6:00 am ET)

Fun Fact: None of the remaining three teams have ever been to the Women’s World Cup Final. Only England (3rd place, 2015) has finished top-3.

Remaining Team Nicknames: La Roja (Spain), The Lionesses (England), The Matildas (Australia)

FOX Sports: How Salma Paralluelo Went From Track Star to Spain’s World Cup Game-Changer

Yahoo! Sports: Australian ‘Spygate’: Newspaper Flies Helicopter Over England’s Closed Practice

Photo: Michael Bradley / Getty Images