England Women Suffer 4-0 Defeat to Spain, World Cup Play-offs on the Horizon

Spain delivered a crushing blow to England Women, handing them a 4-0 defeat in Mallorca, marking the heaviest loss for Sarina Wiegman during her tenure as England manager. This defeat leaves the Lionesses on the brink of needing play-offs to qualify for next year's Women's World Cup in Brazil. From the outset, Spain dominated the match, with Patricia Guijarro opening the scoring in the 19th minute with a deflected long-range shot. The early goal set the tone, as Alexia Putellas doubled the lead shortly before halftime, leaving England struggling to respond. Despite a half-time talk from Wiegman, the second half saw Putellas add a third goal, capitalizing on defensive errors from England. The match felt one-sided, with England failing to register a single shot on target throughout the game. The Lionesses, who had previously never lost by three or more goals under Wiegman, faced relentless pressure from Spain, who nearly added to their tally multiple times. Claudia Pina eventually sealed the scoreline with a late goal, leaving Spain needing just a win against Iceland to secure their World Cup spot, while England's fate now rests in the balance. Keira Walsh, England's captain, reflected on the performance, admitting, "There were a lot of areas where we weren't good enough tonight" and emphasized the need to regain focus for their next match. Wiegman acknowledged the stark difference in performance, stating, "The difference between the two teams was big" and urged her side to regroup for the upcoming game, stressing the importance of sticking together during tough moments.

Source: Sky Sports - 2026-06-04