How many times has Spain made it to the final in the Women’s World Cup?

Jorge Vilda’s Spain side have been making history with practically every step they have taken at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Now they have just one game left to play - the biggest and best, the final, where European champions England await.

Overall, Spain have enjoyed a positive tournament. They have reached the final having won all but one of their games - the 4-0 defeat to Japan was the only blemish on what otherwise has been an impressive campaign. Vilda’s side have been scoring freely - 17 goals in six games at a World Cup is pretty good going and those goals have come from all sections of the team. A total of nine players have got on the scoresheet so far: Aitana, Ester, Tere, Jenni, Alba Redondo, Laia, Mariona, Salma and Olga Carmona.

United, determined, positive

La Roja’s best traits have been right at the fore from the group stage to the semis - they work well as a team, even when Vilda rotates; they are determined and never let their heads go down after suffering setbacks and the general mood within the camp is happy and upbeat. They attack well and defend well. All of those ingredients have contributed to getting them where they are today.

Spain have taken a couple of big scalps along the way, beating the Netherlands and Sweden were two massive wins and confidence boosters. Sunday’s final will be an equally tough test as they will be playing a hugely-experienced England side, ranked 4th in the world and still carried by the momentum of winning Euro 2022 last year. They followed that up by beating the mighty Brazil in the Finalissima back in April.

So Vilda’s players are going to have pull out all the stops against an England side who also will have top scorer Lauren James back from suspension.

Women’s football in Spain evolves

The women’s game in Spain has come on leaps and bounds during the last few years. Today’s senior side is a million miles away from the teams of 15-20 years ago - technically and tactically, the current crop of players are light years ahead. The transformation hasn’t just been with the senior team but at all youth levels too.

The most recent success was the Under-19s crowned European champions just a few weeks ago. Spain’s women’s teams have won three World Cups at youth level - Under-20 (2022) and Under-17 (2018 and 2022). Of the 12 titles won at youth level, all but one were won in the last 13 years which is a clear indication of how much women’s football has moved on.

Spain at the Women’s World Cup

But like with the men’s team, success at youth level hasn’t naturally followed at senior level - at least, not yet… Before this summer, Spain’s women’s team had never even made it as far as the quarter finals let alone lift the trophy.

Spain’s women’s team did not qualify for the first six editions of the World Cup. In fact, up until 2015, it was the only Spanish national football team, from every youth level to senior, men and women, never to have participated in a World Cup.

La Roja were eliminated at the group stage in the 2015 edition held in Canada, picking up just one point from three games in a miserable, underwhelming World Cup. The disappointment also signalled the end for Ignacio Quereda, who was replaced a few months later by a man almost half his age, Jorge Vilda. Vilda’s appointment proved to be a turning point.

In the next World Cup in France in 2019, Spain’s women were in Group B with Germany. China and South Africa. The team were beaten by the minimum by Germany but finished as runners-up in the group and qualified for the knockout round for the first time in history. There, they could not have met a more powerful rival - the United States, the cup holders and three-time winners. Even so, the USWNT only won narrowly - two penalties, both scored by that year’s The Best, Golden Ball and Golden Boot winner, Megan Rapinoe meant that Jenni Hermoso’s early strike wasn’t enough.