After nearly a month of soccer down under in Australia and New Zealand, the 2023 World Cup is about to come to a close.
It was a banger of a tournament, one that featured a surprisingly early exit from the Americans, nerve-racking penalty kicks, fantastic goals, awesome celebrations and a few mild controversies.
The final will feature Spain against England. Spain reached the big stage by knocking off Sweden – which beat the USWNT – 2-1. Meanwhile, England topped host Australia 3-1, despite an incredible score from Sam Kerr.
Here’s everything you need to know about the World Cup final between La Roja and the Lionesses.
1
Spain is slightly favored
Some sportsbooks have the matchup even, but FanDuel gives Spain -116 odds to win while giving England -102 odds. DraftKings gives Spain the edge at +160 and saddles England with +190 odds – and odds for the game to go to extra time are +185.
Since losing its final group stage match 4-0 to Japan, Spain has been on a roll, beating Switzerland, the Netherlands and Sweden in order to reach the final. Aside from that game against Japan, Spain has outscored its opponents 17-3 in this tournament.
England went 3-0 in its group, allowing just one goal. It needed penalty kicks to beat Nigeria, edged out Colombia by a single goal and then beat Australia.
2
Either way, we’ll have a first time winner
This is the first time ever that either England or Spain has reached the World Cup final. Neither country has claimed a women’s World Cup trophy before.
A win for the Lionesses will mark the second straight major tournament they’ve won, as the captured the 2022 UEFA Women’s Euro. England defeated Spain 2-1 in extra time in the quarterfinals of that tournament, with Georgia Stanway netting the game-winner in the 96th minute.
Spain or England will join the U.S., Japan, Germany and Norway as countries who have captured a women’s World Cup.
3
The matchup features talented scorers on both sides
Both England and Spain come into this match with their offensive players in top form. Both sides have three players each who have netted at least three goals. For Spain, the players are: Aitana Bonmatí, Jennifer Hermoso and Alba Redondo. For England: Lauren James, Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo. James has also notched three assists, while Hermoso and Bonmati each have two.
For James, the match will be a return to the field. She was suspended by FIFA for the quarterfinals and semifinals after earning a red card in England’s match against Nigeria. She’ll likely be eager to make an impact.
In Spain’s last match, it was left back and captain Olga Carmona who provided some timely offensive firepower, notching the game-winner in the 89th minute.
The Semifinals did not disappoint 🤩
Which was your favorite goal? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/i6onYw1TaV
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 16, 2023
4
The match starts real early here in the U.S.
Kickoff is at 6 a.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 20. Which means it’ll start at 3 a.m. for the folks on the West Coast. The game will air live on FOX.
Grab some coffee, make a big breakfast and settle in for what should be a great game.
