Less than one year after Spanish players staged a historically powerful revolt against their coach and federation, La Roja shocked the world of women’s soccer with its first Women’s World Cup title in a 1–0 win over favored England in Sydney..
Last September, 15 Spanish players sent letters to the Spanish federation asking for a change to its training conditions and unprofessional atmosphere, which many interpreted as a demand to dismiss unpopular manager Jorge Vilda. But the federation doubled down on its support of Vilda and demanded players apologize before being named in the squad again. The rift left a massive fissure in Spain’s women’s soccer setup.
But with a squad led by Vilda and featuring three of the 15 rebelling players, Spain blazed a trail to the final. After winning its first two group stage matches, La Roja was embarrassed in a 4–0 loss to Japan in the group finale. But the team regrouped in the knockout stage, defeating Switzerland, the Netherlands and third-place Sweden before the final against England, which had knocked Spain out of the Euros in a quarterfinal defeat that ultimately led to the revolt.
