Wiegman vows England will attack Spain despite a draw securing World Cup qualification

Sarina Wiegman has insisted England will go for the win against Spain in Mallorca on Friday, despite knowing that a draw would be enough to secure direct qualification for the 2026 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. The Lionesses lead Women’s World Cup qualifying Group A3 by three points, with a perfect record, heading into the penultimate fixture against the reigning world champions.

“Of course direct qualification is what we want,” Wiegman said. “We’re in a good position, and we’re ready for tomorrow, and we just want to qualify as quick as possible. It’s a hard group, it’s a difficult game. We know what the consequences are, so no matter what happens we have another opportunity, but we go out there to play and win.”

A Spain victory would keep the title race alive heading into the final round of matches, while a Spain win combined with a subsequent England slip could force the Lionesses into the play-offs. Wiegman’s squad are otherwise fully fit for the trip to Mallorca, though captain Leah Williamson has been ruled out with a hamstring injury sustained earlier in the week. Liverpool skipper Grace Fisk has been called up as her replacement.

Chelsea attacker Lauren James returned to training quickly after picking up a minor knock before the weekend, while defender Lucy Bronze noted that the large number of English holidaymakers on the island had already given the squad a warm welcome — and made it easy to persuade family and friends to make the trip to Palma.

The fixture carries extra edge given the history between the two nations. Wiegman led England to the 2023 Women’s World Cup final in Australia, where they were beaten by Spain, a defeat that has only sharpened the rivalry since.

“I think they bring out the best in us,” Bronze said. “It’s one of those rivalries where we’ve made each other better over the years, which is good for the game and good for each other. The way Spain has improved over the last four or five years has really pushed this England team on to improve as well, and that kind of filters through to the rest of Europe and the rest of the world. It’s just a really good, fun rivalry that I think both teams absolutely love.”