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With World Cup title, Spain has built a women’s soccer powerhouse

Spain players celebrate their country’s first Women’s World Cup title with a win over England on Sunday. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

The sleeping giant of Spanish women’s soccer is awake. After World Cup wins at the U-17 and U-20 levels and ongoing dominance in European club competition, Spain has captured its first World Cup title at the senior level, with Olga Carmona’s early strike lifting La Roja to a 1-0 win over England on Sunday.

In some ways, Spain’s ascension to the top of the world stage happened very quickly. They qualified for their first Women’s World Cup for the first time in 2015, finishing last in their group with only one point to show for their efforts. They showed impressive gains in 2019, taking the eventual World Cup champions, the U.S. women’s national team, to the brink in the Round of 16.

To win the whole tournament in just three cycles is a feat, but no one can say that Spain did not lay the groundwork. Spain won their first U-17 World Cup title in 2018 and repeated the feat in 2022. Last year, they also added a U-20 World Cup win to their trophy case, taking down Japan in a preview of what will likely be many first-team battles to come. Japan defeated Spain 4-0 in the 2023 World Cup group stage and produced the Golden Boot winner in Hinata Miyazawa, before being upset in the quarterfinals by Sweden.

In two of the last three years, FC Barcelona has won the UEFA Women’s Champions League, reaching the final in three consecutive tournaments. Barcelona represents the peak of what Spain can accomplish, with a roster that feeds into the team’s chemistry at the international level. Barcelona doesn’t only benefit Spainl England starters Keira Walsh and Lucy Bronze also play their club soccer in Catalonia, adding familiarity to a final between two nations that already know each other well.

But despite all these advantages at multiple levels of the soccer pyramid, a first-ever World Cup win for Spain was never guaranteed. They came close to bowing out multiple times in this tournament, passing around the opposition without registering enough shots on target and folding mentally at times when taking the lead.

On Sunday, a combination of the right mentality and preparation came together, spurred by the winner of Best Young Player of the Tournament. Salma Paralluelo had been a force for Spain off the bench in the last two rounds, and in the final, the 19-year-old got a well-earned start. Paralluelo is a product of those Spain teams that dominated the youth levels, winning both a U-17 and a U-20 World Cup on her way to the brightest international spotlight. The Barcelona forward has an uncanny ability to cut through Spain’s frivolity on the ball, turning midfield possession and immaculate first touches into actually dangerous attacks.

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Salma Paralluelo was named Best Young Player of the Tournament after Spain's World Cup win. (Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Time and time again on Sunday, Spain was able to pass around England’s disciplined press to switch the point of their attack to the open player on the weak side of the wings. Bronze and Rachel Daly had a difficult game, with the latter being subbed off at halftime in favor of keeping Spain from scoring another goal over dynamism in the attack.

But one goal turned out to be all Spain needed, in a flipped script from their elimination at the hands of England in the 2022 European Championship. Instead of becoming flustered in possession, Spain never kept their foot off the ball, continuing their methodical build-ups and keeping calm heads as England became increasingly panicked late in the second half.

While the style and flair varied — especially in an epic midfield performance from Golden Ball winner Aitana Bonmatí, Jenni Hermoso and Teresa Abelleira — Spain’s mental fortitude was reminiscent of the 2019 USWNT, who kept their same cool against Spain on their way to a fourth World Cup title.

There’s no doubt that, as a country, Spain has far deeper soccer ties than the U.S. But if Spain has a chance at building a women’s soccer dynasty, their comparisons to the USWNT might need to not stop at the final whistle. It’s no secret that Spain’s success has come at a cost, after 15 players rebelled against their manager and federation to sit out key friendlies in the lead-up to the World Cup. For players at home like Mapi Leon and Patricia Guijarro, who stuck to their principles in the face of immense pressure to return to the fold, this win will likely always have an asterisk.

Spain’s football federation will likely see this World Cup win as justification for their loyalty to manager Jorge Vilda, while the fight for recognition and better resources has only just begun for the players who were able to weave gold out of a tense situation. Succeeding in spite of managerial mediocrity is a longtime legacy in women’s soccer, especially with a player pool as deep as Spain’s. But at some point, federation dysfunction will dampen what has the opportunity to be a new era in the women’s game.

Because if there’s one other lesson that can be learned from the U.S., it’s that all the groundwork in the world can be undermined by complacency at the federation level, and there will never be another tournament where a world power can cruise their way to the trophy. In fact, it’s possible that the era of dynasties is already over, even if Spain’s has just begun.

No matter the management, the main takeaway from the 2023 World Cup champions should be that the pipeline of Spanish talent is wide open and, with the explosion of women’s soccer’s popularity, will not be closing anytime soon. Consider the rest of the world on notice.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

Amanda Anisimova Ousts Noami Osaka from US Open Semifinal to End Comeback Run

US tennis star Amanda Anisimova greets Japan's Naomi Osaka at the net after winning the pair's 2025 US Open semifinal.
US tennis star Amanda Anisimova reached her second straight Grand Slam final with a three-set semifinal victory over Naomi Osaka at the 2025 US Open. (KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)

The Naomi Osaka comeback tour at the 2025 US Open has ended, as the two-time New York Grand Slam champion and world No. 24 star ceded her Thursday semifinal to No. 9 Amanda Anisimova, who battled back to claim the 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3 victory.

"Naomi is playing amazing tennis," the 23-year-old said of Osaka's US Open run. "She's back where she belongs. I told her I'm so proud of her after having a baby and playing at this level — it's insane."

With her Thursday win, Anisimova is now the only player to ever defeat Osaka in a Grand Slam quarterfinal, semifinal, or final — ending the Japanese fan-favorite's 13-0 run in the later rounds of tennis's major tournaments.

Anisimova's US Open success is even more impressive considering the result of her first-ever Grand Slam final — a brutal 6-0, 6-0 loss at Wimbledon in July.

In a massive turnaround, Anisimova handed No. 2 Iga Świątek, the 2025 Wimbledon champion, a redemptive straight-set loss in Wednesday's US Open quarterfinals en route to reaching this weekend's championship match.

Anisimova's victory means that a US player has now competed in every women's Grand Slam final dating back to the 2024 US Open, extending the country's championship-match streak to five straight Slams.

With even more history on the line, the US rising star now has a second shot at joining No. 6 Madison Keys and No. 3 Coco Gauff in hoisting a 2025 Grand Slam trophy for the US — a feat not accomplished by any single country since Serena Williams won the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon in 2015.

How to watch the 2025 US Open championship match

Just like Keys and Gauff, Anisimova will have to defeat Aryna Sabalenka to claim her own 2025 Grand Slam trophy — with the hard-hitting US finalist holding a 6-3 all-time record against the world No. 1 player, most recently downing the 2024 US Open champion in this year's Wimbledon semifinals.

Anisimova will battle Sabalenka in for the 2025 US Open crown on Saturday, with live coverage of the championship match beginning at 4 PM ET on ESPN.

Connecticut Submits Bid for the Sun as WNBA Team’s Sale Saga Continues

Connecticut Sun fans and team mascot Blaze cheer during a 2025 WNBA game.
The Connecticut Sun have played inside Uncasville's Mohegan Sun Arena since moving to the state in 2003. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The sale saga of the Connecticut Sun added a new chapter this week, as the state of Connecticut submitted a bid proposal on Thursday that would see the WNBA team remain in-state.

Owned by the Mohegan Tribe since 2003, the state is just the latest entrant into an ongoing bidding war for the franchise, with Boston Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca, ex-Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry, and the WNBA itself all making offers ranging from $250 to $325 million in recent weeks.

Unlike previous relocation bids, the state's proposed sale plan sees the Connecticut Sun splitting home games between their current Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville and Hartford's larger PeoplesBank Arena, while also promising a new practice facility in the state capital.

Despite winding down 2025 in 12th place, the Sun have amassed a loyal local following, selling out their 10,000-capacity arena four times this year in a state buoyed by NCAA basketball powerhouse and current national champion UConn located less than an hour away.

"The best place for the Connecticut Sun is Connecticut because we have this very fierce fan base for women's basketball," Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz told ESPN. "We love the [UConn] Huskies. We love watching the Sun… and we've seen that the Connecticut Sun players have been great community leaders and role models."

Chicago Sky Plans Team Meeting After Critical Angel Reese Interview

Angel Reese is consoled by her Chicago Sky teammates after being fouled during a 2025 WNBA game.
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese criticized her team's roster construction in the 'Chicago Tribune' this week. (Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)

The Chicago Sky reportedly held a team meeting to address the explosive Chicago Tribune interview of Angel Reese this week, after the star forward put the already-eliminated WNBA team on blast.

"We are aware of [Reese's comments]," Sky head coach Tyler Marsh said on Wednesday. "We're addressing it in-house as currently speaking. That's where we'll stay right now."

"Angel has shown a commitment to wanting to be here," he continued. "We as an organization continue to show a commitment that we want people that want to be here."

Reese focused much of her critique on the team's leadership and roster construction, expressing disappointment as the Chicago Sky closes in on back-to-back losing seasons.

"We can't rely on Courtney to come back at the age that she's at," the 23-year-old Reese said of veteran Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot, following the 36-year-old's season-ending ACL tear in early June. "I know she'll be a great asset for us, but we can't rely on that."

"We need someone probably a little younger with some experience, somebody who's been playing the game and is willing to compete for a championship and has done it before," Reese added.

Notably, Vandersloot helped the Chicago Sky snag the 2021 WNBA title before taking the New York Liberty to a franchise-first championship last season.

Gotham Faces Angel City in High-Stakes NWSL Weekend Clash

Angel City rookie forward Riley Tiernan dribbles the ball away from Gotham defenders Emily Sonnett and Jess Carter during a 2025 NWSL match.
Only one point separates Sunday opponents No. 8 Gotham and No. 9 Angel City in the NWSL standings. (Jessica Alcheh/Imagn Images)

A high-stakes coastal clash tops this weekend's NWSL bill, with results directly impacting the increasingly tight league standings as No. 8 Gotham tries to hold off a No. 9 Angel City side sitting just one point outside of postseason positioning.

The pair last met in April, when Gotham shutout ACFC 4-0 at LA's BMO Stadium behind a brace from the NWSL's current Golden Boot leader Esther González.

"That's the key — everyone knows their role, their responsibilities, and they're willing to sacrifice for the team defensively while also bringing their quality in attack," Gotham manager Juan Carlos Amorós said earlier this week.

As they try to rise above the crowded mid-table traffic, both teams have seen positive results in recent weeks — along with challenging levels of upheaval.

Angel City recently lost defender Alanna Kennedy, midfielder Katie Zelem, and star forward Alyssa Thompson to midseason overseas transfers, while Gotham's had little room to breathe after defeating Concacaf W Champions Cup opponent Alianza 2-0 in El Salvador on Tuesday.

"You need to be loyal to your style, cement it, and make sure the players know it," said Amorós. "That's critical when you're playing three games in seven days and traveling almost around the world."

How to watch Gotham vs. Angel City this NWSL weekend

No. 8 Gotham will host No. 9 Angel City this Sunday, kicking off live at 5 PM ET on ESPN.

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