In a gripping final that pitted Spain’s skillful possession-based game against England’s power and determination, Spain clinched its first Women’s World Cup title on Sunday, becoming only the second nation after Germany to win both the women’s and the men’s FIFA World Cup. In the end, Olga Carmona’s 29th-minute goal was enough to seal the title for Spain, who looked the better side for large parts of the 105-minute thriller.
It was a worthy end to an exciting tournament that saw Australia take advantage of playing at home and several smaller nations win the hearts of fans around the world, all while heavyweights like Germany and the United States crashed out early, setting the stage for a debutant winner once the semi-finals were completed. Neither Sweden, England, Australia or Spain had tasted world cup glory before in the competition’s 32-year history.
As our chart shows, the U.S. have been a dominant force in the women’s game over the past three decades, winning four World Cup trophies in 1991, 1999, 2015 and 2019, with Germany the only other nation to win multiple World Cup.