Women's World Cup 2023: Spain win final and lift trophy

It was heartbreak for England as Spain won their first ever Women's World Cup.

In a tense match, involving goals, injuries and penalties, the Spanish side won 1-0 to lift the trophy.

In Stadium Australia in Sydney, England - who were hoping to become the first England senior side since 1966 to win the World Cup - were outplayed by a Spanish team full of flair and creativity.

But this final was one step too far for the Euro 2022 champions, who lost just their second match in two years.

You can have your say on the match in the comments, and send your messages for the Lionesses here.

What happened in the Women's World Cup final?

From the kick off, the two sides were evenly matched but Spain were able to keep the ball better.

Even though England hit the bar first, just before half an hour into the match, Spain captain Olga Carmona slotted the ball past goalkeeper Mary Earps.

In the second half, England manager Sarina Wiegman made important substitutions, bringing on Lauren James and Chloe Kelly, but Spain were able to keep control despite the Lionesses' best efforts.

Mary Earps also won the Golden Glove award for the best goalie at the World Cup

In key moments in the match, goalkeeper Mary Earps made several brilliant saves, including stopping a penalty taken by Jenni Hermoso, following a long VAR review after Keira Walsh's hand touched the ball.

Spain, packed with Barcelona stars who won their second Women's Champions League title this season, controlled the game until the final whistle.

England boss Sarina Wiegman said: "I think everyone has watched an incredible game, a very open game with both teams wanting to play football... I thought that Spain were a little bit better than us today and they had a great tournament, so congratulations to them.

"Of course it feels really bad now. Very, very disappointed. When you get to the final you want to win it, but in sports you can also lose.

"We showed how we want to play as a team and we can feel very proud of ourselves. Although it doesn't feel that way right now."

Millie Bright was disappointed but still proud of her team

Captain Millie Bright added: "This is really hard to take. We gave it everything. In the first half we weren't at our best, we bounced back in the second half. Unfortunately we just weren't there today."

She also explained how proud she was of her team: "A massive amount of pride. The girls were unbelievable. We had a lot of critics, a few lost belief in us but we never stopped believing. Sometimes football goes for you, sometimes against you. We played in a World Cup final. In a few weeks we will appreciate this day, but we want to be winners."

It was a deserved win for Spain but it is tough to take for the Lionesses, who couldn't follow up their European Championship win in the biggest game ever.

However, they have still made history at this tournament, reaching England's first Women's World Cup final.