World Cup 2026 buildup as England and Scotland gear up for friendlies – matchday live
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Sarina Wiegman admitted she “expected a different game” between the Lionesses and Spain last night. The England manager said: “Of course it hurts. I expected a totally different game. I expected a very tight game, a very competitive game, but it was different tonight, so that’s of course really disappointing and that hurts.”
She went on to add: “We were really struggling to keep the ball and find the passes further away or in behind. They played really well and we didn’t play so well. Out of possession, we were really struggling to stay compact, especially in our own half … our connections weren’t so good and they found the space we left straight away.”
It was England’s heaviest defeat in 17 years. They had not lost by a four-goal margin since the Euro 2009 final – a 6-2 loss to Germany.
It was the first time the Lionesses had conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier.
Prior to the match, England had not lost a qualifier since November 2002.
