What this World Cup final needed, in the absence of co-hosts Australia or New Zealand, was a match-up for the neutral and an unpredictable clash of styles. Spain and England delivered on the biggest stage.
score. Someone will die here tonight. The boos erupting from the stands at the sight of Jorge Vilda on the big screen suggested it might be him. The Spain coach is not popular.
Compare that to his counterpart, Sarina Wiegman. Beloved by all who draw breath. Who, across her posts overseeing the Netherlands and England, has now lost only two games at major tournaments - the 2019 and 2023 World Cup finals. Who, before this match, had been beaten just once over the course of her two-year England tenure - by Australia in a friendly.
There were a lot of neutrals in the stands. There had to have been - the tickets went on sale eons ago. But still the “Espana” chants came from the throng cloaked in red and yellow flags near the tunnel.Mostly, though, the English diaspora were out in force, cheering when Lauren James was introduced after half-time, booing in unison when Spain were awarded a penalty and exploding into gleeful whoops when Mary Earps saved Jenni Hermoso’s spot-kick. Wiegman barely moved the entire time.
That is the numerical definition, but there is another less contingent on figures. This World Cup has revealed every Colombian living in Australia, made known every Japanese, made us all feel things for Haiti and Jamaica and Morocco.
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