Lauren Hemp struck inside three minutes at Wembley as England beat world champions Spain 1-0, earning a third straight Women’s World Cup qualifying victory and moving three points clear in League A Group 3 after a tense contest on 14 April 2026.
Spain created heavy pressure for long spells, hitting the woodwork twice and forcing Hannah Hampton into an excellent late save from Edna Imade, while England also threatened a second goal when Lauren James missed a clear chance from inside the penalty area.
England’s winner came from inventive play by Alessia Russo, who was lying almost flat when flicking the ball forward for Hemp, with Hemp guiding a close-range volley over the line to become captain Keira Walsh’s key attacking moment on a night without
Leah Williamson.
Hemp had already gone close to adding another when a 19th-minute effort struck the frame of the goal, before Spain responded after the break, as Olga Carmona hit the woodwork and Vicky Lopez clipped the outside of the right-hand post while England’s defence came under sustained pressure.
2:34 - Timed at 2:34, Lauren Hemp has tonight scored England Women's quickest ever goal at new Wembley. Rapid. pic.twitter.com/oMU6LqKNtdOptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 14, 2026
Data showed Hemp’s strike, officially timed at 2:34, was the Lionesses’ quickest goal at the new Wembley, while Spain’s attack produced 21 shots and expected goals of 1.84, yet only three of those attempts forced Hampton into saves.
England’s success continued a strong sequence at their national stadium, with one defeat in the last 12 matches at Wembley (W8 D3), and this result delivering a fourth successive win there, while ending Spain’s 17-game unbeaten run in all competitions, excluding shoot-outs.
European champions England also extended a long-standing qualifying record, staying unbeaten and still yet to concede across the last 25 Women’s World Cup home qualifiers (W23 D2) since a 1-0 play-off defeat against France in October 2002, underlining the scale of Spain’s challenge in this match.
