England face Spain at Wembley Stadium in a key World Cup qualifier, with Sarina Wiegman weighing a late call on Leah Williamson and tributes planned for Mary Earps, while Kiera Walsh closes in on a 100th cap in a meeting of two in-form teams chasing control of League A Group 3.
Both sides opened their qualifying campaigns strongly, with England beating Ukraine and Iceland, and Sonia Bermudez’s Spain also winning two from two. Tuesday’s clash is their first meeting since England’s 1-0 victory at Wembley in February 2025, and the result is likely to shape the group’s battle for top spot.
Williamson remains the biggest doubt for England after a hamstring issue picked up in mid-March. Wiegman explained that the decision on involvement will go right
to the wire, with the defender due to train on Monday and the medical and coaching staff then judging whether the risk level is acceptable before Spain visit.
Wiegman said: "Leah Williamson is a question mark for tomorrowshe'll be on the pitch today, and we'll make the decision after this training session," before stressing the longer-term view around the Arsenal defender’s workload, and underlining that availability will not depend on any extra physical effort in training.
The England head coach continued: "She doesn't have to prove anything. We balance it, we've been careful with her. She's good in the plan, but I don't want to give anything more away. She's moving forward well. " Any absence would test England’s depth in central defence against Spain’s mobile attack.
Recent records highlight how demanding this fixture could be. England are unbeaten in nine home matches against Spain, winning six and drawing three. Spain travel in strong shape too, with Bermudez’s squad on a long unbeaten streak in all competitions and carrying momentum from their world champions status.
England’s home record in World Cup qualifiers is particularly strong. The Lionesses have not lost or conceded in 24 such matches on home soil since a 1-0 play-off defeat to France at Selhurst Park in October 2002. Spain’s current run is their best sequence since a long unbeaten spell between 2020 and 2022.
Key numbers from the England and Spain runs ahead of the World Cup qualifier are shown below.
Spain’s current 17-match unbeaten series, with 15 wins and two draws excluding shoot-outs, started after last year’s defeat to England. That earlier sequence of 24 games without loss, stretching from March 2020 to July 2022, underlines how consistently Spain have performed, adding extra weight to this Wembley meeting.
Milestones and tributes around England vs Spain World Cup qualifier
The match also carries historic significance for Kiera Walsh, who is poised to make a 100th England appearance. The Chelsea midfielder would become the 15th Lioness to reach three figures and the first since Alex Greenwood, who collected cap number 100 during the 2025 Euros campaign.
Walsh reflected on the prospect by saying: "It's a very exciting moment, we don't know the team yet," and added: "For sure when I started playing football I never thought this would be possible, so I'm really excited. " The milestone underscores Walsh’s long-standing influence in England’s midfield.
Wiegman offered detailed praise for Walsh’s role in the team, stating: "She's a very good player, very tactical, technical and enormous vision and game understanding. And when I came in, I thoughtshe waseven better than I thought. The game understanding and being an important player in leading the team and how we want to play is crucial. "
The England coach also stressed the wider context of such fixtures on home soil, saying: "These are very competitive games, you want to qualify for the World Cup, but when you're allowed to play at Wembley again and against Spain, it's really exciting. " The occasion adds to the importance of performance levels.
Team pic.twitter.com/CphdDh0lHMLionesses (@Lionesses) April 13, 2026
Another key storyline is the recognition planned for Mary Earps, whose England career will be honoured at Wembley after the Paris-Saint Germain goalkeeper confirmed retirement before the Euros. Earps lost the starting spot to Hannah Hampton before that tournament, then addressed the decision and its impact in an autobiography.
In that book, Earps criticised Wiegman’s move to restore Hampton to the squad, then later expressed regret at specific comments and said the episode had delivered difficult lessons. Wiegman has since stressed that the matter has been resolved and instead wants focus on Earps’ achievements during a successful England career.
On Earps, Wiegman said: "What happens, some people are disappointed, some find her inspirational - let's cherish the moment we have had - Mary's had a great career, she was the world's best and now she has moved on," highlighting both differing reactions and Earps’ status as a leading figure in women’s goalkeeping.
Wiegman added: "We celebrate her tomorrow night [Tuesday]. It shows what she's done for the game and for England. She's an inspiration for so many people, particularly for young goalkeepers who she has inspired. She deserves a great farewell and that's tomorrow, and I hope we celebrate her. " The farewell will frame an already significant England vs Spain World Cup qualifier.
