THE SQUIZ

It only took one goal for Spain to trounce England in the final last night, despite the Lionesses being the match favourites. The Spanish captain Olga Carmona slotted a ball into the corner of the goal at 29 minutes, and England was battling for the rest of the match. After the English goalie saved a penalty kick in the second half, the Poms regained momentum and looked close to scoring, but the Spanish side was just too good. La Roja ended the game with 58% possession of the ball and holding up the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

HUGE NEWS FOR SPANISH SOCCER…

Whichever team won last night, they would be the first nation ever to win both the women’s and men’s FIFA trophies. The English were extra-keen for the win, with churches shifting Sunday morning mass times so the faithful could watch the game and pubs open and pouring despite the fixture happening mid-morning. But Spain is equally soccer-mad, and their Queen Letizia is sure glad she flew to Sydney for the occasion… dancing with the national team after the win. “WORLD CHAMPIONS!” Spain’s acting prime minister posted, adding, “You’ve made history. You’ve made us proud.”

AND WHAT ABOUT THE ‘TILLIES?

We’ll never forget the Matildas… Spirits were high in Brisbane over the weekend, despite the Matildas’ 2-0 loss to Sweden on Saturday night to end the tournament in fourth place. The team received the keys to the city yesterday, and captain Sam Kerr thanked their millions of new supporters for “the best 4 weeks of our lives”. And while they didn’t get a podium finish, the Matildas did secure some cash… Finishing fourth sees each player receive roughly $258,000. And for the next generation, PM Anthony Albanese announced $200 million to “promote equal access, build more suitable facilities, and support grassroots initiatives” for girls and women in sport. If the record TV audiences are anything to go by – with another 3.38 million tuning into Saturday’s game – they’ll need every cent…