Women’s World Cup final LIVE: England vs Spain build-up and team news

Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka were among those to send a message of support to the Lionesses ahead of the World Cup final against Spain.

Kane said: “Best of the luck for the final. I’ll be watching. Amazing journey so far, you should be really proud of yourselves. We’re all behind you and we know you can do it. Bring that trophy home.”

The King has urged the Lionesses to “roar to victory” in the Women’s World Cup final.

Charles’ rallying cry came on the eve of England’s historic showdown with Spain at the Stadium Australia in Sydney.

“Good luck today Lionesses, and may you roar to victory,” Charles said in a message posted on social media on Saturday.

Queen Letizia of Spain is set to travel to Australia for the final, while UK royals are staying at home.

Both Prince William and prime minister Rishi Sunak will also not be attending the game.

American referee Tori Penso will take charge of England’s match against Spain in the World Cup final.

Penso also officiated England’s victory over co-hosts Australia in the semi-finals and will therefore take charge of the Lionesses for the second match in a row.

The ground-breaking MLS referee booked both Alex Greenwood and Chloe Kelly during the semi-final, which the Lionesses won 3-1 in Sydney, but there could have been many more after the 90 minutes saw a number of heavy challenges.

Sarina Wiegman has a big decision to make as England face Spain in the Women’s World Cup final and the Lionesses look to win the game’s biggest prize for the first time.

After successfully ending their run of semi-final defeats to beat hosts Australia in Sydney, Wiegman must decide whether she will bring star forward Lauren James back into her starting line-up for the final.

James was sent off for stamping on an opponent in England’s last-16 win over Nigeria but has now served her two-match suspension is available to play in the final.

England’s Ella Toone impressed with her performance against Australia and was also on the scoresheet as she scored the opening goal, so the Manchester United midfielder will be difficult to drop.

But James was one of the players of the World Cup during the group stages, scoring three goals, and could be the difference for England as they look to win the World Cup for the first time.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the World Cup final

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin will not be attending the Women’s World Cup final, despite the European confederation having two teams at the Sydney final in Spain and England.

Uefa will instead be represented by Nadine Kessler, technical director of the women’s game for the body.

Ceferin’s absence is the latest in a series of snubs from figures who purportedly support or represent the women’s game, including president of the FA Prince William, and UK prime minister Rishi Sunak.

The length of the journey to Australia was put down as a primary reason for Ceferin’s snub.

Exclusive by Miguel Delaney

England were “struggling”. Two games into the World Cup and the final seemed a long way away. Despite the opening wins against Haiti and Denmark, England needed to change. While players and managers at major tournaments often repeat the line that results are all that matter, Sarina Wiegman was more concerned with how her side were underperforming. The Lionesses were faced with a lack of creativity and a vulnerability to the counterattack.

But Wiegman and her coaching team had a backup plan. A change in formation was an idea she and her staff discussed in April when they were designing a way for England to be more unpredictable at the World Cup. A 3-5-2 system was identified as a way to get more from certain players in the squad and play to their strengths, while also giving their opponents something new to think about. Still, when Wiegman was faced with the decision to rip up England’s approach and start again, she required courage and conviction to commit to it.

This is how Sarina Wiegman changed England’s World Cup

The Prime Minister has told England’s Lionesses that the “whole nation is rooting for you” as they prepare to take on Spain in the Women’s World Cup final.

In a letter, Rishi Sunak wished England boss Sarina Wiegman and her players good luck for the final in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday, telling them: “You’ve made us all proud.”

Mr Sunak has opted not to attend the southern hemisphere final in person, sending Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer to Australia to represent the UK Government.

Addressing the letter to “Sarina and all our Lionesses”, the Prime Minister said: “On behalf of the entire country, I want to wish you the best of luck against Spain in the World Cup final!

“Once again, this summer, you’ve made us all proud. From beating the Aussies in their own backyard to winning that penalty shoot-out, you have inspired us with your skill, teamwork and courage.

“This weekend, like millions of others, I will be watching and cheering you on.

“But whatever the result, I want you to know that you have already secured a lasting legacy: that every girl in this country will have equal access to all school sport, including football.”

In the final days before a World Cup final, when every touch on the training ground is charged with greater tension, it’s still difficult not to revert to the lightness of youth. That is where the very meaning of all this is first set.

“When I was a kid we used to play ‘World Cup’ in the garden, where we had to score to stay in,” striker Alessia Russo smiles in England’s base. “It was having fun and playing free… as a kid growing up, to think we’re playing in a World Cup final in a couple of days is a special feeling.”

It is a feeling that is universal when it comes to this game, because this game is truly unique. Nothing else comes near. It is why everyone is here. Jenni Hermoso expressed exactly the same emotions in the Spain camp.

“Everything I do on the pitch I learned it on the street, playing in my neighbourhood, playing in the park underneath my grandparents’ house… of course you imagine winning, you visualise going back to Spain with the World Cup. I hope that dream becomes reality.”

The manner these players inspire next generations means these simple joys should not be forgotten, as all of these players seek to do something that will be remembered forever.

England vs Spain – World Cup final preview, by Miguel Delaney

Good morning! It’s World Cup final day and the nation is set to come to a halt as the Lionesses play Spain in Sydney for the game’s biggest prize.

England are in their first World Cup final, men’s or women’s, in 57 years on what is a historic occasion . Manager Sarina Wiegman has urged her players to block out the “noise” of 1966 as England look to add the World Cup title to last year’s Euros triumph.

The Lionesses reached the World Cup final for the first time with their 3-1 win over Australia in the semi-finals, with Wiegman’s side managing to stay cool to defeat the hosts with a clinical display in Sydney.

Spain, who are also playing the first Women’s World Cup final, have navigated a player mutiny off the pitch and questions surrounding their manager Jorge Vilda, but ‘La Roja’ remain dangerous opponents and are led by their contingent of Barcelona stars.

When it gets to this stage before a big game, even someone as experienced as Sarina Wiegman finds she can’t take her mind off it. Or, rather, she doesn’t want to take her mind off it, which is precisely why she’s so experienced.

“No, and I don’t want to relax,” she smiles.

“It’s Spain,” Wiegman says of her thoughts before taking on Sunday’s opponents. “Everything now is Spain. When you’re so close, well, I have that feeling a little bit anyway, but when you go to the next game, you’re only thinking ‘OK, what’s next? What can we get in front of us? What challenges can we expect? How are we going to prepare the team?

“I just want to get ready.”

Wiegman has ensured England have never been more ready. The national team are on the brink of bringing a decade-long project to glorious completion and winning a first ever Women’s World Cup because of her crucial influence. The 53-year-old from The Hague can now be classed as the best manager in the game. While the key elements of that story are tactics, patience, strategy and the will – as well as investment from the FA – to hire a manager this good, there is also something acutely personal.

Read Miguel Delaney’s in-depth piece on the Lionesses’s iconic manager