Wiegman says England and Spain united ahead of World Cup final rematch following Rubiales trial

Two of Europe’s top footballing nations are set to clash at Wembley on Wednesday in a highly anticipated rematch of the Women’s World Cup final, as England take on Spain.

This encounter marks the second round of fixtures in the Women’s Nations League, with both sides looking to build momentum.

England will be aiming to respond to a disappointing draw against Portugal, while Spain, fresh off a dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Belgium, sit at the top of the group.

Beyond the result, this match offers a chance to assess how both teams have evolved since their last competitive meeting in Sydney.

Speaking in her pre-match press conference, Wiegman said: “We are not playing football to beat the critics. We are playing football to win games.

“We will try to be at our best tomorrow again and be connected as a team. What we want to do is get more consistency so create momentum in the game and keep it longer, that is what we have experienced over the last couple of games. Then we move forward.

“Sometimes things go really well, sometimes things don’t go that well. We try and stay very neutral and say ‘this is where we are right now’.

“We want to celebrate the football, we want to be talking about the football. We are talking about performances but also about this and I hope that soon we can focus on the football.”

“We want to be our best ready for the EUROs and this is another massive step on our journey.” 👏

— Lionesses (@Lionesses)

Spain have faced battles on and off the pitch since the final in 2023. Despite their success at the World Cup, their achievements were overshadowed by controversy.

Former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales was recently found guilty of sexual assault for kissing player Jenni Hermoso without consent during the World Cup medal ceremony, a scandal that led to the dismissal of head coach Jorge Vilda.

Speaking on the incident, Wiegman added: “It says first of all that they are a very good team but it also says that they show resilience and they are so brave.

“I think we have to keep talking about it, unfortunately, and we have to keep telling the world that we stand in solidarity with them and hopefully it will make change. I think it has already made change.”

Striker Alessia Russo added: “We have stood in solidarity with them since the moment it began. It is really a shame they have had to go through this.

“We hope it makes change going forward and it is a testament to the players, to be so brave and speak out but also to still be performing at the level that they are.

“I have [Arsenal] teammates that have been through it. They have acted with so much calmness through it all. We stand with them and back them all the way.

“Obviously you never want you teammate to have to go through something like the process that has been going on but they have acted with so much class. It’s not been easy. They are top players as well and their standards are always sky high.

“I am grateful to have teammates and people like that around me day-in-day-out.”