England Suffer Humiliating 4-0 Defeat to Spain, World Cup Qualifying Playoffs Likely

England’s World Cup qualifying hopes hang by a thread after a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Spain in Mallorca, with Alexia Putellas scoring twice. A one-goal loss would have kept England’s top-spot hopes alive, but Spain’s emphatic win means they now only need to beat Iceland on Tuesday to secure the group lead. England were annihilated, with Spain dominating possession (61%) and scoring through Patricia Guijarro, Putellas (twice), and Clàudia Pina. The loss was England’s first in the group and leaves them likely facing playoffs. Manager Sarina Wiegman’s side was sloppy, lacking sharpness after a three-week break from the WSL season, while Spain was boosted by a fresh Barcelona contingent. England’s only absentee was injured captain Leah Williamson, but that was no excuse for the performance. An intense post-mortem is expected as England faces a huge task to recover before the World Cup.