Half-time: England 1-0 Spain

45+1 min: James takes the corner and Bright steps up to head it. The centre-back can’t quite reach the ball and it runs behind to the other side of the box.

45 min: One minute has been added on. England have a corner…

43 min: Another chance for Spain as the ball falls to Bonmatí in the middle of the box. The midfielder goes for goal and forces a great save from Hampton!

42 min: Spain are beginning to pile on the pressure once again, forcing England into some defensive errors as a result. The Lionesses do not want to concede now with half-time just a few minutes away.

40 min: Paralluelo attempts a fairly audacious shot from outside the box while being closed down by Charles, but it’s another easy save for Hampton.

38 min: Bonmatí goes for goal after picking up possession in a central area, but it’s a fairly easy save for Hampton.

36 min: Chance for Spain now as Batlle plays the ball into Paralluelo, who has switched over to the right. The forward moves inside before unleashing a shot, which flies inches past the post.

35 min: It was a difficult start for England, but the Lionesses have grown into this game at the perfect time.

34 min: Toone and Clinton link up on the left before the ball is played through to Russo, who spins Paredes before making her way into the box. The striker cuts inside and shoots, but Coll makes the save. Park is then in the right place at the right time to tap it in.

GOAL! England 1-0 Spain (Park, 33)

29 min: England have certainly stepped up in these last 10 minutes or so. James continues to be the star player for Sarina Wiegman’s side.

27 min: Williamson appeals for a penalty after being dragged down by Aleixandri – who then heads clear – in the box while a corner is taken. The referee dismisses it and we have no VAR so the game continues.

The England captain is NOT happy about that.

25 min: Another chance for England as Bright sends a brilliant diagonal pass over to James in attack. The winger cuts in from the right and goes for goal, but her effort is saved. This is much, much better from England.

23 min: James takes the free kick and forces Coll into a fantastic save with a curling effort from the edge of the box!

22 min: James sends a perfectly-weighted through ball to Charles on the left. Paredes gets there and makes the challenge, but the referee awards a free kick. The Spanish defender is also booked.

However, replays show Paredes actually got the ball and, in fact, it was a brilliant tackle.

20 min: Charles loses possession over on the left and Bonmatí charges forward towards the edge of the box. She looks to check her run, but the ball eventually falls to the feet of Pina, who fires her shot over the bar.

18 min: Bonmatí attempts to draw a foul from Bronze as the ball runs out of play, but the referee is not having any of it. Bronze is quite clearly thrilled about that.

16 min: England look to break forward as Russo sets a pass to James, who returns it with a through ball but Paredes sees it out for a Lionesses throw-in.

14 min: Russo gets one of her first touches of the ball, but she has to drop deep into midfield to get it, which, of course, is not ideal for a striker. England are really struggling right now.

12 min: Huge chance for Spain! A corner is sent into the box by Paredes. Aleixandri flicks it on and the ball falls straight to García who rattles the crossbar with her shot! A huge let-off for the Lionesses, who are still yet to register a strike.

10 min: James plays a one-two with Toone before making her way to the edge of the box. She looks to cut inside, but Aleixandri is there to block.

8 min: Paralluelo is proving to be a real handful for Bronze already in this match. The forward links up with Carmona on the left before making her way into the box. She skips past two defenders, but England can eventually clear the danger.

6 min: Spain look to break forward as a pass is sent through to Batlle, who makes an overlapping run from defence. However, James does well to track back and make the challenge.

4 min: Paralluelo wins a corner for Spain. Paredes takes and sends a cross to Bonmatí on the edge of the box. The midfielder cushions a header down to Carmona, but Clinton is there to intercept.

2 min: Both teams have seen an equal amount of the ball so far. Clinton shrugs off pressure from Aleixandri before passing to Bronze on the right, but Paralluelo intercepts.

Kick-off

The teams are out. The national anthems have been sung. Wembley is rocking. Kick-off is just a few moments away!

Olympic gold medallist and Sports Personality of the Year winner Keely Hodgkinson is at Wembley tonight!

During her pre-match press conference, Spain manager Montse Tomé said: “It will be a top level match, between the World champions and the European champions, it has to be a beautiful spectacle of women’s football. I expect a competitive match between two teams who want to win. It will be very, very competitive. We want to have the ball. The longer we have it, the better. We plan to play on the front foot, get into the box and score goals and that’s what we’ll be looking for tomorrow. England have a strong attacking game, a midfield that plays well, their right wing has a lot of attacking potential…. Sarina might be going to defend deep and attack on the break, they have already given us a clue…”

Sarina Wiegman praised Jenni Hermoso for her “remarkable courage” and reiterated her support for the Spanish women’s national team during her pre-match press conference on Tuesday. The England manager said: “It says how brave they are. It says first of all that they’re a very good team, but it also says that they show resilience and they’re so brave.

“And again, we’re talking about it again today. I think we have to keep talking about it. I would almost say unfortunately and we have to keep telling the world that we stand in solidarity and hopefully it’ll make change.”

Last week, Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish football ­federation, was found guilty of sexual assault for kissing Spain forward Jenni Hermoso without consent during the medal ceremony of the 2023 World Cup final, with the court ruling he pay a €10,000 (£8,290) fine. However, Rubiales and his three co-defendants were cleared of the charge of coercion, for having ­allegedly put pressure on Hermoso to say the kiss was consensual. Rubiales has said he, too, will be appealing.

Ballon d’Or Féminin winner Aitana Bonmatí now says she “has to believe” that change will happen and that the fight of Hermoso and Spain players has not been in vain.

During her pre-match press conference, England manager Sarina Wiegman said: “They’re very comfortable on the ball and they want to play a possession game. We are aware of that, so at moments, we will have to be patient and wait until we can press and win the ball but we also know that we can exploit space behind them and that’s what we are looking for. They’ve been struggling with that over the last couple of games. They’re a good side but we see opportunities too.”

Wiegman continued: “I think we have evolved but you can’t relate to the EUROs or the World Cup anymore because there have been so many new players coming in. The game has evolved too, it’s not just us trying to adapt, the opponents have changed with the Nations League coming in, different matches at a much higher level which is what we want. Of course, we are still developing, adapting and trying to improve every single game.”

Former England forward Toni Duggan will be given a special presentation at Wembley Stadium this evening to celebrate her retirement. Duggan will also be among six Lionesses to receive their legacy caps. She is set to be joined by Ellen White, Rachel Williams, Jo Potter, Fara Williams and Clare Wheatley.

The Lionesses kicked off their 2025 with an underwhelming 1-1 draw with Portugal last week. The result and performance left Sarina Wiegman, her players and England fans with a familiar feeling of frustration.

Just two years ago, England looked completely formidable on the pitch. Since the World Cup, however, they have appeared very beatable.

Team news

Preamble