Has Spain ever won the Women’s World Cup? History, best finish in FIFA tournaments

In recent years, Spain has emerged as one of the strongest teams in women’s football with the country possessing some of the world’s top players.

Central to this is star midfielder Alexia Putellas, the Barcelona midfielder who has won the best player of the year award from both FIFA and the Ballon d’Or for the last two years.

It was not always like this, though, with Spain lagging behind many other European nations until the mid 2010s, meaning their history and pedigree at the Women’s World Cup is much lower than their rivals.

In their short time in prominence, have they ever managed to win the Women’s World Cup? The Sporting News looks at their history at the World Cup.

MORE: Spain 2023 Women’s World Cup squad

Spain history at Women’s World Cup

Spain’s history at the Women’s World Cup is far less impressive than many of its rivals, as the side failed to qualify for the first six tournaments between 1991-2011.

They ended their long drought in 2015, when they qualified for the World Cup in Canada after finishing top of their qualifying group, however the tournament was a massive disappointment, as they drew with Costa Rica, but were defeated by Brazil and South Korea, meaning La Roja finished last in the group with just one point.

After the tournament, the entire Spanish squad released a letter demanding the Spanish Football Federation sack long serving coach Ignacio Quereda, a request that was granted, leading to the appointment of current coach Jorge Vilda.

Under Vilda, Spain have continued to improve, qualifying for the last two World Cups and experiencing greater success in these tournaments and the European Championships.

What is Spain’s best finish at Women’s World Cup?

Spain achieved their best ever finish at the World Cup in 2019 and also at the current tournament in 2023, where the team reached the Round of 16.

In 2019, they were able to achieve their first ever World Cup win against South Africa, coming from behind to win 3-1, before securing a point against China that helped them to the Round of 16, where they lost to eventual champions USA 2-1, conceding two penalties.

They have so far matched their performance in 2019 in the ongoing World Cup tournament in Australia and New Zealand, where they finished second in Group C, qualifying them for the Round of 16.

If they defeat Switzerland on August 5, they will achieve a new best finish at the World Cup.

Tournament	Record (W-L-D)	Stage reached	Eliminated by
2015	0-2-1	Group stage	—
2019	1-2-1	Round of 16	USA
2023	2-1-0	Round of 16*	—

*Denotes tournament still in progress

MORE: Women’s World Cup schedule

Spain at the 2023 World Cup

Spain’s World Cup campaign got off to the perfect start, with La Roja scoring three times in six first-half minutes to defeat Costa Rica 3-0 in Wellington, with Spain having an incredible 46 shots compared to just one shot fired in anger by their opponents.

They followed this up with another big victory against World Cup debutants Zambia, where they recorded a 5-0 win in Auckland, with Alba Redondo and Jennifer Hermoso scoring doubles.

This set up a mouthwatering final group stage clash with Japan to decide who would top the group, however Spain were blown away by a counter-attacking masterclass from Japan, with the Asian side scoring three times in the first half, and adding another goal in the second half to grab a stunning 4-0 victory, despite Spain having 77% possession.

It was a massive wake up call for Spain, and raises doubts as to whether the side has what it takes to beat the top tier of talent at the World Cup and in women’s football, and they will need to be at their best to defeat a solid Switzerland side in the Round of 16.

Date	Match	Stadium
July 21	Spain 3-0 Costa Rica	Wellington Regional Stadium
July 26	Spain 5-0 Zambia	Eden Park
July 31	Japan 4-0 Spain	Wellington Regional Stadium
August 5	Switzerland vs Spain	Eden Park