Captain Olga Carmona scored the winner in the first half as Spain won the Women’s World Cup for the first time by beating England 1-0 in front of 75,784 fans at Stadium Australia on Sunday.

La Roja, robbed of some of their best talent by a mutiny against coach Jorge Vilda only a few months ago and thrashed 4-0 by Japan in the group stage, outplayed England to deservedly claim their first major title in only their third World Cup.

England had a couple of good opportunities, including a strike that hit the crossbar in the first half, but lacked a cutting edge and were flattered by the final scoreline.

It’s a remarkable feat for Spain, in only their third World Cup. They came back from a 4-0 group stage defeat by Japan and got stronger and stronger, battling through against the Netherlands and Sweden. England were outclassed against the first major European nation they faced.