“How on earth did they do it?” an international journalist asked in the press box at Auckland’s Eden Park after Spain qualified for the World Cup final with a last-gasp win over Sweden.
How do you go from rebellion to a World Cup final? And how do you do it in a dressing room divided at the outset and with a coach in whom the players have shown they don’t have confidence?
This is how it all happened.
Let’s start at the beginning. Going into this Women’s World Cup, the Spanish national team had never won a knockout game at an official tournament — not at a European Championship, not a World Cup.
At last year’s Euros, they started as one of the favourites. For the first time in their history, they had a Ballon d’Or winner in their ranks and many of the best players in the world. Things were looking good.
On the eve of the competition, Alexia Putellas was injured. The team did not depend on her; they were fortunate to have one of the best squads in their history. But the blow was hard because of what it meant.
Spain players hold up a shirt bearing Alexia Putellas’ name at last year’s Euros (Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Some of the staff at the RFEF, the Spanish football federation, described that day to The Athletic as the hardest they…
