Women's World Cup final prediction, odds, betting tips and best bets from Spain vs England for 2023 title

Kyle Bonn

Women's World Cup final prediction, odds, betting tips and best bets from Spain vs England for 2023 title image

It's an all-European affair as Spain meet England in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final from Sydney, Australia.

Either way it plays out, a first-time winner will be crowned, as neither nation has ever even reached this stage of the competition, let alone lifted the Women's World Cup trophy. The eventual winner will become the fifth-ever nation to win the Women's World Cup title, after the United States, Germany, Norway, and Japan.

Spain entered this tournament as a side bursting with talent but unfulfilled from an accomplishment standpoint. They could tear that narrative down with victory here, as the FIFA crown would be a crowning achievement for a squad which has toiled both on and off the pitch to improve their global standing.

England, meanwhile, are coming off their 2022 Euro title and hoping to validate that continental championship with a global one. Their traditional attacking flair has been conspicuously absent this tournament, but they have been defensively astute, and never have they needed that more than against a prolific Spain forward line.

MORE: World Cup Final Live Blog

Spain vs England odds for 2023 Women's World Cup final

As the betting market makes clear, this match is far too close to call. Spain are slight favourites, but the odds are essentially even.

Yet one thing is clear, and that is an expectation that goals will be hard to come by. Even with the tournament's most prolific attacking squad in Spain having reached this stage, the under is a massive favourite, skewed significantly towards a lack of attacking play.

  Spain win
(90 mins)
Draw
(90 mins)
England win
(90 mins)
Both teams
to score Y / N
Over / Under
2.5 goals
Spain
lift trophy
England
lift trophy
BetMGM
(USA)
+170 +210 +175 +105 / -145 +138 / -190 -115 -110
Sports
Interaction

(Canada)
+165 +200 +175 +101 / -159 +141 / -189
Top Betting Sites
(UK)
13/8 2/1 9/5 21/20, 8/11 7/5, 8/15 20/21 5/6
Unibet
(Australia)
2.65 3.00 2.90 1.98 / 1.78 2.40 / 1.55 1.85 1.95
Dafabet
(India)
2.70 3.15 2.90 2.14 / 1.72 2.29 / 1.69

Spain vs England match facts

  • Date: Sunday, August 20, 2023
  • Kickoff Time: 6 a.m. ET / 11 a.m. BST / 8 p.m. AEST
  • Location: Accor Stadium (Sydney, Australia)
  • Official: Tori Penso (USA)
  • Last meeting: England 2-1 Spain (Jul. 20, 2022 | UEFA W. Euro 2022 QF)

Spain vs England team news

Spain head coach Jorge Vilda has a massive call to make in midfield. Superstar and two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas is the first name on his teamsheet when fully fit, but as she returns from an ACL tear, she has shown signs that she has not reacquired her trademark dominance yet, and her understudy Salma Paralluelo has proven a game-changer in her own right. Putellas was effective off the bench against the Netherlands, but her 57 minutes of semifinal action against Sweden were less than her best. It's a huge decision that must be weighed heavily before kickoff.

On the other side, a similar choice will rack the brain of England head coach Sarina Wiegman. Young Chelsea playmaker Lauren James was England's standout player of this Women's World Cup until she was sent off against Nigeria, earning a two-match ban. England have managed to trudge on without her, looking effective, even, in her absence. Now that James is available once again, Wiegman must choose between turning back to an in-form player and upsetting a winning formula, or leaving the 21-year-old out and sticking with Ella Toone who stepped in for the quarters and semis.

Spain vs England key stats

  • Both teams are playing in their first Women's World Cup final. There has not been a first-time Women's World Cup winner since Japan in 2011, and there has not been a final with no prior finalists since the inception of the competition in 1991.
  • Sarina Wiegman is only the second coach ever to reach two Women's World Cup finals, after Jill Ellis, who won with the United States in both 2015 and 2019.
  • England, who utilised the same starting XI in every single Euro 2022 game, have six players with zero minutes at the 2023 Women's World Cup. England's 17 players used is the joint-fewest at the tournament amongst teams who reached the knockout stage.
  • Spain have scored 17 goals at the Women's World Cup, the most of any team in the competition. England, meanwhile, have conceded just three goals the whole way, facing 64 shots in total. England goalkeeper Mary Earps has been forced into just 12 saves through their four knockout stage matches.
  • Playing just 20 minutes shy of the maximum this year, England full-back Lucy Bronze has recorded an incredible 1,730 minutes across the last three Women's World Cup tournaments.
  • Spain's seven goals conceded are the most by a Women's World Cup finalist since Norway (8) in 1991, the first-ever edition of the competition.

Spain vs England prediction

  • Moneyline lean (90 mins): Draw (+210)
  • Score prediction: Spain 1-1 England
  • To lift the trophy: England (-105)

The betting market has this one exactly right — it's simply too close to call. One side or the other might win, but there are valid arguments to be made on both sides, so the value lies with the draw. In fact, the last time they met, it was level after 90 minutes and went to extra-time, where Georgia Stanway's 96th minute goal proved decisive as England advanced in the 2022 Women's Euro.

In the end, England possess one of the most important and valuable traits which Spain do not, and that is experience. Prior to this tournament, Spain had only reached the Round of 16 at any previous Women's World Cup, and had only progressed past the quarterfinals of the Euros once. They also continue to show signs of internal turmoil, the latest of which being Alexia Putellas's reaction to being substituted off in the semifinal.

England, in contrast, won the European championship last year, and their coach led the Netherlands to the 2019 Women's World Cup final. The Lionesses have an exceptional wealth of big-game experience, and will lean on that heavily as the margins in this match are sure to be thin.

Spain vs England best bet

  • Pick: Half with most goals — 2H
  • Odds: +105 (BetMGM)

Both these teams will fancy their chances in the second half, and getting there without being forced to chase will be critical. The final moments of these huge global finals are often the ones that turn the tide, and reaching those late stages with a chance to win will be critical. Conversely, conceding early will force a team to open up and attack under emotional pressure, a disadvantageous position to be in for sure.

Indeed, the last six goals scored between these two nations, and seven of the last nine, have been struck in the second half, a streak which dates back to the 2017 European championships. In matches with thin margins, the second half usually proves decisive, and these two teams getting to halftime scoreless would not be a shocking result.

Spain vs England prop bet

  • Pick: Lauren Hemp to score or assist a goal
  • Odds: +230 (FanDuel)

In the absence of Lauren James, it has been Lauren Hemp to step in and play a starring role up front for England. It would be surprising to see Sarina Wiegman turn back to James, having found a successful formula in her absence, but even if the 21-year-old returns, it will be Ella Toone, not Hemp, to step out.

23-year-old Hemp has big-game experience, playing the full 120 minutes against Germany in the Euro final, and while she didn't have her best in that game, simply her presence in that pressure cooker will give her a boost here. She's in exceptional form now, starring against Australia with a goal and assist to her name, having created three chances and partnering well with Toone, another veteran of the Euro final.

Spain vs England flier bet

  • Pick: England to win on penalties
  • Odds: +850 (FanDuel)

This is a true punt, but given how evenly matched these two teams are on paper, it's absolutely conceivable that we get our first penalty shootout in a Women's World Cup final since 2011, when Japan toppled the United States.

Mary Earps has already been in this situation this tournament, as England advanced past Nigeria, and while she didn't have to make a save in that shootout with two Nigeria takers both missing, having that out of the way is enormous. Meanwhile, the Spanish women have never been to a penalty shootout in a World Cup, and they fell in their last shootout at a major tournament, defeated by Austria in the 2017 Euro quarterfinals.

All signs point to England having the experience and history to advance at this stage of the competition and bring it home.

Spain vs England live stream, TV channel

MORE: Watch Premier League matches live with Fubo in USA

  TV channel Streaming
USA FOX, Telemundo, Universo Fubo, Fox Sports site/app, Peacock (Spanish), Telemundo Deportes site/app
UK BBC One, ITV 1, STV Scotland BBC iPlayer, BBC Sports website/app, ITVX, STV Player
Australia Seven 7plus, Optus Sport
Canada CTV, RDS, TSN1, TSN3, TSN4 Fubo, TSN+, RDS site/app, CTV site/app
India  — FanCode
New Zealand Sky Sport 1 NZ Prime TV, Sky Sport NOW, Sky Go NZ
Singapore FIFA WWC CH01 StarHub TV+, meWATCH
Hong Kong  — Now Player, Now Sports Prime
Malaysia  — FIFA+

Fans in select regions of the world can stream the Women's World Cup live on FIFA+, including in Japan, Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand.

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn Photo

Kyle Bonn, is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.