Proud Spain's Three-Year Fight Worth the Effort

Vicky Lopez was sobbing on July 27 as she collected her silver medal. She had just experienced her first major defeat with the senior Spain team, and she was unable to contain her emotions.

- Laia Cervello Herrero

NEW YORK - Vicky Lopez was sobbing on July 27 as she collected her silver medal. She had just experienced her first major defeat with the senior Spain team, and she was unable to contain her emotions.

The world champions lost to England 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out, falling at the final hurdle in their bid to add the European Championship to the Women's World Cup they won in 2023 and the Nations League trophy lifted in 2024.

They had been the favourites against the Lionesses, even though this was their first final in this competition.

But when the dust settles and the pain of defeat has eased, they can at least reflect that this tournament has represented a huge step forward for the Spanish national team.

The World Cup two years ago arrived amid a battle between the players and the Spanish football federation that had been brewing for some time and exploded in September 2022 after the last Euro.

The players were demanding minimum conditions that would allow them to perform at their best. They became particularly aware of this with the professionalisation of club teams, led by Barcelona, and saw the difference between playing domestically and internationally. For many of them, playing for the national team was like a trip back in time.