Football: Soccer-Spain’s Bonmati on cloud nine after World Cup win

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Spain have been working for many years to achieve success on the global stage and those efforts finally paid off on Sunday when they lifted the Women’s World Cup, midfielder Aitana Bonmati said after their 1-0 victory over England.

Spain exacted revenge for their quarter-final loss to England in last year’s European Championship by winning 1-0 at Stadium Australia courtesy of Olga Carmona’s first-half strike.

It caps a stellar year for Bonmati and eight other Barcelona players in the Spain team, as they won LaLiga and the Champions League last season.

“I have no words, I’m in shock. What we have done is remarkable, we have known how to suffer and enjoy,” Bonmati said.

“I am very happy and proud. This is the dream of any soccer player. I can’t ask for anything more, at a sporting level it has been an exceptional year.

“Everyone knew the goal, everyone is competitive, everyone is strong mentally. We have been working a lot years for this moment,” she added, as Spain lifted the trophy in only their third appearance in the tournament.

Spain could have been more comfortable in the match had Jennifer Hermoso not had her second-half penalty saved but in the end it did not matter as England could not make the breakthrough.

“It’s the best feeling of my life,” Hermoso said. “We have played the football as we wanted but I still think we are not aware of what we have achieved.”

Spain’s win came despite a number of their players being excluded from the squad last year due to a dispute with the coaching staff and showcases their immense depth of talent.

As does the fact they are also the holders of the under 17 and under 20 World Cups.

Spain are also just the second nation to win the men’s and women’s World Cups, after Germany.

(Reporting by Christian Radnedge; Editing by Peter Rutherford)