MATCH REPORT | Spain keep Brazil in their sights

On a hot April afternoon, with temperatures 30 ºC, Spain and Ukraine took to the pitch at the Nuevo Arcángel for Matchday 4 of Group A3. The crowd brought the noise from the stands right from the anthems, adding to the heat and atmosphere. There was also a touching moment before kick-off, as Julio Rodríguez—who helped victims of the tragic Adamuz train accident—performed the ceremonial first kick.

From there, it was all football—and Spain wasted no time. Inside two minutes, a pinpoint cross from Lucía Corrales found Edna Imade, who powered home a perfect header to open the scoring. Spain kept the tempo high, attacking relentlessly. Alexia Putellas and Salma Paralluelo both had chances within the first 15 minutes, while corners kept piling up. The control and dominance from Sonia Bermúdez’s side were almost total. Not even the cooling break slowed them down. Pina and Imade kept testing the defense, and just before half-time, Alexia lit up the stadium with a brilliant move that deserved a goal. Ukraine’s best chance came in the 44th minute, hitting the post on a counterattack.

The second half began with changes—Mariona Caldentey and Claudia Pina made way for Vicky López and Ona Batlle. And the pattern? Exactly the same. Just two minutes in, déjà vu: another Corrales cross, another Edna Imade header—2–0. Spain stayed sharp and aggressive, creating chances from everywhere. Salma nearly made it three in the 54th minute, but her shot struck the woodwork.

Goalkeeper Keliushyk denied Vicky López shortly after, but Spain wouldn’t be stopped for long. The third came from María Méndez—her third international goal—with a powerful header from a Vicky López cross. Clara Serrajordi tried her luck from distance before Bermúdez made more changes, bringing on Fiamma Benítez and Laia Codina.

Then came the goals in quick succession. Eva Navarro made it four with a stunning long-range strike into the far corner. And the fifth? Vicky López, alert and clinical, rounded off the scoring. With the game wrapped up, Bermúdez handed a debut to 17-year-old Aiara Agirrezabala.

Mission accomplished in Córdoba: a big win with plenty of goals. Spain will regroup in June for Matchdays 5 and 6 against England and Iceland, continuing their push for a place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.