Lionesses roar to victory as England reaches FIFA Women's World Cup Final

Source: ITV

The Lionesses have a chance to become world champions after a dramatic 3-1 victory over Australia on their home turf.

England has made it to the FIFA Women's World Cup final after defeating tournament hosts Australia 3-1 in Sydney.

The Lionesses, who emerged victorious in the Euro 2022 final, previously lost semi-finals at the 2015 and 2019 Women’s World Cups.

England was playing in the semifinals for the third consecutive Women's World Cup and Australia was in the final four for the first time.

Now, the Lionesses have an opportunity to build on their successes of last year in Europe by becoming the new world champions when they take on Spain in the final on Sunday.

Australia will play Sweden for third place on Saturday in Brisbane.

It was a lively start to the game, with Australia's Sam Kerr having an early shot on goal within the first 10 minutes, saved by Mary Earps, before an offside call from the referee.

England's Alex Greenwood picked up a yellow card, also before the 10-minute mark, after bringing Kerr to the ground during a challenge for the ball.

The first half has seen plenty of challenges and near-misses in what promised to be a dramatic game at Sydney's Stadium Australia in front of a sold-out crowd.

Australia had several rushes at goal, but England was first to break the tie in the 36th minute with a goal by Ella Toone from inside the box.

In the second-half England did their best to dominate possession and maintain their lead over the Matildas.

Australia fought back in the 62nd minute however, with Kerr scoring a powerful shot in front of a roaring home crowd.

England regained its lead in the 71st minute with England's Lauren Hemp taking advantage of some poor defending from Ellie Carpenter, bringing the score to 2-1.

Arsenal forward Alessia Russo sealed Australia's fate in the 86th minute with a shot from the right of the goal, giving England a 3-1 lead right before full-time.

Thousands of fans across the UK took time off work to watch today's game, with many singing, dancing and slamming tables at fan parks.

In a personally signed tweet congratulating the team, The Prince of Wales wrote: “What a phenomenal performance from the Lionesses – on to the final!
“Commiserations to the Matildas, you’ve played brilliantly and been fantastic co-hosts of this World Cup.”