Photos show the emotional moment Spain clinched its first Women's World Cup title amid long-standing feud with their coach
- Spain's women's national soccer team beat England 1-0 to win Sunday's 2023 World Cup final.
- The team's road to victory was tumultuous, given the public feud with their coach Jorge Vilda.
Spain became the unlikely champions of the 2023 Women's World Cup Sunday, cementing their place in the competition's history by beating England 1-0.
Cheered on by thousands of supporters, including Queen Letizia of Spain, the Spanish national team — also known as "La Roja" — secured the win with a goal scored by fullback Olga Carmona in the first half of the final, hosted in Sydney, Australia, the BBC reported.
As the clock ticked to full-time, the team victory made them the first World Cup-winning squad to represent Spain in the competition's history. And they did so despite a tumultuous run involving a public feud with their coach, Jorge Vilda.
The feud began 10 months before the World Cup when 15 players who had regularly appeared on Spain's roster sent identical emails to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) vowing to boycott the national team and calling for an overhaul of the team's management, who they accused of poor treatment that posed a threat to their mental and physical health, Insider previously reported.
Many of the complaints were centered on Vilda, a controversial figure who rejected the complaints as "a farce" during a fiery press conference just days after the emails were sent.
Fast-forward to the World Cup, videos taken throughout the competition showed players acting visibly hostile toward Vilda, swatting him away, and celebrating victories separately.
Despite any bad blood, the team and their coach put on a united front to celebrate their historic victory — take a look.
Spain's Olga Carmona, who scored the one and only goal of the final, was visibly emotional as her team was declared victorious.
While England team members Beth England and Lauren Hemp stood dejected as the whistle blew marking their loss, Ona Batlle covered her face in celebration.
Spanish players Mariona Caldentey and Aitana Bonmatí looked like they couldn't quite believe they'd clinched the victory.
Eva Navarro, Oihane Hernández, and Rocío Gálvez appeared to be in disbelief, as well.
Misa Rodríguez hoisted Alba Redondo up in victory as Olga Carmona and Ivana Andrés joined them in celebrating beating England.
Ivana Andrés and Cata Coll fell to the ground in celebration after the team's victory.
Players rushed onto the field to celebrate the team's victory.
Alexia Putellas and Irene Paredes embraced each other after the win.
Jorge Vilda, Spain's head coach, was tossed into the air after the match.
Despite the ongoing feud, Vilda and the team celebrated their win over England together.
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