England are facing a desperate search for a late equaliser to keep their hopes of World Cup glory alive.

The Lionesses were given a lifeline after goalkeeper Mary Earps saved a penalty to keep them in their historic final with Spain.

A number of long delays in the second half meant a whopping 13 minutes of time will be added on, giving Sarina Wiegman’s side hope of some last gasp heroics. 

England still find themselves a goal down against La Roja but are still alive in the contest following Earps’ terrific stop on 69 minutes to prevent their opponents doubling their lead.

Earps then launched into a passionate celebration after saving Jennifer Hermoso’s spot-kick, which was given for handball following a lengthy VAR review. 

After trailing going into the break, England boss Sarina Wiegman turned to the returning Lauren James to try and salvage their dreams of glory.

James, arguably the Lionesses’ star of the tournament, has missed the last two matches following a red card against Nigeria, but was brought on at half-time along with Euros hero Chloe Kelly to try and turn the tide of the match.

The pair replaced forwards Rachel Daly and Alessia Russo, who were taken off after a difficult first half in which Spain began to exert dominance.

They took the lead just before the half-hour when Olga Carmona found herself free on England’s right and fired home with an impressive low drive.

The European Champions had initially started well, and were inches away from opening the scoring themselves when Lauren Hemp’s looping effort hit the crossbar. 

But the opening goal seemed to give Spain confidence, as they continued to control the remainder of the half, with Salma Paralluelo hitting the post right before the interval.

The match was briefly halted by a pitch invader wearing a ‘Stop Putler’ t-shirt, which compared Russian President Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler.

The man, who was also wearing a face mask, was quickly removed from the pitch by stewards. 

Millions of fans across the country are tuning in for the match, with many taking advantage of a last-minute relaxation of licensing laws to allow pubs to serve punters alcohol in time for the 11am kick off.The game has been tipped to give a £185 million boost to the UK economy.

At a fan zone in Victoria Park, east London, England supporters were stunned into silence by the goal.

A single Spanish fan jumped to his feet and danced in front of the hundreds of England fans, before Lionesses supporters began to rally and encourage their team again.

Before kick-off, a stirring rendition of the national anthem was belted out by the players and supporters watching on both Down Under and back in Britain.

Boss Sarina Wiegman has named an unchanged XI from the team that beat Australia 3-1 in the semi-final, with Lauren James back among the substitutes following her suspension. 

The match – watched from the stands by Queen Letizia of Spain but controversially not Rishi Sunak or FA President Prince William – began in feisty fashion with strong challenges going in on both sides.

The build-up to the game was overshadowed somewhat by a sexism row, particularly over the absence of the Prime Minister and the Prince of Wales, who many claimed would have been in the stands were it the men’s team competing in the final.

Kensington Palace said this afternoon that the Prince and Princess of Wales and Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are all watching the match together at home in Sandringham, Norfolk.

Confirmation from ministers that there would be no bank holiday should the Lionesses triumph, as well as the lack of preparation in getting venues ready for the early start, further added fuel to the fire.

Prior to kick off, there appeared to be little sign of nerves as the players, all dressed in light blue tracksuits, bounced into the 83,500-seater Stadium Australia, some even dancing their way into the changing rooms.

They were then seen checking the conditions on the playing surface and enjoying a joke with their Spanish opponents.

Supporters young and old had earlier gathered outside the Intercontinental hotel in Sydney to catch a glimpse of their heroes, and cheered as they stepped out to board a maroon-coloured bus, branded with ‘The Final’ in gold lettering.

The bus was given a police escort for its journey through the city, arriving at the stadium – where Jonny Wilkinson inspired the England rugby team to World Cup victory in 2003 – at around 9.30am.

Earlier, the Lionesses were seen enjoying a walkabout together in the Sydney sunshine. 

Stars including Alessia Russo, Ella Toone and Lauren James – back amongst the squad following her suspension for a red card against Nigeria – looked relaxed as they strolled around the city. 

The players were pictured holding bottles of water and squash to stay hydrated in the hot weather. 

The Lionesses’ opponents, La Roja, were also on a walkabout earlier in the day, and were seen posing with Spanish fans as they made their own final preparations ahead of the game. 

Before the game, a Government minister said that the Prime Minister will be ‘glued to the television’.

Asked on Times Radio whether Mr Sunak should have travelled to Sydney, Australia, to watch England take on Spain, schools minister Nick Gibb said: ‘The Foreign Secretary has gone, the Culture Secretary has gone.

‘I’m sure he will be glued to the television, as we all are.

‘This is a very exciting time for our country and we are all rooting for the Lionesses to win the World Cup, although we shouldn’t jinx it by saying too much.

‘But we all are very excited. And it is exciting for young people as well.

‘The Euros had a galvanising effect I think on sport in schools in this country.’

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said a bank holiday in the event of England winning the World Cup is not being considered.

Speaking  in Sydney this morning, she said: ‘We will definitely be celebrating the victory of the Lionesses, whether they win in the final or not, they’ve done a tremendous, tremendous amount of work to get to this stage, and we will be marking it definitely in some way.

‘A bank holiday isn’t something that we’re considering at the moment.’

She also added that the Prince of Wales is ‘disappointed’ not to attend the Women’s World Cup final, as she defended William and the Prime Minister from criticism that they have not travelled.

She said: ‘I’m in Australia representing the Government. The Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, is also here. I know that the Prime Minister feels very passionately about the women’s game.

‘Only about a month or so ago he and I were at 10 Downing Street with the Lionesses, and I know he sent a message to the Lionesses wishing them congratulations and luck today.’

Asked if she understands the disappointment of people who suggest both William and Rishi Sunak would be attending if it were the men’s team in the same position, Ms Frazer added: ‘I think the royal family do a tremendous amount for the country in so many spheres, including in sport. Prince William is, of course, the president of the FA and is a tremendous supporter of the sport.

‘I know that he’s disappointed that he isn’t able to be here today but he has sent a message of good luck to the Lionesses.

‘I’m sure that on their return, win or lose, he will be congratulating them on how they’ve done in this competition.’

England and Arsenal footballer Beth Mead, who missed out on a spot in the Lionesses squad due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, told the BBC this morning she is ‘not surprised’ they are in the World Cup final.

Mead told BBC Breakfast: ‘I’ve been super-proud of them and what they have achieved so far. 

‘Obviously they weren’t all guns firing in the group stages, but now they have grown into the tournament, a great semi-final against Australia and hopefully they peak today.

‘I’m not surprised where they are, I know the quality we have in the squad and the direction that Sarina (Wiegman) is putting us in.’

When asked how the Lionesses will be preparing in the last few hours before the final, Mead added: ‘I think the process won’t have changed throughout the tournament. From game one to now, nothing will have changed.

‘People who know the players, friends and family, will always message the day before to try not to bombard them on game day. Generally we wouldn’t look on social media to try and get too overexcited or anything in that sense.

‘I know the girls will be fully focused, they will have done their preparation and they will have done their work on Spain.

‘They will know all about them and knowing Sarina, she will have a plan A, B, C and D. Now they just have to go out there and enjoy it.’

Meanwhile, it emerged today that girls’ football has become so popular at Lioness Ella Toone’s old club that they ‘can’t form teams fast enough’.

Lorraine Warwick-Ellis, from Astley and Tyldesley Community Football Club where Toone used to play, told the BBC: ‘(Women’s football) weren’t televised for a long time, which was a shame. Now we are on TV, we’re visual and the girls can see it, they can be it.

‘It’s great to see all these young girls now who are coming down. It’s like we cannot form teams fast enough for them. It’s superb.’

Toone’s former PE teacher Chris Nuttall said she was a ‘dream’ pupil because she got other students involved.

The PE teacher at Fred Longworth High School in Tyldesley told the BBC: ‘The good thing for us is Ella still comes back to school. She’s very supportive. And I think with the girls seeing Ella around the school as well when she comes in, it’s been a massive for them.

‘We have girls’ teams now in every year group. A lot of girls are very interested and we were just chatting then about how many of the students are coming through wanting to be part of the girls’ team, and that is massively down to Ella and her achievements.’

Meanwhile, England fans are already out in force around the UK and Australia this morning, getting set to cheer on the team as they bid for glory. 

The Lionesses held a training session yesterday ahead of what could prove to be the biggest game of their lives against Spain. 

Yesterday, Sarina Wiegman put the squad through their paces as the players had the opportunity to impress the manager and find a place among the 11 destined to line out today. 

England enter the match as favourites to win a first Fifa World Cup since Alf Ramsey’s men beat West Germany at Wembley Stadium in 1966. 

This is the first time the English senior women’s team has reached a World Cup final, although many of the squad were part of the UEFA European Women’s Championship winning team in Wembley Stadium in July 2022. 

Lioness Alessia Russo has said she cannot wait to kick off England’s World Cup final after years spent rehearsing the winning strike in her childhood garden.

Maidstone-born Russo grew up watching her brothers play for the local boys’ side in East Farleigh, where she was too young to join in but would kick a ball around on the side of the pitch.

Soon, however, the now 24-year-old was featuring for both the girls’ and boys’ teams at Bearsted FC, which meant both weekend days were often occupied with football, while Russo’s preferred school-night activity remained playing on a strip of grass at the end of her street.

It would also not be wholly inaccurate to say Russo has already lifted a World Cup.

In primary school, the summer Arsenal signing played in an inter-school ‘Mini World Cup’ and walked away with a shock victory – while representing her side’s assigned country of South Korea.

Then there were the garden tournaments where, said Russo, ‘we had to score to stay in’.

She added: ‘As a kid, growing up to think we’re playing in a World Cup in a couple of days is a special feeling. A real ‘pinch me’ moment.’

However, while preparations on the field have been going well, in England there has been controversy as Prince William, who is president of the Football Association, will not be travelling to Sydney this weekend. 

The Lionesses knocked out co-hosts Australia 3-1 in the last four, while Spain booked their spot in the showpiece by edging out Sweden 2-1.

Both teams are playing in their first final, with England having lost back-to-back semis in 2015 and 2019 and Spain having only won one World Cup match before this year.

The Lionesses are unbeaten in the tournament having topped Group D, while Spain were runners-up in Group C following a 4-0 loss to Japan.

Spain are only the second team in World Cup history to reach the final having lost a game by four or more goals, after Norway bounced back from an opening 4-0 defeat against China to finish as runners-up in 1991.

Regardless of the result, Europe is guaranteed to end its 16-year World Cup drought, with Germany most recently winning in 2007, while it is 20 years since the last final to feature two European nations (Germany v Sweden in 2003).

As reigning continental champions, England are seeking to emulate the aforementioned German side by completing a historic double, having already matched Sarina Wiegman’s 2019 Netherlands team by reaching the final as Euros winners.

Netherlands’ defeat against the United States in the 2019 final remains Wiegman’s solitary loss across 25 matches at major international tournaments.

That remarkable record has been built on consistency in selection.

Having started with the same 11 in every match of Euro 2022, England have used just 17 players at the World Cup so far, the joint-fewest of any team to reach the knockout stages.

Spain – in contrast – have called on all but one of their 23-strong squad, with only third-choice goalkeeper Enith Salon yet to feature.

Wiegman has also barely used her bench compared to Jorge Vilda – her Spanish counterpart – with England having made 17 substitutions to Spain’s 29.

Statistically, Spain have outperformed England in most departments at this year’s World Cup.

They have scored 17 goals to the Lionesses’ 13, having attempted considerably more shots (143 to 81), passes (4,137 to 3,605), crosses (214 to 129) and ball progressions (181 to 99) than their final opponents.

Wiegman’s side have only occasionally found the form that carried them to the Euro 2022 title – when they scored 22 goals in six matches – and have instead relied on their defensive resilience to progress.

England have conceded only three times from 64 efforts on Mary Earps’ goal, while Spain have proved more susceptible having shipped seven goals from just 36 shots faced.

Both teams will be braced for a tight battle following their most recent meeting in the Euro 2022 quarter-finals.

The Lionesses emerged as 2-1 victors on that occasion, but only after a late fightback.

Esther Gonzalez fired Spain into a deserved lead before Ella Toone equalised in the 84th minute and Georgia Stanway scored an extra-time winner.

Spain dominated for large periods, ending with 56 per cent of possession and firing 17 shots to the Lionesses’ nine.

It remains the only tournament match under Wiegman in which England saw their opponents enjoy the majority of the ball.