England were hoping to build on their Euro 2022 success at the 2023 FIFA World Cup with Sarina Wiegman's side 90 minutes away from lifting the trophy Down Under.
The Lionesses finally secured a major international title last summer after years of near misses and frustration on the international stage.
With a squad packed with WSL and European-based talent, Wiegman had one of the strongest available line-ups heading into the tournament and despite a slow start they reached the final against Spain.
However, the match in Sydney ended in disappointment for England, as Olga Carmona sealed a 1-0 win for Spain to make them world champions for the first time.
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Have England ever won the World Cup?
England have never won the FIFA Women's World Cup despite five consecutive knockout-stage finishes from 2007 to 2023.
After failing to qualify for the inaugural 1991 competition, England reached the 1995 quarterfinals, before missing out the two USA tournaments in 1999 and 2003.
Long-standing head coach Hope Powell led the team to the quarterfinals again in 2007, before losing out to the USA, followed by an agonising penalty shootout defeat to France at the same stage in 2011.
However, those heartbreaks only served to steel England in the World Cup, as they broke the quarterfinal barrier in 2015, before losing out to eventual winners Japan in the last four.
Former Manchester United and England international Phil Neville replaced Mark Sampson ahead of the 2019 World Cup but familiar foes the USA were again to knock them out.
By beating Australia in the semifinal, England reached their first ever World Cup final in 2023, where they lost 1-0 to Spain.
| Finish | Achieved | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Final | 1 | 2023 |
| Semifinals | 2 | 2015, 2019 |
| Quarterfinals | 3 | 1995, 2007, 2011 |
| Round of 16 | — | — |
| Group Stage | — | — |
England World Cup history and results
England's overall World Cup record has shown a steady level of improvement in the last two decades with their Euro 2022 win demonstrating the positive overall momentum.
Semifinalists in 2017 eventually paved the way for a European trophy in the delayed 2022 competition and Wiegmann carried that momentum into 2023.
| Year | Result | Record (W-D-L) |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Did not qualify | — |
| 1995 | Quarterfinals | 4-2-0 |
| 1999 | Did not qualify | — |
| 2003 | Did not qualify | — |
| 2007 | Quarterfinals | 1-2-1 |
| 2011 | Quarterfinals | 2-2-0 |
| 2015 | Semifinals | 5-0-2 |
| 2019 | Semifinals | 5-0-2 |
| 2023 | Runners-up | 5-1-1 |