Before Sunday’s game, Spain (71%) and England (66%) were the two sides involved in the knockout stages with the highest possession average.
According to Opta’s sequence data, they were also the two teams leading into the final who averaged the most passes per open play sequence (3.9 for England, 3.6 for Spain) – highlighting their patient approaches in possession.
When the two forces met, however, La Roja showed they had the upper hand.
Much like the men’s team who won the 2010 World Cup, Spain’s starting XI featured a raft of Barcelona players from whom the connections flowed, and they did so from one player in particular – Golden Ball winner Aitana Bonmati.
The 25-year-old is a symbolic figure for club and country, especially in terms of identity and how both teams look to play.
At this World Cup, Bonmati had the best pass completion rate in the opposition half of any midfielder (86%), with her quality on the ball ensuring Spain’s passages of play flowed without issue.
But it was not just her efficiency as a passer that secured her the Golden Ball. Bonmati combined her security on the ball with passes that changed the landscape of the game; the type that picked holes in the opposition’s defensive shape.
Of the 44 line-breaking passes she made in the tournament, 15 of those broke the opponent’s defensive line – no player had more.