Ashley Lawrence and her Canadian soccer teammates looked downcast on August 3 after losing their Olympic quarterfinal match to Germany in France. (Alex Livesey/Getty Images/File)
Canada’s women’s soccer team, ranked sixth in the world, is set to take on World Cup champions Spain in an international friendly on October 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo, Spain. This will be the Canadian team’s first match since their dramatic exit from the Paris Olympics, where they lost to Germany in the quarterfinals in a penalty shootout.
The match comes after a turbulent period for the Canadian team. During the Paris Olympics, head coach Bev Priestman was sent home and later suspended for a year by FIFA following her involvement in a drone-related spying scandal. Assistant coach Andy Spence took charge in Priestman’s absence, but the team could not advance past the quarterfinals.
Canada’s upcoming clash with Spain is anticipated to be a challenging encounter. The Canadian team has never beaten Spain in three previous meetings, recording two losses and a draw. Their last match, played in February 2022 at the Arnold Clark Cup in England, ended in a 1-0 defeat for Canada. They also suffered a 1-0 loss at the Algarve Cup in Portugal in 2019. In the same year, the two teams drew 0-0 in a friendly match held in Logrones, Spain, just before the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Spain has been a rising force in women’s soccer over the past few years. Alongside their recent World Cup win, Spain’s youth teams have also dominated international tournaments. The Spanish U-20 team claimed the FIFA U-20 World Cup title in 2022, adding to their runner-up finish in 2018. In this year’s U-20 tournament, Spain knocked Canada out of the competition in the round of 16 with a 2-1 victory before falling to Japan in the quarterfinals. Spain has also seen great success at the U-17 level, winning the FIFA U-17 World Cup in both 2018 and 2022.
Spanish players have also shone on an individual level. FC Barcelona stars Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas have been named the world’s best players in recent years, winning the prestigious Women’s Ballon d'Or award in 2023 and 2021-22, respectively. Barcelona's women's team has won three of the last four UEFA Women's Champions League titles, further showcasing Spain’s dominance in the sport.
Canada Soccer's director of national team operations, Daniel Michelucci, highlighted the importance of such high-profile friendlies, stating, "We continue to strive to diversify our opponent pool while maintaining a high level of competition. We anticipate a thrilling encounter, showcasing two of the world’s top-ranked teams."
As Canada prepares for the October friendly, fans are eager to see how the team will perform without their suspended head coach and whether they can secure a historic win against the reigning world champions.
