Spain women's national team coach Sonia Bermudez has urged her squad not to rest on their laurels after a commanding 4-0 victory over England, insisting that direct qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil is still not sealed. A win away to Iceland on Tuesday in Reykjavik would confirm Spain's place as group winners and book their ticket to defend the title they won in 2023.

How Spain Reached This Position

Friday's dominant display in Mallorca saw Spain dismantle England across a full 90 minutes, with Alexia Putellas netting twice and Patri Guijarro and Claudia Pina also on the scoresheet. The result sent Spain to the summit of the qualifying group, leapfrogging England ahead of the final round of fixtures.

Spain's earlier meeting with Iceland ended in a comfortable 3-0 victory in Castellon on 3 March, but Bermudez was quick to stress that Tuesday's away fixture presents an entirely different proposition.

Bermudez's Warning on Iceland

'We know that at their ground, they are a very difficult, very complicated, very tough opponent, but we're eager for tomorrow to arrive so we can try to achieve our objective,' Bermudez said at her pre-match press conference.

She specifically highlighted Iceland's aerial threat, physical duels, ability to win second balls, quick transitions, and 'very powerful forwards' as areas Spain must be prepared to handle. Notably, Spain has never won in Iceland — a historical footnote Bermudez described as 'extra motivation' for her players.

The Stakes: Direct Qualification on the Line

Should Spain fail to win in Reykjavik, England could still claim the automatic berth by beating Ukraine at home in a match being played simultaneously. That parallel fixture adds an extra layer of pressure, removing any margin for a draw or defeat.

Bermudez acknowledged the high stakes but framed the situation positively: 'We'd have signed to go into this match with these options, to get three points and qualify directly,' she said, suggesting the squad would have welcomed this scenario at the outset of the qualifying campaign.

What a Qualification Would Mean

Spain arrive in Reykjavik as reigning world champions, having claimed the 2023 Women's World Cup title. Direct qualification to Brazil 2027 would allow the squad and coaching staff to plan their title defence without the distraction of play-off uncertainty. This is the sixth and final group match — there is no second chance within the group stage.

With the squad motivated, the historical record against Iceland providing a spur, and the coach publicly confident, Spain will head to Reykjavik knowing that three points on Tuesday would make the journey to Brazil a formality.