England day of destiny: Lionesses head to stadium for World Cup final vst Spain

England's Lionesses have left their hotel as the final countdown before their historic World Cup final begins.

The players were seen stepping out of the Intercontinental in Sydney in their light blue tracksuits ahead of this morning's clash with Spain - England's first World Cup final since 1966.

Supporters young and old gathered outside the hotel and cheered as their heroes boarded a maroon-coloured bus, branded with 'The Final' in gold lettering, to take them to Stadium Australia.

The bus was given a police escort for its journey through the city, which should take around half an hour.

Earlier in the day, Sarina Wiegman's team were spotted out on a walkabout in the Sydney sun - a tradition many teams enjoy before a big game.

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.

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, 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.