Sweden beat England to seal World Cup bronze

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:21 am

Sweden ended their World Cup campaign on a high with a 2-1 win over England in the bronze medal match on Saturday afternoon. 

Goals from Kosovare Asllani and Sofia Jakobsson put Peter Gerhardsson's side in charge in Nice, before England hit back through Francesca Kirby, but the Lionesses could not find an equaliser. 

- FIFA Women's World Cup: All you need to know

- Full Women's World Cup fixtures schedule

It meant Sweden sealed their third World Cup bronze medal in their history, with defending champions United States taking on Netherlands in Sunday's final.

Sweden, who lost to Netherlands after extra time in the semifinals, begun the brighter of the two teams and profited from some slack England defending to take the lead on 11 minutes. Asllani was on hand to tuck the ball home right footed, though Carly Telford would have been disappointed after letting the ball squirm past her grasp. Stina Blackstenius almost made it 2-0 moments later but her effort somehow didn't go in, after hitting the post as well as Telford.

But Phil Neville's side could not escape midway through the first half when Jakobsson's superb curling strike nestled into the back of the net following a neat build-up down the left. 

That sparked an England revival, with Kirby's low effort hitting the post on its way in and then Ellen White sliding the ball home, only for it to be disallowed for handball following a VAR check.

Ellen White, vying to become the first Englishwoman to win a World Cup golden boot, missed a one-on-one in first half stoppage time and despite pushing forward in the second half in pursuit of parity, England fell short. Karen Carney was introduced late on by England coach Phil Neville, playing in her 144th and final cap before retirement, but it ended in defeat.

Kirby had a decent opportunity to find someone to make it 2-2 but nobody was alive to her cut back inside the area and Sweden managed to close the game out to seal the win -- only after Lucy Bronze's powerful volley was headed off the line in the final minute by Nilla Fischer.