Foord’s Milestone Night as Matildas Bounce Back
Caitlin Foord hit 150 caps in style, Steph Catley emptied the tank over two games, and Australia turned a bruising defeat into a statement win. Across Europe, England’s World Cup route grew more complicated, Spain cruised, Sweden clawed back, and a new qualifying picture took shape.
Foord’s milestone night as Matildas hit back
Australia’s week began with frustration. A 1-0 home defeat to Mexico in Saturday’s friendly left the Matildas flat, the performance short of their rising standards.
“It’s disappointing, but there’s also the realisation that we’re at the very start of a journey towards the World Cup,” Steph Catley said afterwards. It sounded like perspective. It also sounded like a warning.
Four days later, the response arrived.
On Tuesday, Australia ripped into Mexico with a 3-1 win that carried far more edge than a routine friendly. Foord led the side out wearing the captain’s armband on her 150th appearance, a landmark that would have been significant on any night. She made sure it was memorable.
Her goal, Australia’s third of the evening, underlined why she has become one of the Matildas’ most reliable match-winners. Foord rolled her marker with sheer strength, created a yard where there shouldn’t have been one, and then threaded her finish inside the far post. No fuss, just authority.
That strike moved her into joint-third on Australia’s all-time scoring charts with 41 goals, another marker in a career defined by consistency and big-game moments.
Catley, who had voiced that measured frustration after the first defeat, played the full 90 minutes in the rematch, steady on the ball and relentless without it. The sense of a leadership core hardening ahead of the World Cup was impossible to miss.
“To reach 100 is obviously huge, and for myself, 150 as well,” Foord said, reflecting on the milestone and the shared journey with Catley. “It’s nice to enjoy these moments together, and celebrate them, which we have during this series.”
A week that started with a jolt ended with Australia walking off the pitch looking exactly like a side at the “start of a journey” – and one already gathering speed.
Lionesses win, but play-offs await
Back in Europe, England got the result they needed, but not the outcome they wanted.
At Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, the Lionesses beat Ukraine 3-0 in FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying. It was a professional, controlled performance, the kind Sarina Wiegman’s side now produces almost on demand.
Alessia Russo led the line and played the full 90 minutes, a constant outlet and a focal point. Her key contribution came when she teed up Georgia Stanway for England’s second goal, a neat assist that underlined her all-round centre-forward play.
Chloe Kelly entered the fray in the 64th minute to add fresh legs and direct running down the flank, while Lotte Wubben-Moy remained an unused substitute.
The scoreline did its job on the night. The table did not. England finished second in Group C on 15 points, level with Spain but behind on goal difference, and that slender margin means the Lionesses must now navigate the play-offs in October.
“It’s nice to come back to England, play in front of all of our fans and get a win,” Russo said. The smile didn’t hide the sting. “We also wanted to qualify automatically for the World Cup but now we’re going to the play-offs and that’s tough but it’s football. We had the toughest group playing Spain and we won five out of six games and have still not gone through.”
Five wins from six. No automatic ticket. For a reigning European champion, the play-offs will feel like an unnecessary detour – and a dangerous one.
Spain ruthless, Sweden rally
Spain, the team that edged England on goal difference, left nothing to chance.
Mariona Caldentey featured for the first half of Spain’s emphatic 6-1 win away to Iceland on Tuesday, a result that did more than just secure qualification. It piled on the goal difference and sent a message: Spain are not content simply to qualify; they intend to arrive at the World Cup with momentum and fear factor intact.
Sweden’s route proved more complicated. At home to Italy, they trailed 2-0 and looked in trouble before summoning a spirited fightback to draw 2-2. Smilla Holmberg and Stina Blackstenius both played the full 90 minutes, working through the gears as Sweden refused to fold.
The point, though, left them third in Group A with eight points from six games and heading for the play-offs. It was a comeback that showed character, but also underlined how tight the margins have become at the top of the European game.
Fox, Smith and Borbe add international minutes
Across the Atlantic, Emily Fox added more international mileage in a pair of tight friendlies for USA against Brazil.
She played the full 90 minutes in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat away to Brazil, then started again on Wednesday, this time featuring for the first half of a 1-0 win on Brazilian soil. Two games, two different outcomes, and another reminder of how small the gap is between the very best sides.
Olivia Smith enjoyed a far more comfortable evening with Canada. She logged 63 minutes as Canada dismantled Costa Rica 6-0 away from home in a friendly on Wednesday, part of a dominant display that allowed the squad to stretch its legs and its depth.
At under-23 level, Anneke Borbe continued her development with Germany, coming on at half-time in a 2-2 friendly draw at home to Denmark on Monday. For a young goalkeeper, those minutes – and those pressure moments – matter.
From Foord’s milestone in Australia to England’s looming play-off test and Spain’s ruthless qualification, the international window has drawn some clear lines. The next one will decide who can turn these foundations into a genuine World Cup charge.
