Alexia Putellas has backed the 15 players who are refusing to play for Spain women's national team boss Jorge Vilda, after the federation doubled down on its support for the coach.

Ballon d'Or winner and Barcelona superstar Putellas effectively joined the rebellion on Friday, posting a statement from the disenchanted group.

Spain's football federation, the RFEF, was accused in the statement of using "an infantilising tone" when responding to what the players consider a serious matter.

The players said it was with "regret" that they had taken their "extreme" stance, but that it was decided upon with a view "to be able to achieve maximum professional and personal success again".

Putellas is injured and not in contention for current Spain squads, with reports saying she was not among the players who emailed the RFEF to state their unavailability for future selection by Vilda.

The statement she shared on social media condemned the RFEF for revealing the players had each expressed worries about their "emotional state" and "health".

The precise cause of their dissatisfaction with Vilda has not been disclosed, although the players' statement said: "In no case have we RESIGNED from [the] Spanish football team as indicated in the RFEF's official statement.

"As we said in our private communication, we have maintained, continue to maintain and will continue to maintain an unquestionable commitment to the Spanish team.

"That is why we requested in our communication sent to the RFEF not to be summoned until situations are reversed that affect our emotional and personal state, our performance and, consequently, the results of the national team, and that could derive in undesirable injuries. These would be the reasons that lead us to make this decision."

The players said they "want a firm commitment to a professional project", in order "to get the best performance from a group of players with whom we believe that more and better goals can be achieved".

They stressed they had no interest in "entering into public wars", yet that is how this is now shaping up, with the two sides very much at odds.

The players said they "have never asked for the dismissal of the coach", saying they "understand that our job is not to choose said position", and said they hoped to explain "in a constructive and honest way" how the team's performance can be improved.

It was wrong, they said, to consider their action as "a whim or blackmail", and pointed to the negative impact being out of the team would have on each of them.

"Last but not least," the players added, "we will not tolerate the infantilising tone with which the RFEF concludes its statement.

"We regret that in the context of women's sport we have to go to this extreme, as unfortunately has happened in other national teams and other sports historically worldwide, in order to advance in a powerful and ambitious professional project for the present and for future generations."

The concluding line of the RFEF's statement on Thursday, which has caused dismay, said the players could only return to Spain duty in future "if they accept their mistake and ask for forgiveness".

Ana Alvarez, director of women's football at the RFEF, said on Friday that Vilda's position was "unquestionable". He has an agreement to remain as coach until 2024, and his team have qualified for next year's World Cup.

Alvarez also said it would be "in bad taste" and "not reality" to suggest there was anything other than sporting reasons behind the women's opposition to Vilda remaining in charge.

Alvarez said the 15 rebels would be granted their wish of being considered unavailable for selection, and that Vilda would choose his squads from those willing to play for the national team.

Veteran United States women's national team star Megan Rapinoe told the disenchanted Spanish group she would stand with them, saying in an Instagram post: "This many players together like this is so powerful. We should all listen."

Spanish football chiefs threw their support behind women's coach Jorge Vilda on Friday, siding with him ahead of 15 players who announced they would not play for the national team again while he remains in charge.

Ana Alvarez, director of women's football at Spain's national federation, the RFEF, said Vilda's position was "unquestionable".

She confirmed the women who wrote with their concerns would not be selected, saying that was in keeping with their wishes.

Alvarez also said it would be "in bad taste" and "not reality" to suggest there was anything more than sporting reasons behind the women's opposition to Vilda remaining in charge.

The RFEF said on Thursday that the players had individually sent identical emails in which they resigned from Vilda's national team due to the impacts on their "emotional state" and "health". The precise cause of their dissatisfaction with Vilda has not been disclosed.

Vilda has an agreement to remain as coach until 2024, and his team have qualified for next year's World Cup.

There was a scathing initial response from the RFEF to the emails, which it said were "far from exemplary and outside the values ​​of football and sport, and are harmful".

Alvarez followed up in similar fashion on Friday by making it clear the players would not get their way.

"We will not tolerate this kind of pressure," she said. "In their communications they make clear what their situation is. And we listen to them, of course. We will attend to your request not to be called up."

She added, quoted by AS: "Jorge Vilda will make a list in which these 15 players will not feature, as they themselves wish, for their well-argued and respected reasons."

Veteran United States women's national team star Megan Rapinoe told the disenchanted Spanish group she would be "a 16th standing with you", adding in an Instagram post: "This many players together like this is so powerful. We should all listen."

Alvarez explained Vilda was "surprised and disappointed" by the players' emails but remained "strong", and stressed his position is secure, saying: "Today it is unquestionable. We trust him and his work."

She said the RFEF were "very surprised" that the players each cited their health and emotional state, saying that previously they had only raised complaints of "a sporting issue".

"From here we would like them to be recovered as soon as possible, even if they were available for the weekend, since there is a Liga," she said.

Frowning on speculation, Alvarez added: "What is being insinuated is that something more serious is happening beyond sports. We emphatically deny it. We find it in bad taste to imply that there may be something more."

Beth Mead, Lena Oberdorf and Alexia Putellas have been announced as the final three contenders in the running to win the 2022 UEFA Women's Player of the Year accolade.

The trio had been named on the initial shortlist of 22 players, which has now been whittled down to just three names ahead of next week's award ceremony in Istanbul.

Arsenal attacker Mead is rewarded for an impressive showing at the Women's Euros, where she was crowned Player of the Tournament after leading the scoring charts in England's triumph on home soil.

Oberdorf won the Young Player of the Tournament award after helping Germany to another final, having also played a crucial role in Wolfsburg winning the domestic double last season.

Spain star Putellas was absent from the tournament through injury, but the 2021 Ballon d'Or Feminin winner enjoyed the most prolific season of her club career thanks to 34 goals in Barcelona's clean sweep of Spanish trophies in 2021-22.

Wolfsburg and Germany striker Alex Popp narrowly missed out on the top three, while Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona and Spain finished fifth in the voting.

UEFA also announced the Women's Coach of the Year nominees on Wednesday, with England coach Sarina Wiegman joined by Sonia Bompastor and Martina Voss-Tecklenburg of Lyon and Germany respectively.

Barcelona star Alexia Putellas insists she is "getting better every day" after being ruled out for 10-12 months with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, as she thanked fans for their support.

Putellas suffered the injury during training just three days before Spain's opening match of the Women's European Championship last month, and was subsequently ruled out for up to a year after undergoing surgery.

Spain were understandably hampered by the Ballon d'Or-winning attacker's absence, exiting the competition after a quarter-final loss to eventual winners England.

Putellas, who top-scored with 11 goals in the Women's Champions League last season, has now spoken out on her injury for the first time, expressing gratitude for the support offered to her.

"I feel fine given the circumstances. I'm fine, getting better every day," she told Barcelona's website. "I have to work through each stage as it comes, luckily I haven't been through anything like this before, and it will be step-by-step, but most importantly, let's keep supporting the team.

"I fully believe [in the team], as do all the fans and everyone else. This is a new season and we have to target everything.

"I want to say thank you because I have felt tremendous support since what happened, with so many demonstrations of warmth. 

"I can't answer everyone individually, so I'll take this opportunity to say thanks. It's been tough and feeling so many people's warmth helps you deal with it a bit better."

Putellas, who has 27 goals in 100 appearances for Spain, was influential as Barca won all 30 of their domestic league games last season, also scoring a consolation goal in their 3-1 Champions League final loss to Lyon.

Germany dominated the team of the tournament for the Women's Euro 2022 despite losing 2-1 to England in Sunday's Wembley final.

Both teams had won every match en route to a highly anticipated decider at England's national stadium in front of a record crowd for a European Championship match, with 87,192 in attendance.

An extra-time winner from Chloe Kelly proved the difference as the Lionesses claimed their first major title, dealing rivals Germany their first defeat in nine Women's Euros finals.

Beth Mead was forced off in the final but had still done enough to be named player of the tournament, also edging the top scorer award on assists ahead of Alexandra Popp – who missed the match following an injury in the warm-up.

Yet there was room for both superstar performers in the official team of the tournament.

Mead was among four England players, with goalkeeper Mary Earps, captain Leah Williamson and midfielder pass master Keira Walsh each also recognised.

Meanwhile, Germany had five players included; along with Popp, defenders Giulia Gwinn and Martina Hegering made the cut, as did young player of the tournament Lena Oberdorf.

Next to Mead and Popp in the front three was Klara Buhl, even though coronavirus kept her out of both the semi-finals and the final.

France were beaten by Germany in the last four and were represented by defender Sakina Karchaoui, while Spain lost to both finalists but still had Aitana Bonmati make the XI.

Women's Euro 2022 team of the tournament:

Mary Earps (England); Giulia Gwinn (Germany), Leah Williamson (England), Martina Hegering (Germany), Sakina Karchaoui (France); Keira Walsh (England), Lena Oberdorf (Germany), Aitana Bonmati (Spain); Beth Mead (England), Alexandra Popp (Germany), Klara Buhl (Germany).

When England came off the pitch at the Amex Stadium against Norway nine days ago, they had just wiped the floor with their Group A opponents, dispatching them 8-0.

Suffice to say the return to Brighton to face Spain in the last eight was a more difficult encounter for Sarina Wiegman's side, but they showed true grit and determination to advance to the semi-finals at the Women’s European Championships.

Spain had been the last team to stop England from winning, with their 0-0 draw in February being the final result before the Lionesses went on a nine-game winning streak (now 10). They were also the only side that England had failed to score against in their first 17 games under Wiegman.

However, a hard-working performance from the hosts saw them come from behind to secure a 2-1 extra-time victory, eliminating one of the other pre-tournament favourites.

Prior to the game, La Roja boss Jorge Vilda appeared to be playing mind games, aiming to put pressure on his opponents.

"If I imagine Spain playing a quarter-final against England, in a home Euros they had organised, a Spain team playing in a big Spanish stadium, I imagine this would weigh on us. I think this could take away more than it gives," he said at his pre-match news conference.

He appeared to be correct as England struggled to find anything like the fluency they enjoyed in recent games for much of normal time, whether it was nerves or a well-executed Spain gameplan.

It was a tentative start on the English south coast, clear immediately that Spain would be a tougher proposition than Norway. They had lost only one game (v Germany in the group stage) in their previous 26 international matches (W21 D4), so were always going to be a hard nut for England to crack.

Mariona Caldentey was causing problems for Lucy Bronze down the Spain left and had the first shot on target after 16 mins as the visitors started to impose their possession game, giving England a problem they were yet to face in the tournament so far.

Olga Carmona was tasked with keeping tournament top scorer Beth Mead quiet and achieved just that as the England star was unable to exert any authority on the game.

Despite being largely on the back foot, the hosts thought they had taken the lead in the 37th minute when a free-kick was headed down into the path of Ellen White, who fired home, only for an offside flag to correctly go up, with White denied the chance to equal Wayne Rooney's England record of 53 goals.

Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas was an obvious miss for Vilda's side. The Barcelona captain finished as the Champions League's top goalscorer with 11 goals last season and ended her domestic campaign with 18.

Spain's most capped player (100), who also won the FIFA Best Women's Player award in 2021, will miss the next 10-12 months with an ACL injury, and would have likely been a key factor in this one as La Roja dominated the ball for large spells but struggled to find their way through Wiegman's team.

England, who were 6-0 up at half-time when they played Norway, managed just the one shot in the opening 45 minutes here, and that did not arrive until the 40th minute, with Spain having six.

The Lionesses started the second half brightly, though, noticeably pressing higher up the pitch and with more fervour.

However, it was half-time Spain substitute, Athenea del Castillo, who produced a bit of magic to open the scoring, jinking inside Rachel Daly from the right before cutting back to Esther Gonzalez, who turned and finished well past Mary Earps in the 54th minute.

Wiegman responded by making her own substitutions, surprisingly removing Mead and White for Alessia Russo and Chloe Kelly.

It almost made a difference straight away as Russo flicked a ball on for Lauren Hemp, who was brought down in the penalty area, but referee Stephanie Frappart waved away the claims much to the annoyance of the vocal home fans.

It appeared England had given all they had, until another substitute made the difference as Ella Toone ran onto a Russo knockdown to prod the ball past Sandra Panos and equalise with six minutes remaining.

That forced extra-time and momentum swung in England's favour as Georgia Stanway went on a run through the middle before unleashing a ferocious strike past Panos from 25 yards to send the home fans into raptures.

Stanway's effort was the 100th goal England have scored under Wiegman in just her 18th game in charge, and the 11th from outside the penalty area.

It was now Spain who looked like they had run out of ideas, and despite a couple of minor scares, England held on to seal their place in the final four and show they may not always need to dominate games to get the job done.

A great roar went up from the 28,994 in attendance in Brighton, enough to frighten the local seagulls, as England celebrated a hard-fought victory.

If the thrashing of Norway had shown what England were capable of when at full flow, this win displayed another weapon in the arsenal that the hosts will likely have to call on again if they are to go all the way.

Georgia Stanway powered home a stunning extra-time strike to send England into the Euro 2022 semi-finals with a 2-1 victory over Spain in Brighton on Wednesday. 

The Lionesses had not lost in 17 games under coach Sarina Wiegman but fell behind to Esther Gonzalez's second-half finish before substitute Ella Toone equalised with six minutes to go. 

Stanway smashed in the decisive goal in the 96th minute and England will next face either Sweden or Belgium, who meet in Leigh on Friday, after making the last four at a major tournament for the fourth successive time. 

Ellen White thought she had opened the scoring in a cagey first half but was denied by the offside flag, before Gonzalez finished into the bottom-left corner after Athenea del Castillo's cutback in the 54th minute. 

Mary Earps kept England in the game with a smart save from Del Castillo's deflected cross and the Lionesses capitalised as Toone volleyed home from Alessia Russo's cushioned header to send the match to extra time. 

Stanway then delivered the decisive moment, receiving the ball from Keira Walsh before driving forward and arrowing into the top-left corner to keep England's Euro 2022 hopes alive. 

Sarina Wiegman will be back on the touchline for England's Euro 2022 quarter-final against Spain after testing negative for COVID-19.

The Lionesses cruised through the group stages to reach the last eight on home turf, but were without head coach Wiegman for their most recent outing, against Northern Ireland, due to a positive coronavirus test.

Wiegman subsequently suggested she was "very hopeful" of returning for the crucial knockout clash at the AMEX Stadium, and the FA confirmed on Wednesday that the 52-year-old had recovered in time.

"Sarina Wiegman has tested negative for Covid," a statement from the FA read. 

"Wiegman will now return to all elements of her role and will take her place on the bench for tonight's quarter-final against Spain."

Wiegman has named the same starting XI in every match so far and is expected to do the same in Brighton, on the same ground where England thumped Norway 8-0 in their second group-stage match.

The winners of England's clash with La Roja will face either Sweden or Belgium, who meet at Leigh on Friday, in the final four.

Leah Williamson is hopeful that England manager Sarina Wiegman will be in the dugout for Wednesday's Women's European Championship quarter-final against Spain.

Wiegman missed the final group game against Northern Ireland after testing positive for COVID-19, though England had already qualified as Group A winners prior to the 5-0 victory in Southampton.

The Dutch coach will need to test negative before the last-eight clash at Brighton and Hove Albion's Amex Stadium, and is not the only member of the England camp to test positive, with goalkeeper Hannah Hampton being ruled out of the Spain game for the same reason on Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of the game, Lionesses captain Williamson acknowledged the frustration of being affected by COVID, but believes the squad preparation means they should not be too adversely affected.

"It's frustrating. For somebody like Hannah, we want her around the team and it's disappointing for her to miss out," Williamson said. "And obviously, Sarina, we'll see how that that works out.

"Ideally, you'd have everybody available, but I think we're lucky that we're such a well-prepared team. Despite the frustration, I think it doesn't derail us at all, which is obviously a massive sort of well done to the staff and everybody around the team for making sure it doesn't."

England eased through the group stage, beating Austria 1-0 at Old Trafford in the opening game before thrashing Norway 8-0 in Brighton to secure their place atop the group, and Williamson had words of praise for Wiegman, who has made a big impact on the Lionesses.

Since her appointment in September, England have won 15 and drawn two of her first 17 outings, scoring a remarkable 98 goals while conceding only three.

"Obviously, it'll be a massive, massive bonus for us [if Wiegman is present]," Williamson said. "Sarina's experience and character speaks for itself, and she's great at connecting with us.

"Obviously, it's great to have her influence, and it's not changed anything in terms of the information that she provides, but naturally having her around the team is a good thing as well.

"I think we're sturdy enough to survive without her, as we showed the other day, but I think to have her back [would] be great, obviously."

England tackle Spain in a heavyweight quarter-final as the knockout stages of Euro 2022 get under way on Wednesday, with records already tumbling and data quirks around every corner.

The tournament has just passed its halfway stage in terms of the total number of games, with 16 of 31 having been played, and already more spectators have seen the finals in England than have attended any previous Women's Euros.

UEFA said 369,314 tickets were sold for group-stage games, with the soaring popularity of the women's game meaning the tournament attendance record of 240,055, set in the Netherlands five years ago, has been obliterated.

Sarina Wiegman's free-scoring England Lionesses have played an instrumental part in the tournament's success to date, with the host nation rallying around a team who scored a record 14 goals in the group stage, with Beth Mead's personal haul of five goals so far also a new all-time best for the group round.

Now the knockout stages await and the stakes are raised. Stats Perform, assisted by data from Opta, has looked at the tournament so far, plus each last-eight game, to see where the title might be won and lost.

The story so far

England have been the deadliest finishers, scoring 14 goals with a conversion rate of 24.6 per cent. Sweden sit next on that list, putting away 23.5 per cent of chances to net eight goals, five of which came in their final group game against Portugal.

France have scored all eight of their goals in the first half of their games, while England have hit nine before the interval and added five afterwards. The Netherlands have only scored twice prior to half-time in their games but have netted six second-half strikes, the most of all teams.

Switzerland exited after losing in painfully familiar fashion, with a second-half capitulation in going down 4-1 to the Dutch. The Swiss kept three first-half clean sheets in Group C but were pushovers after the interval, conceding eight times. In sharp contrast, all three of the goals Spain have shipped have come in the opening 45 minutes.

Spain have played the most passes overall, excluding crosses. Their total of 2,052 passes has come with an 86.0 per cent accuracy rate, while England have attempted the second highest number of passes (1,674) with a competition-leading 86.5 per cent precision.

The Spanish national team are famed for their possession-based, attractive football, teasing their way through defences with clever passes. Yet four of Spain's five goals have been headers, compared to three of 14 for England.

Mead sits top of the goal involvements list with seven (five goals, two assists), which puts her comfortably ahead of England team-mate Fran Kirby and Sweden's Kosovare Asllani, both of whom have scored once and set up three goals for a total of four involvements each.

Spain have the top five on the list of players with the most passes in the opposition half, led by defender Mapi Leon who has played 176 passes with a success rate of 90.3 per cent. For passes into the final third, Leon's accuracy dips to 83 per cent.

Best is still to come...

QUARTER-FINAL 1: Spain v England – July 20, Brighton

England have a record of played two, won two in previous Women's Euros quarter-finals, beating Finland 3-2 in 2009 and then edging France 1-0 five years ago in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Spain have lost both of their previous games at this stage, going down 3-1 to Norway in 2013 and suffering a penalty shoot-out defeat to Austria in 2017, following a goalless draw.

Four of England's starters from the 2017 win over France have played in every game so far at these finals: Lucy Bronze, Mille Bright, Kirby and Ellen White.

England have never lost on home soil against Spain (P7 W4 D3), with the teams battling out a 0-0 draw when they last met in February. However, Spain have beaten England three times before when taking all 15 previous encounters into account, losing six and drawing six.

Including a 20-0 win over Latvia last November, England have scored 98 goals in their 17 games under head coach Sarina Wiegman, scoring an average of 5.8 goals per game and only conceding three times.

Mead's haul of five goals so far matches Jodie Taylor's Lionesses record haul from the last Euros, which won her the Golden Boot. Spain have scored five goals in total during this tournament, with five different scorers.

QF2: Germany v Austria – July 21, Brentford

Germany are one of two teams, along with England, who have yet to concede a goal. That does not bode well for Austria, who are making their second appearance at this stage after beating Norway in the last round of group games.

The Austrians will start as big underdogs against the eight-time champions (winners once as West Germany, seven times as Germany), with Germany having won 15 of their most recent 16 games when going beyond the group stages. That had been a 15-game winning run until Denmark halted it in the 2017 quarter-finals, scoring a surprise 2-1 win.

Austria might need Barbara Dunst's luck to change if they are to stand any chance. Dunst has had 11 shots and created eight chances for Austria so far in this tournament, but she has yet to score or have an assist. She had the most direct involvements in shots (19) without scoring or assisting of all players in the group stage.

QF3: Sweden v Belgium – July 22, Leigh

Sweden are the highest-placed team on the FIFA ranking list, sitting second, behind the United States. They are quietly going about their business in England, and it would be a major surprise for them not to reach the semi-finals from this tie.

Including penalties, Sweden scored more goals from set-pieces than any other side in the group stage (5). Belgium might be concerned by that, given two of the three goals they have conceded came from dead-ball scenarios.

Of the eight quarter-finalists, Belgium scored the joint-fewest goals (3) in the group stage, had the fewest shots (21), the fewest shots on target (11) and the lowest expected goals total (2.6). The Red Flames surely need to find more of a spark for this big game.

QF4: France v Netherlands – July 23, Rotherham

France will be playing a fourth consecutive match in Rotherham, a town which is twinned with the French city of Saint-Quentin.

This is also a fourth consecutive Women's Euros quarter-final for France, who have lost each time at this stage, including a penalty shoot-out defeat to the Netherlands in 2009. They were beaten on spot-kicks by Denmark in 2013, and then slumped 1-0 to England in 2017. France have lost star striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto to an ACL knee injury, so memories of fast-flowing football in their opening 5-1 win over Italy are becoming distant.

Defending their title this time, the Netherlands have lost Euro 2017 player of the tournament Lieke Martens to injury and star goalscorer Vivianne Miedema has been sidelined of late after a COVID-19 positive test.

Yet the Dutch have progressed on each of the two occasions they have reached the quarter-finals previously, with the win over France in 2009 followed in 2017 by a 2-0 victory over Sweden.

Sarina Wiegman said she was "very hopeful" of returning to the touchline for England's Euro 2022 quarter-final against Spain and revealed the Lionesses have tightened their squad bubble.

Head coach Wiegman was absent from the team's final group match against Northern Ireland after testing positive for COVID-19, and back-up goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has also come down with the coronavirus.

Wiegman said the worst of her symptoms were "a little temperature and a little coughing", and she has been able to watch team training from a safe distance, while wearing a mask.

"I'm good, I'm feeling well, actually ready to go, but still have to wait," said a healthy-looking Wiegman in a virtual news conference.

"Of course, I'm very hopeful, but we'll see what happens and we don't know. If I can't be there, I'll be there in another way."

Former Netherlands coach Wiegman would rather be at the game in Brighton, but if she does not test negative before the team travel from their London base, she will have a phone line to the England bench.

After naming the same team for each of England's three group games, Wiegman hinted she would go with that favoured XI again.

Spain have been hampered by the loss of star players Alexia Putellas and Jennifer Hermoso, meaning they are significantly under-strength, but they have still looked impressive at times and could test the hosts.

Their game is possession-based, and that is demonstrated by Spain having played the most passes in the opposition half – excluding crosses – at the tournament so far. Their total of 1,274 such passes puts them well clear on that list, with England second with 936 passes and France (746) down in third.

"Of course they missed two key players, but I still think they have a very good team, and they're very tight on the ball, but we've seen they have some vulnerabilities, so absolutely it's going to be a top game and I hope we'll be successful," Wiegman said.

"They're a very good team, we're a very good team too, and we want to play the best game we can and hopefully that will bring us the win. They'll probably have the ball a lot; I hope we'll have a lot of the ball too."

The COVID-19 situation worries every team, with the prospect of key personnel being forced out of important games. Tournament favourites England are doing all they can to avoid the virus circulating.

"It's very invisible, but we're trying to stay in our bubble and do the right things," Wiegman said. "When there is a positive we have to be agile, creative and continue with the ones that are fit.

"We did some more strict measurements and everyone understands. It's not the worst nightmare, it's just the situation we have to deal with."

England forward Lauren Hemp believes fans are yet to see her best football ahead of the Lionesses' Euro 2022 quarter-final against Spain, as she warned facing La Roja represented a "massive challenge".

Hosts England breezed through the group stages at the Women's Euros, recording the biggest ever win at a European Championship when hammering eight goals past Norway before rounding off Group A with a 5-0 win over Northern Ireland. 

In doing so, Sarina Wiegman's team became the first side since Germany (in 2001, 2005 and 2009) to win all three of their group games at back-to-back European Championships, having done likewise in 2017.

The Lionesses have now scored an astonishing 98 goals in just 17 games under Wiegman, remaining unbeaten throughout and only conceding three times. 

Hemp started all three of England's group games, scoring in the resounding win over Norway, but is targeting improvements on an individual level as the knockout stages get underway.

"I think it takes time, it's my first major tournament with England, and in front of so many fans it is nerve-wrecking, I'm not going to lie," Hemp said in a news conference on Monday.

"I think being consistent is something I'm striving towards and personally I don't think you've seen the best yet, there's still time, and obviously it's going to take a while and I'm still so young.

"I'm still learning every day and taking it all in my stride really. I've got a great group of players around me who are supporting me and doing amazing. 

"It's important that we carry on this run and everyone's taking so much confidence from the recent games, it's important that we carry that on in the quarter-finals."

Wednesday's opponents Spain began the tournament as one of the favourites but finished second in Group B after losing Ballon d'Or-winning winger Alexia Putellas to injury before their opening game.

While Hemp is looking forward to facing Spain at Brighton and Hove Albion's AMEX Stadium, she admits La Roja, ranked seventh in the world by FIFA, will provide a stern test. 

"I think the overriding feeling is excitement, we've played them before in the Arnold Clark Cup [a 0-0 draw in February] and that was a massive learning curve for us," she added.

"We've done all the preparation needed and it's important that we stay on track, we've got a lot of confidence from the previous games obviously, [keeping] clean sheets, scoring lots of goals, and we're in a good place as a group, it's really exciting.

"We've got a lot of respect for the teams we have played and also the team we're going to come up against, but it's going to be a massive challenge, we know that.

"Coming into the quarter-finals is never going to be easy, it's two top sides coming up against each other so we're just looking forward to it."

Meanwhile, England's preparations for their last-eight clash have been disrupted by Wiegman testing positive for COVID-19, but Hemp played down the importance of her absence from training.  

"It's been different, obviously Covid is still around and it's a frustrating thing, it's unfortunate that she's got it," Hemp said.

"But we've trained for so long for these scenarios, she's still involved in the sessions remotely, but we've still got a fantastic technical staff and it doesn't feel that different, to be honest.

"She's still there and still supporting us, whether that's remotely or in person."

Spain are "not scared" of facing England in the European Women's Championship quarter-finals and are extra motivated to eliminate the tournament hosts, according to midfielder Aitana Bonmati.

La Roja beat Denmark 1-0 at the Brentford Community Stadium on Saturday through a late Marta Cardona goal to set up a last-eight showdown with a much-fancied England side on Wednesday.

England won all three of their group matches, scoring 14 times and conceding none, while they have netted at an average of 5.8 goals per game in their 17 matches under Sarina Wiegman (98 goals in total).

Just as remarkably, the Lionesses have conceded just three goals across those 17 games under Wiegman and never more than once in a single contest, keeping 14 clean sheets in the process.

Spain are ranked one place above England in the latest FIFA rankings, however, and Bonmati does not see any reason for her side to fear the rampant hosts in Brighton next week.

"It's motivating," said Bonmati, who plies her club trade for Barcelona. "I'm not scared and I think my team-mates aren't scared either.

"We played against England in the Arnold Clark Cup. We know that they are a good team and they have had many good performances.

"We have seen their three group games and they did very well. But we think we can beat them if we improve our style and play better [than against Denmark]."

England and Spain have faced each other on 15 previous occasions, with the Lionesses (six) winning twice as many games as La Roja (three) across all their meetings.

However, Spain are unbeaten in the past two of those meetings, beating England 1-0 in the SheBelieves Cup in 2020 (1-0) and drawing 0-0 against them in the Arnold Clark Cup in February. 

Only once previously have Spain gone three in a row without defeat against England, doing so between 1993 and 1996 (four games).

Echoing the views of team-mate Bonmati, Ona Batlle is optimistic of advancing to the semi-finals, where a showdown with one of Sweden or the Netherlands may await.

"We've seen a lot of their games and I think they play really well, really good. They have a really good squad and it is not just the starting players. Everyone there is a good player," she said.

"They are very strong and they are playing in England, so they have that [home advantage]. But that's going to be a boost for us because we know everything [about them] and we are ready for them. I think we can do it."

Germany made it three Group B wins out of three with a 3-0 triumph over Finland, with Spain joining them in the quarter-finals of Euro 2022 after a last-gasp 1-0 victory against Denmark.

Eight-time European champions Germany had already won the group before Saturday's clash in Milton Keynes, but there was no let-up from Martina Voss-Tecklenburg's impressive side.

Sophia Kleinherne headed Germany ahead shortly before the interval and Alexandra Popp doubled their lead early in the second half – the 31-year-old's third goal in as many games at the tournament.

Nicole Anyomi then made it 3-0 to Germany, who will face Austria at the Brentford Community Stadium on Thursday in the last eight.

Spain left it late to edge past Denmark at Brentford.

Marta Cardona headed in the 90th-minute winner to set up a quarter-final clash against in-form hosts England in Brighton on Wednesday.

Germany are through to the knockout phases of the Women's Euro 2022 after beating Spain 2-0 in Group B, a result which also confirmed Finland's elimination following their 1-0 loss to Denmark.

Tuesday's second match was seen as the game that would decide Group B's winners, and that looks set to be Germany.

Spain were not exactly outclassed at the Brentford Community Stadium, as their chances amounted to 1.4 expected goals (xG) compared to Germany's 0.8.

But they shot themselves in the foot by gifting the eight-time European champions a third-minute lead, as Sandra Panos hit her clearance right at Klara Buhl, who cleverly evaded Irene Paredes before applying a clinical finish.

Spain kept the German defence busy and dominated proceedings for significant periods, but life got even tougher for Jorge Vilda's team in the 36th minute when Alexandra Popp beat Patri Guijarro in the air to head Felicitas Rauch's corner home.

Chances were more of a rarity in the second half, and when Merle Frohms pulled off arguably the save of the tournament so far to tip a Mariona Caldentey volley over 19 minutes from time, you got the sense this was not going to be Spain's day.

Germany ultimately cruised to victory and know a point against Finland on Saturday will secure top spot in the group.

Earlier in Milton Keynes, Denmark and Finland faced off knowing there was a distinct possibility one of them could be out of the tournament by the end of the day.

Both suffered comprehensive defeats on matchday one, meaning another loss on Tuesday would likely be a knockout blow.

It was evident almost right from the start that Finland were going to struggle, with the Danes dominating the ball and looking more cohesive going forward.

But Denmark were frustrated in the first half, with Tinja Riikka Korpela proving a reliable last line of defence in the Finland goal.

Finland did not record a shot on target until the 60th minute, though Ria Oling's long-range effort was comfortably held by Lene Christensen.

Denmark's persistence paid off 18 minutes from time, however, as Pernille Harder nodded over the line from close range after the ball came back off the bar.

Although that proved decisive, Denmark will still need to beat Spain to pip them to the runners-up spot in the group, due to La Roja's significantly better goal difference.