Hannah Hampton and Lauren Hemp prove their class - but Maya Le Tissier's Lionesses frustrations continue: Winners and losers from England's successful week of Women's World Cup qualifiers

Advantage, England. This international break was always going to feel decisive in the race between the Lionesses and Spain to secure the only automatic qualification spot for next year’s Women’s World Cup available in this cut-throat qualifying group, and it was the reigning European champions, rather than the world champions, who came out on top.

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  WINNER: Hannah Hampton

  There were questions about Hampton's form coming into this international break. The Chelsea shot-stopper hadn't kept a clean sheet in any of her last six games for the Blues, conceding seven times, and her distribution had come under scrutiny too. This week with England, though, might have given her the confidence boost needed for a strong end to the season.

  Hampton kept two clean sheets, and more than played her part in both. Against Spain, a string of solid stops was capped off with an outstanding stoppage-time save to deny Edna Imade and preserve a vital 1-0 win that gave the Lionesses a three-point cushion at the top of the group. Then, four days later, she was forced into two massive blocks in a nervy win over Iceland by the same scoreline, after England had failed to add to Alessia Russo's early opener.

  "She was amazing," Russo said of Hampton, speaking to ITV. "[In] big moments, she kept us in it. She showed up three or four times to keep us that clean sheet and the three points. Sometimes you need someone to step up like that."

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  WINNER: Lucia Kendall

  Admittedly, England's options in midfield, to round out a trio that was always going to feature both Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway, were depleted this week. Ella Toone and Grace Clinton both missed out due to injury, paving the way for a first call-up for teenager Erica Parkinson, meaning Wiegman had a big call to make for the visit of Spain. In that huge game, it was Lucia Kendall, the 21-year-old with just five caps to her name, who got the nod in what felt like a massive endorsement of her talent.

  Kendall repaid that faith, too. Up against a midfield trio of two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, last year's Golden Ball runner-up Mariona Caldentey, and Barcelona star Patri Guijarro, Kendall was unlikely to get many chances to show what she could do in possession. But she kept the ball well when she got on it, covered plenty of ground and battled brilliantly, not once looking like a rabbit in the headlights as some in her position might.

  Her performance came in for plenty of praise from Wiegman, too, who said that Kendall completed "the best midfield available". "I think she understands really well what we want to do in possession and out of possession," the England manager said. That No.10 role is up for grabs and Kendall continues to do little wrong when she gets the opportunity to stake a claim for it.

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  WINNER: Lotte Wubben-Moy

  Lotte Wubben-Moy came into this camp as one of England's most in-form players. However, as someone who has not always been given a lot of minutes under Wiegman, it was unclear whether that would translate to opportunities to impress in the Lionesses' biggest game of the year so far, against Spain. Fortunately for her, it did. And fortunately for England, she more than justified her involvement.

  Starting alongside Esme Morgan in a game that Wiegman said came too soon for captain Leah Williamson, Wubben-Moy formed one half of a formidable centre-back partnership that restricted Spain to very little throughout the 90 minutes at Wembley.

  "I'm very proud of them," the England boss said afterwards. "They haven't played that much together. [Their performance] says a lot about them and they should be proud of themselves."

  Four days later, Wubben-Moy stepped aside as Williamson replaced her in the XI to take on Iceland, marking her return to action after a month out with a hamstring issue. But the former would replace the England skipper at half-time, settling well into the back line and making a big contribution late on when it looked like Iceland might level the scores.

  That was the end of what felt like a big week for Wubben-Moy when it came to moving herself up the centre-back pecking order.

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  LOSER: Maya Le Tissier

  On the other side of that centre-back situation is Maya Le Tissier. The Manchester United captain's position in this Lionesses' team has been debated for a long time, with Wiegman seeing her as a solution at right-back despite her excelling at club level in a central role. Le Tissier got a chance to prove her point in that argument at the end of last year, when she got ample opportunity as a centre-back in friendlies, but her fortunes have reversed in 2026.

  Though she played 90 minutes in England's first game of the year against Ukraine, that was as a right-back, with her an unused sub for all three since. That's despite Williamson's injury issues and Alex Greenwood's deployment at left-back opening up spots for others. Those, though, have gone to the likes of Wubben-Moy and Morgan, knocking Le Tissier back down a pecking order she appeared to be climbing.

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  WINNER: Lauren Hemp

  Lauren Hemp has been a constant in this England team under Wiegman. She has started all-but-one of the Lionesses' major tournament matches under the Dutchwoman, winning two European Championship titles and scoring three goals to help fire the Lionesses to a first World Cup final in 2023. And yet, it doesn't feel like she gets the credit she deserves sometimes.

  For Hemp to play such a starring role this week, then, was a welcome sight as it gave her a spotlight she should receive more often. Her strike to win the game against Spain was an excellent bit of improvisation, with her unlucky not to add a second when she hit the post shortly afterwards, while her assist for Russo's goal against Iceland was equally impressive.

  With a whopping 76 international caps to her name at the age of 25, Hemp is one of the first names on Wiegman's teamsheet, and has been ever since she arrived in England. This week was a reminder of why that is the case.

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  WINNER: Leah Williamson

  This camp was dominated with talk of Williamson's fitness, after Wiegman called the England captain up despite her not playing in any of Arsenal's last five games. While the hope was that the defender would be able to partake in the clash with Spain, her return to action would have to wait a few days, where she looked untroubled in a 45-minute run-out against Iceland.

  It's taken longer than all of Williamson, England and Arsenal would've hoped, and it is a continuation of what has been a frustrating season for the Lionesses skipper, who missed the first three months with a knee issue and another month due to a calf problem before this latest setback.

  However, she's back now, just in time for the final knockings of the Gunners' Champions League title defence, which continues at the semi-final stage next week, and with the hope of closing the club campaign out strongly before England's huge rematch with Spain in June. That's a game that could ultimately decide which of the two sides qualifies automatically for next year's World Cup, so for the Lionesses to have Williamson available as a starter would be a huge boost.

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  LOSER: Taylor Hinds

  Going into the clash with Spain, Taylor Hinds had started all of England's last three, and four of their last five, games at left-back. But the Arsenal defender was muscled out of the line-up for the match at Wembley, replaced by Greenwood. Asked by ITV ahead of that game if Greenwood was her first-choice left-back, Wiegman simply replied: "Yes, she is."

  It can feel like Groundhog Day when talking about England's conundrum in the position. The Lionesses have long lacked natural options there, often forcing others to play out of position to fill the gap, with it standing out as a real weak spot in the team as a result. Wiegman has looked at plenty of emerging options to address this problem, with the likes of Anouk Denton, Poppy Pattinson and Hinds given caps.

  The latter has received the majority of those chances since her first call-up back in October, which has largely coincided with the absence of Niamh Charles, who plays the position for Chelsea and has had spells as a regular there with England. But Greenwood's recent run of games at left-back for Manchester City, rather than at centre-back, has clearly had a big impact on Wiegman's thinking, leading to Greenwood starting both of the Lionesses' games this week in that position.

  With Charles also returning to the squad this month for the first time since December, and being introduced for Greenwood in the latter stages of Saturday's win over Iceland, it feels like the pecking order at left-back has a totally different look to it now when compared to last month. Unfortunately for Hinds, it seems it is she who has slipped down that ranking.