The anguish and disappointment felt by England’s Lionesses at their loss to Spain in the Women’s World Cup final was palpable across the UK front pages on Monday, but many also offered consoling words.
The Guardian summed up the mixed feelings of the result with the page one headline “Pride and pain”, with an image of the English side standing arm-in-arm as one player sits dejectedly on the ground among them with head bowed.
Monday's Guardian: Pride and pain #TomorrowsPapersToday #TheGuardian #Guardian pic.twitter.com/CmIu5bJBMC
— Tomorrows Papers Today (@TmorrowsPapers) August 20, 2023
The i topped its front with one word being felt across the country at the defeat – “Heartbreak” – above three glum Lioness faces. A subhead added that the team’s “extraordinary campaign brought England closest to World Cup glory since 1966”.
Monday's front page: Heartbreak #TomorrowsPapersTodayhttps://t.co/f9btcZG0Fg pic.twitter.com/6bkGS9tuPL
— i newspaper (@theipaper) August 20, 2023
The Daily Mail ran with alliteration beside an image of Keira Walsh comforting a bandaged Alex Greenwood, its main headline saying: “Heroes to the end, our brave, battered but beaten Lionesses”.
Monday's @DailyMailUK #MailFrontPages pic.twitter.com/mdMhITFFd1
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) August 20, 2023
The Metro had a full-page composite of England’s faces of despair around the consoling headline: “YOU ALL DID US PROUD”.
Tomorrow's Paper Today 📰
— Metro (@MetroUK) August 20, 2023
YOU ALL DID US PROUD
🔴 Heartbreak as Lionesses lose World Cup Final#Tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/NmErgAwg1d
The Daily Telegraph kept its headline small but its page-holding photo large in an image that said it all: captain Millie Bright with hand to head in anguish as Alessia Russo wipes away tears. The top line: “Nation did not despair that the dream had died – it was grateful.”
The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph:
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) August 20, 2023
'Letby can be forced to face families in court'#TomorrowsPapersToday
Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4Oomry pic.twitter.com/S3Q0rF1jNf
The Mirror went wider on the same shot capturing England’s pain above the headline: “PROUD OF YOU: Defeat but Lionesses inspire nation”.
Monday's front page: Proud of you #TomorrowsPapersToday https://t.co/G4Zuj3Hxdh pic.twitter.com/9qcelIER8g
— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) August 20, 2023
The Daily Express also went big on the anguished pic of Bright and Russo with the team under the head: “PRIDE OF NATION”.
Front Page - King brings Andrew 'in from cold'#TomorrowsPapersTodayhttps://t.co/IHIRAiOnyk pic.twitter.com/ilOtC8QWef
— Daily Express (@Daily_Express) August 20, 2023
In wild contrast, Spanish newspapers abounded with joy at their side becoming the new World Cup champions. Among them, the Marca sport daily pictured the team – hollering with delight as the tournament trophy is held high – under the headline: “¡QUE SI, QUE SOMOS CAMPEONAS!” (“Yes, we are champions!”)
#LaPortada 🗞️
— MARCA (@marca) August 20, 2023
⭐ ¡Que sí, que somos CAMPEONAS! ⭐
🇪🇸🏆 @SEFutbolFem ❤️💛 pic.twitter.com/PPcPF7MnJK
And celebrating a Spanish win for the ages, Mundo Deportivo pictured the cheering squad under just one word: “ETERNAS” (“eternal”).
🗞️ #PortadaMD
— Mundo Deportivo (@mundodeportivo) August 20, 2023
⭐️ 'Eternas' pic.twitter.com/fJctJNJTlL
