In a historic performance at Keepmoat Stadium, the England women's team decimated Latvia with a 20-0 scoreline. This victory stands as the biggest win in the history of the British women's squad, surpassing their 13-0 win over Hungary in 2005. On a global scale, the record for the most goals in an international game is held by Australia, who defeated American Samoa 31-0 during a 2002 World Cup qualifier.
Sarina Wiegman's squad remained completely dominant throughout the match, preserving their perfect Group D record with a record-breaking result. The offense was relentless, with Ellen White, Lauren Hemp, Beth Mead, and Alessia Russo all recording hat-tricks. Bethany England contributed two goals, while Ella Toone, Georgia Stanway, Jessica Carter, Jill Scott, and Jordan Nobbs each scored once to finalize the blowout.
During the match, Manchester City striker Ellen White etched her name into the record books as England's all-time leading goal-scorer. After netting a hat-trick, she surpassed Kelly Smith's mark of 46 goals just nine minutes after the restart. White now boasts 48 goals across 101 international appearances.
White opened the scoring with two goals in the first ten minutes, followed by a third from the edge of the penalty box. The game also saw a mistake from Latvian keeper Alina Sklemenova, who inadvertently knocked the ball into her own net. In total, ten different English players scored. Notably, 21-year-old Lauren Hemp scored four times—her first goals for the national team—and Jessica Carter also scored her first international goal.
It was a night of pure celebration for the players and the crowd. England began their onslaught almost immediately, scoring consistently from the 3rd minute through to the 80th. The statistics highlight the gap in quality: England held 86% of the possession and launched 63 shots, while Latvia failed to register a single shot on target.
England's defensive record in this qualifying campaign is impeccable, having scored 53 goals without letting in a single one, leaving goalkeeper Mary Earps with very little to do. With six wins from six matches, they sit comfortably at the top of their group with a perfect 18 points, leading ahead of Northern Ireland and Austria, who both have 13 points.
Meanwhile, Latvia struggles at the bottom of the table with zero points, having conceded 46 goals while only scoring twice in five games. Looking ahead, the 2023 Women's World Cup is set to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand this summer.