Australia wins the Women's T20 World Cup after crushing England in the Lord's final

LONDON (AP) — Australia won the Women's Twenty20 World Cup after smashing England in the final by seven wickets at Lord's on Sunday.

Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield supercharged the chase of 151 runs from the second over to the 13th in a 100-run partnership off 67 balls.

Litchfield fell 34 runs from victory and Mooney was out 11 runs from the inevitable end after her third match-winning fifty in Australia's last three successful finals.

Overseeing the winning runs in the middle with 17 balls to spare was another stalwart, Ellyse Perry, winning her seventh world T20 trophy.

Australia pulled off the highest successful chase in a final at 153-3 after restricting England to 150-4.

This was the 10th, biggest and most popular Women's T20 World Cup and Australia extended its staggering record to seven titles from eight finals.

Without a World Cup title in the 20-over or 50-over formats for the first time since 2018, Australia's serial champion women were back in business under new captain Sophie Molineux.

“The atmosphere, the occasion, it’s phenomenal,” Perry told broadcaster Sky. "For it to fall our way is super special. Amazing performance from the girls against an awesome England team.

“To get over the line in Soph's first World Cup (as captain), it's a joy to be a part of. We’ve hopefully taken our game to a new level. To have the chance to be part of that is the privilege of a lifetime.”

The sold-out final in front of a sun-baked crowd of 28,887 was going to break one maxim: England had won all four of the Women's World Cups it has hosted across formats while Australia had won all six of the finals between the teams across formats.

In the end it wasn't a contest.

Put in, England openers Amy Jones and Danni Wyatt-Hodge were dismissed in the powerplay. Wyatt-Hodge became the first player to pass 300 runs in a single T20 World Cup but she was gone for 8. Alice Capsey was bowled in the 10th over at 67-3 and England was struggling to rouse its home crowd.

It takes something special to knock out Australia in a T20 World Cup: The unbeaten 122-run stand between Claire Taylor and Beth Morgan for England in the 2009 semifinals; Hayley Matthews' 66 for West Indies in the 2016 final and Anneke Bosch's 74 for South Africa in the 2024 semifinals.

England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt had her shot and hung tough with her record ninth fifty in a T20 World Cup but her unbeaten 53-ball 58 was too slow. Freya Kemp's unbeaten 28-ball 44 drove England to a total below par.

“Gutted,” England coach Charlotte Edwards said. “We came here with so much belief and confidence to pull off something really special. But (Australia) are a very, very good team and we were completely outplayed.”

Australia's miserly bowlers were led by quicks Lucy Hamilton (1-19) and Kim Garth (1-20).

The chase was a cruise. England pacer Lauren Bell got Georgia Voll in the second over but in her next over Bell was smacked for three boundaries by Mooney.

Australia was 62-1 after the powerplay. Litchfield reverse-swept Linsey Smith for six over deep square leg and Mooney reached her fifty off 38 balls. But in the same 13th over Litchfield was bowled on 48 off 35 balls.

On the brink of victory, Mooney was out on review, pinned by spinner Sophie Ecclestone for 64 from 49 with 10 boundaries. Mooney was named the player of the match and tournament.

“It's been well documented that we haven't made it in the last two ICC events. I woke up this morning pretty grateful we have made it this far,” Mooney said.

“I started the tournament a little rusty but I warmed up. I have had plenty of help. The game plan was to settle the dugout in the powerplay in a big game. I tried to make sure we got ahead of the game as early as possible.”

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

England's Natalie Sciver-Brunt, hits runs during the Women's T20 Cricket World Cup final between England and Australia in London, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Australia's Phoebe Litchfield, makes her ground as England's wicketkeeper Amy Jones, attempts a run out during the Women's T20 Cricket World Cup final between England and Australia in London, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

The Australian team celebrates after winning the Women's T20 Cricket World Cup final between England and Australia in London, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Australia's Beth Mooney, celebrates getting 50 not out during the Women's T20 Cricket World Cup final between England and Australia in London, Sunday, July 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

SEATTLE (AP) — Folarin Balogun’s one-game ban was surprisingly suspended by FIFA, clearing the U.S. forward to play in the team’s World Cup round of 16 match against Belgium, a decision that was praised by President Donald Trump.

Balogun, who leads the Americans with three goals, received a red card for stepping awkwardly on a foot of Tarik Muharemović of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a 2-0 round of 32 win on Wednesday.

A red card calls for an automatic one-game suspension but players learned of Balogun's availability when social media posts started popping up during the 10-minute bus ride Sunday from their hotel to training at the University of Washington.

“I think a lot of us thought it was AI at first,'” defender Chris Richards said. “We weren’t sure if it was true or not.”

Trump praised FIFA’s decision. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has repeatedly made efforts to grow close to Trump, even awarding him a FIFA Peace Prize at the World Cup draw.

“Thank you to FIFA for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice!” Trump said in a social media post.

Balogun’s red card and suspension for the round of 16 match had been one of the most controversial and consequential decisions of the World Cup.

“If you look at the foul, it was just zero intent at all,” U.S. star Christian Pulisic said. “I felt like there was much worse ones that went on this tournament.”

The U.S. Soccer Federation learned of the decision in a message sent by FIFA in its portal at 10:31 a.m. EDT.

“The implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year,” FIFA announced. “If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”

Balogun's three goals included one to give the U.S. the lead against Bosnia. He has matched Landon Donovan in 2010 for the second-most goals by an American in a World Cup, behind only Bert Patenaude’s four in the initial tournament in 1930.

A 25-year-old who plays for Monaco, Balogun scored 13 Ligue 1 goals last season. He has 12 goals in 30 international appearances. He was born in Brooklyn to Nigerian parents who were living in London and in 2023 opted to change his national team affiliation from England, which he had represented at the under-21 level.

“He strikes fear into a lot of defenders,” Richards said.

The host U.S. is seeking to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002. The Americans lost in the round of 16 to Ghana in 2010, Belgium in 2014 and the Netherlands in 2022. They failed to advance from the group stage in 2006 and didn’t qualify for the 2018 tournament.

The USSF said it will not make Balogun available for comment Sunday, but Balogun posted on social media a picture of himself in front of U.S. fans and overlaid with music of Michael Jackson's pop single “Bad.”

On Friday, Balogun said he thought a yellow card instead of red “would have been fair."

FIFA said its decision relied on Article 27 of disciplinary committee rules.

"The judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure. By suspending the implementation of the sanction, the judicial body subjects the person sanctioned to a probationary period of one to four years," the rule states.

FIFA in November deferred the final two games of a three-match ban for Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo for a red card against Ireland in a World Cup qualifier, allowing him to play at the start of the World Cup.

Argentine defender Nicolás Otamendi and Ecuadoran midfielder Moisés Caicedo in April had one-game bans deferred for red cards in qualifiers, also allowing them to be available for World Cup openers.

Brazil’s Garrincha was ejected from a 1962 semifinal but allowed to play in the final against Chile after political pressure.

AP Soccer Writer James Robson and AP Sports Writer Jim Vertuno contributed to this report.

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

United States' Folarin Balogun (20) fouls Bosnia's Tarik Muharemovic (4), resulting in a red card go Balogun, during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

United States' Folarin Balogun (20) walks off the field after receiving a red card during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)