England's James stars in demolition of China

England has dismantled China to eliminate the Asian side from the Women's World Cup, with Lauren James orchestrating a 6-1 onslaught that sent the Lionesses through the group stage with a perfect record.

The match, held on Tuesday in Adelaide, saw England produce one of the tournament's most dominant performances. The English side struck first through Alessia Russo in the fourth minute, when she received a headed pass from James and finished clinically into the corner.

Coach Sarina Wiegman's tactical adjustment proved crucial. With midfield cornerstone Keira Walsh sidelined by knee injury, Wiegman shifted to an unconventional 3-4-3 formation, departing from England's customary 4-3-3 shape. The change unlocked attacking potential and allowed England to press high and dominate possession—a marked contrast to earlier group matches, which Wiegman acknowledged had seen periods of lost control.

James provided the catalyst for England's dominance. She assisted Lauren Hemp's second goal in the 26th minute with a perfectly weighted pass. In the 41st minute, James struck from the top of the box following a free kick routine. She added a second goal as England's second-half dominance continued unchecked. A third goal was disallowed when video review found Lucy Bronze in an offside position during the buildup. The 21-year-old displayed the complete attacking package—composure in front of goal with both feet and the intelligence to unlock play for teammates.

Chloe Kelly and Rachel Daly added further goals as England's commanding performance rolled on. China's Wang Shuang scored from the penalty spot in a consolation effort, preventing a whitewash.

The 6-1 margin matched England's largest Women's World Cup victory, equalling their 2007 demolition of Argentina. For China, the defeat represented their worst-ever tournament loss and marked the first time the nation has failed to advance beyond the group stage in Women's World Cup history. Denmark also qualified, finishing as group runners-up with a 2-0 win over Haiti.

England faces Nigeria in the round of 16 on Monday in Brisbane, a fixture that looms as England's most significant test yet despite their dominant group-stage campaign.