Sydney: Spain failed to qualify for the first six editions of the Women’s World Cup, but once La Roja made the tournament in 2015 they’ve made a steady climb toward joining the global elite.

Spain scored their first point with a draw in their World Cup debut.

Four years later, Spain advanced to the knockout round before they were eliminated by the US who went on to clinch a second consecutive championship.

Now in their third World Cup, the Spaniards have reached a new level and face Sweden in the first World Cup semi-final on Tuesday at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand.

It is Spain’s first semifinal match in a major tournament since the 1997 European Championships, and the reward for making it this far? A match against the second-ranked team in the world who have already eliminated the US and Japan in this tournament.

The Swedes are playing in a fifth World Cup semifinal: they were runners-up in 2003, finished third three times, and, just to note how consistently strong the Swedes have been, they lost the gold medal match to Canada two years ago at the Tokyo Olympics.

So are Spain nervous?

You better believe it.

“If we’re not nervous, something is not going right,” forward Jenni Hermoso said on the eve of the match. “We have to feel that nervous sense in our stomach and to have the willpower.”

Spain lead all teams in the tournament with 15 goals so far and are determined to showcase its offense against Sweden, which has so far allowed just two goals and beat the United States in the knockout round on penalties.

It’s unknown what Alexia Putellas will have in this monumental moment in Spain’s women’s football history.

Putellas tore her ACL last year and wasn’t a guarantee to even make Spain’s 23-player roster.

The 29-year-old midfielder, a two-time Ballon d’Or winner as the sport’s best player, was a substitute in Spain’s first match of this World Cup, started the second match of group play, but has been used sparingly since.